TACOMA — The Peninsula College women’s soccer team set a program record by shutting out Tacoma 3-0, the Pirates’ 14th shutout of the season.
The Peninsula men, meanwhile, had their bid for a perfect season halted but still remain unbeaten after playing the Titans to a 2-2 tie thanks to a late goal by Eddie Benito.
With Saturday’s clean sheet, the Pirate women surpassed the previous school record of 13 shutouts, which was achieved by the 2012 and 2013 teams.
That broken record is likely to get shattered, as Peninsula still has five regular season contests remaining before the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament begins next month.
Both the Peninsula men (8-0-1, 10-0-1) and women (12-1, 14-1) sit atop the conference’s West Region and are ranked No. 1 in their respective NWAC coaches polls.
Men’s Game
Peninsula 2, Tacoma 2
The Titans had the Pirates playing catch up from the early going.
Tacoma’s Michael Moore scored in the 15th minute to make it 1-0.
Seven minutes later, Benito equalized with a goal for Peninsula that was assisted by Julio Soto.
The score remained 1-1 until Dalton Ogden scored on a penalty kick to put the Titans up 2-1 in the 74th minute.
Tacoma (3-6-1, 6-8-1) look poised to pull off a big upset until the final minute of regulation when Benito put the ball in the net after a scramble in the box following a corner kick.
Peninsula and Clark (7-0-3, 11-1-3) are the only remaining teams yet to suffer a loss in NWAC play.
The Pirates return to action Tuesday at home for a match with Bellevue (4-5, 6-5) that was postponed from earlier this month.
Women’s Game
Peninsula 3, Tacoma 0
The Titans (4-7-2, 5-10-2) kept the Pirates off the scoreboard for nearly three quarters of the match, but Peninsula dominated the final fourth of the match to win its eighth straight match.
The Pirates finally broke the scoreless tie in the 64th minute. Paxton Rodocker made a long throw-in to Tasha Inong. Tacoma goalkeeper Maria Alonso came out of the box and Inong headed it over Alonso to the far post.
The Rodocker-to-Inong connection gave an encore in the 82nd minute.
Rodocker sent a corner kick to the back post, and Inong put it in the goal with another header.
Inong now has five goals, which ties her for third on the team.
Rodocker, a sophomore out of Port Angeles High School, is second on the team with six assists.
C.J. Stetser scored her team-leading seventh goal in the 88th minute to pad the Pirates’ advantage to 3-0.
Kasie Lough made three saves to earn her seventh shutout, which ranks second in the NWAC. Teammate Emily Flinn has recorded four of Peninsula’s shutouts and Manaia Siania-Unutoa has three.
The Pirates have allowed only one goal all season. The next-best mark in the conference is Everett, which has given up six goals this season.
Peninsula next plays on the road against Lower Columbia (1-12, 2-12-1) on Wednesday.
