[EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated to correct the name of the Port Angeles player who made the cross that set up the second goal to Emma Smith]
SEQUIM — Two goals in the game’s final 20 minutes lifted the Port Angeles girls soccer team to a 2-0 victory over rival Sequim, the first season sweep of the Wolves by the Roughriders since 2011.
In the 61st minute, Port Angeles’ Maddie Boe controlled the ball down the right flank before sending a cross into a goal box full of players.
In the ensuing melee, the ball appeared to glance off a Sequim defender and in for an own goal.
Fifteen minutes later, Emma Smith sent a right-to-left cross into the box, where Leah Haworth got a good foot on the ball. The shot was deflected up in the air and headed in goal from short range by Port Angeles freshman Emily Boyd.
“I saw the ball go off a defender from Leah’s kick and I just headed it in,” Boyd said of the goal.
The win, coming after Sequim’s senior night festivities on Thursday, helped exorcise some demons from a 2012 Port Angeles senior night loss to the Wolves that pushed the Riders out of the playoffs.
“Part of it, too, you could hear it on the [pregame] introductions [of the Sequim senior players] is a lot of Sequim’s best memories are from two years ago, beating us on our senior night to knock us out of the playoffs, so the girls wanted to even that score, and to do that meant a lot,” Port Angeles coach Scott Moseley said.
“The girls really felt like they closed that wound from two years ago.”
Wolves coach Victor Lancheros was reflective after the tough loss.
“They worked pretty hard tonight; the outcome wasn’t as good as the effort,” Lancheros said of his team.
“[There’s] nobody to blame, we just made a couple of mistakes that they capitalized on and there’s not much that you can do about that.”
The two teams played a scoreless first half, the Riders controlling much of the early action, before the Wolves offense woke up about 14 minutes into the game.
Maeve Harris fired a shot high over the Port Angeles and moments later Hannah Gauthan produced a shot on goal that was handled by Riders goalie Zoe Owens.
Harris soon tried another shot to the upper left corner, but Owens was there to parry the ball over the goal for a Sequim corner that resulted in missed header over the bar.
Both teams were aggressive in on-the-ball challenges in a match that was lightly officiated on either side.
“It was rough,” Lancheros said.
“There were a few rough calls and no-calls there. It wasn’t something that I expected. I thought it would be a much cleaner game.”
Moseley agreed on the scrappy nature of the contest.
“What I appreciated about both teams is they kept playing,” Moseley said.
“Sequim didn’t get affected by it, Port Angeles didn’t get affected by it.”
After halftime the Riders maintained control of possession for most of the second half.
“It’s not what they did, it’s what we didn’t do,” Lancheros said.
“We started to force the ball, therefore we lost control of the ball and control of the game.
“We started to having to play the PA game and that’s what affected us.”
Boyd said the coaching adjustments at halftime included trying to space the field better to create more offensive opportunities.
“He [Moseley] told us to keep playing wide because we were getting bunched up in the middle,” Boyd said.
The advice worked, as both of the Riders’ scores started wide on the right side of the field and worked inward.
“Our first goal, although it was an own goal, it came off of wide play on a ball sent in,” Moseley said.
“The same with the second goal. Boe had it, then sent it in where Leah got the boot on it and a little flick there by Boyd.
“That’s our fourth header goal, which is a record, our fourth shutout, just a great defensive effort.”
The Wolves countered right back with chances after both Port Angeles goals, but couldn’t find the net.
“Zoe Owens did a tremendous job in goal,” Moseley said.
Defender Elyse Lovgren also was active in the back half of the field, chasing down multiple Sequim chances and clearing them away from danger.
“Elyse has such great speed that nobody can really beat her,” Moseley said.
“I told the girls they used a lot of soccer smarts, a lot of soccer IQ, to know that you are up and how to see the game out,” Moseley said.
Lancheros, who prefers to focus his praise on an overall team effort, lauded his fill-in goalkeeper Claire Henninger.
“Claire has been outstanding. If I had to mention any names, she would be the top of the list,” Lancheros said.
Henninger was playing in place of Bianca Espinoza, who is injured and out for the rest of the year.
The win pushed Port Angeles (4-4, 6-5) into third place in the Olympic League.
The Riders visit Olympic on Tuesday, while Sequim (1-7, 4-8) visits North Kitsap.
