SEQUIM — Sequim rallied late to earn an important 3-2 victory in double overtime against rival Port Angeles in an Olympic League boys soccer contest.
The win catapulted the Wolves (5-3-0, 6-4-2) above the Roughriders (4-4, 7-5) and into third place in the Olympic League standings.
“We didn’t want it to be boring,” Sequim coach Dave Brasher joked about Friday’s game.
“This was an important game for us standings-wise, and if we had lost it would have been three losses to PA this year. And our seniors didn’t want that to happen.”
The Riders dropped the Wolves 2-1 with their own late-match heroics in a nonleague game early in the season, then beat the Wolves 1-0 in a league game at Civic Field in late March.
In this contest, Sequim opened the scoring in the second minute when Thomas Winfield found the net after a long throw-in from Adrian Espinoza.
Port Angeles equalized when Grayson Peet put a short range shot past Sequim goalkeeper Austin Wagner after a long throw from Kenny Soule.
The Riders went ahead in the 30th minute when Angel Rivero intercepted a Sequim clearance and fed Miki Andrus for the score.
With the Wolves pressing for the tie, Port Angeles held on until giving up a goal seconds from time.
Sequim scored on another long throw-in from Espinoza to Cameron Chase.
“Adrian tossed in a long throw-in from the right side and Cameron was on the left side at about the penalty spot for the header,” Brasher said.
The goal was the culmination of multiple efforts from the Wolves.
“We were pressuring for probably the last 20 minutes and Adrian probably had about 10 long throw-ins that we weren’t able to connect on,” Brasher said.
Sequim scored two minutes into the second five-minute overtime period.
“It was a pretty nice play started by Eli Berg in the center who slung it over to Will Bittner,” Brasher said.
“And Will took a nice, low, hard shot on the ground from about 25 yards and Thomas Winfield came on kind of made it look like a cross as he put it away.”
The contest was Winfield’s first full game back since injuring his ankle in the Wolves first game with Port Angeles.
“Will Bittner got the assist on the last goal, and he came from Ellensburg from a band trip and had been car sick the whole way,” Brasher said.
“He got there at halftime and came up big for us.”
Brasher named Chase as his Man of the Match.
The Riders coach Chris Saari was frank about the bitter defeat.
“It’s about as tough as a loss can get to give up a goal in stoppage time of regulation and then to lose in sudden death overtime with two minutes left,” Riders coach Chris Saari said.
Saari praised Andrus’ efforts offensively, Scott Methner’s work on defense and Rivero and Peet’s play in the midfield.
The Wolves visit North Mason (0-7-0, 1-9-1) on Tuesday, while the Riders host Bremerton (3-5, 4-8) also on Tuesday.
Sequim 3, Port Angeles 2 (2 OT)
Port Angeles 2 0 0 — 2
Sequim 1 1 1 —3
Scoring Summary
First half: 1, Sequim, Thomas Winfield (Adrian Espinoza), 2nd; 1, Port Angeles, Grayson Peet (Kenny Soule), 16th; 2, Port Angeles, Miki Andrus (Angel Rivero), 30th.
Second Half: 2, Sequim, Cameron Chase (Espinoza), 80th. Goal #, Team, Player (assist), time.
Overtime: 3, Sequim, Winfield (Will Bittner), 87th
