TUKWILA — Fittingly, the Peninsula College women won another NWAC soccer championship on a shutout.
And fittingly, it was a Clarke that beat Clark.
Locked in a tough, defensive scoreless battle, the Pirates appeared headed for overtime when Miya Clarke got a hold of a loose ball on a throw-in and booted it in for a goal in the 83rd minute. The throw-in from Kascia Muscutt went through the Pirates’ Millie Long, then Grace Johnson tapped the ball behind her. Clarke swooped in from 25 yards out to drive the ball into the net.
That was the only scoring that the Pirates needed as they held on for another seven minutes, plus three minutes of stoppage time to beat Clark 1-0 in the NWAC championship game Sunday night at the Starfire Soccer Complex.
The Penguins had some scary free kicks and corner kicks in the final 10 minutes of play, but never seriously threatened.
The Peninsula women didn’t lose a single game all year, going 18-0-2 on the season. They had one of the most remarkable defensive seasons in the history of the program.
The Pirates had 14 shutouts in 20 games, allowed just one goal in three postseason games, at one point had 10 straight games without allowing a goal and a scoreless streak of 951 minutes, not counting stoppage time. The Pirates allowed just three goals all season.
Johnson, who had the game-winner in the 89th minute of the semifinal win over Columbia Basin, was given the assist on Clarke’s goal.
It is the fifth NWAC championship for women’s coach Kanyon Anderson. The Pirates also won in 2018, 2016, 2013 and 2012. They were the runners-up in 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2019.
More details will be in Tuesday’s Peninsula Daily News sports section.
