PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles boys soccer team’s district playoff hopes are still alive despite a 3-0 loss to Bremerton on senior night Tuesday at Wally Sigmar Field at Peninsula College.
The loss dropped the Roughriders to 4-10 in the Olympic League, but Port Angeles has scheduled a nonleague game Friday at Lindbergh in Renton. Lindbergh is part of the bi-district that Port Angeles is in and it just so happens that Lindbergh (6-8-1 overall) has an RPI nearly identical to the Roughriders’. Saari said this will be essentially a win and in game.
“They just happen to be a fraction above us,” Saari said. Port Angeles’ RPI is .442 while Lindbergh’s is .455.
Against Bremerton, Saari thought the Roughriders competed better with the Knights in an April 28 match that Bremerton won 3-1.
“They’re a well-rounded, skilled team,” Saari said. “We kind of seemed a little off.”
Bremerton controlled much of the action early with Port Angeles defender Keane McClain making a couple of stops on a pair of point-blank shots from the Knights. Keeper Marcus Hogan also made a spectacular diving one-handed save on a shot, but the Knights broke through with a goal in the 17th minute on a header from Brennan Galloway on a free kick.
The Riders’ best chance in the first half came with it appeared Xander Maestas was fouled in the box. The referee ruled that the foul came just outside the box, leading to a direct free kick, but not a penalty kick. Dayton Williams took a quick kick and nearly scored on a shot that just went wide of the post by inches.
Bremerton got a fortuitous goal in the 37th minute when Ryan Bell booted a crossing pass from the right sideline, but it went high and long and over Hogan’s outstretched arm for a goal.
The Riders did much better in the second half, putting sustained pressure on the Knights for a good 25 minutes and getting several scoring chances. The Riders’ best two chances came on a cross from Jacob Miller to Diego Garcia on the right wing, which led to a solid shot on goal. Dominick Fischer also had a long free kick that took a high bounce, forcing the Bremerton keeper to make a leaping save.
Ultimately, the Riders just couldn’t break through, however. They ended up outshooting Bremerton 10-9.
Hogan had another good save in the second half on a hot shot that got through him. He dove on the ball as it trickled toward the goal line behind him to prevent a score. The Knights’ Galloway got loose on a deep pass in the 64th minute, however, and booted the ball in to make it 3-0.
Saari said Maestas was the team’s player of the match offensively, while Hogan was the team’s leading defender.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Port Angeles’ Josiah Long, right battles for control with Bremerton’s Diego Clemen on Tuesday in Port Angeles.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Bremerton’s Ryan Bell, left, and Port Angeles’s Eli Fischer meet at midfield during Tuesday’s match at Wally Sigmar Field in Port Angeles.
Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News Port Angeles goalkeeper Marcus Hogan, left, blocks a shot from Bremerton’s Brennan Galloway as Hogan’s teammate, Dayton Williams looks on during Tuesday’s match in Port Angeles.
