PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles girls soccer team finally had its impressive scoreless streak snapped, and it took a very good and big team from Enumclaw to do it.
Enumclaw, a team full of 5-foot-11 to 6-foot girls, bigger than some NWAC teams, beat the Riders 2-0 on Tuesday night in the opening game of the West Central District III 2A tournament.
The good news is, it’s a double-elimination tournament, so the Riders are still alive. They will play a loser-out game Thursday, again at Peninsula College’s Wally Sigmar Field, against Olympic.
The Riders, winners of the Olympic 2A League, were the No. 1 seed out of the league and got the No. 2 seed out of the South Puget Sound League. That turned out to be a very tough 12-3-1 Enumclaw team. One of the Hornets’ wins was over SPSL champion Fife (14-1-1).
“When I saw it was Enumclaw, I thought it wasn’t the best seed,” said coach Scott Moseley. “But, you have to beat the top teams anyway.”
Moseley said Enumclaw’s physicality was a factor for the Riders.
“I don’t know if their size mattered, but their physical play was hard to adjust to,” he said.
Anna Petty, front, keeps the ball inbounds as Enumclas’s Sofia Smits keeps watch on Tuesday in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Port Angeles)
Port Angeles nearly got the lead when Anna Petty hit a beautiful high shot from 30 yards out. But the ball hit the crossbar and stayed out.
Moseley said that shot was part of the difference.
“Enumclaw is a really skilled team and they converted on their shots and we didn’t,” Moseley said.
The Hornets broke through for a goal in the 33rd minute on a good individual play by Mia Ammons, who beat a couple of Riders defenders to open herself up. It was the first goal allowed by the Riders since Oct. 5.
The Riders went into the half down 1-0 and came out fired up in the second half, completely controlling the action for the first 20 minutes. Port Angeles’ best chance came when Piper Williams got open from 20 yards out in the 49th minute and hit a nice left-footed shot that went a couple of feet high and wide to the left of the net.
Moseley liked that the Riders were able to take control for a good 20 minutes in the second half, but was disappointed the Riders couldn’t get a goal out of it.
“If you don’t get the equalizer, it’s hard to keep putting out all that energy,” he said.
The Hornets got an insurance goal in the 61st minute on a deep, high shot by Lauren Boger that sneaked in just under the crossbar.
The Riders were able to keep it at 2-0, though Enumclaw nearly scored again in the 77th minute when a shot hit the crossbar and went straight down. Seconds later, a Hornets’ header also hit the crossbar.
The good news for the Riders is that Olympic is only 4-13 on the year. The bad news is the Trojans have actually played the Riders pretty tough this season, losing 1-0 and 2-0.
It will be an Olympic Peninsula doubleheader at Wally Sigmar Field tonight. Sequim, which lost to No. 1 SPSL seed Fife 5-0, will play at 5 p.m. against Orting. Port Angeles will play at 7 p.m. against Olympic.
Port Angeles’ Savannah Croteau, left, and Enumclaw’s Grace McCain chase a loose ball on Tuesday night at Peninsula College in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Enumclaw’s Lauren Boger, left, and Port Angeles’ Mia Gagnon go after the ball on Tuesday night in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
