PORT ANGELES — Two days after a big rivalry game win, the Port Angeles girls soccer team struggled to find an early groove and it nearly cost the Roughriders an Olympic League game.
But a late-game charge against the lowly Knights saw three late goals push the Riders to a 3-1 victory at Wally Sigmar Field on the Peninsula College campus Saturday.
It was Port Angeles’ seventh win of the season and fifth in league play.
The Riders started slow, allowing Bremerton’s leading scorer Alyssa Beach a shot from 25 yards in the fifth minute that found the back of the net.
“After Thursday’s emotional win [over Sequim], it was really tough for the girls to get their game ramped up,” Port Angeles coach Scott Moseley said.
As the game progressed, though, the Riders gained more possession and had ample scoring opportunities.
In the 58th minute, junior midfielder Madison St. George crossed a ball that a Bremerton defender handled with arm, earning Port Angeles a penalty kick.
Sophomore Taylar Clark calmly hit her third penalty kick of the season.
“Taylar is money on the PKs and is perfect on the season, including two more PKs in shootouts,” Moseley said.
Clark also was involved in the Riders’ second goal 17 minutes later when her shot deflected off a Bremerton defender for an own goal, the second in as many games for Port Angeles.
The game was iced at the 80th minute when Clark assisted senior Emma Moseley on a free kick from 18 yards out.
“It was satisfying after a weak first half that we picked it up and worked hard to finish strong,” said Emma Moseley, who scored her first goal of the season.
The Roughriders (5-4, 7-5, 15 points) are currently in third place in the Olympic League, two points ahead of North Mason (4-4, 6-5, 13 points).
“This team keeps finding ways to win. They work hard, play hard and force other teams into mistakes,” Scott Moseley said.
The top four Olympic League teams move on to the postseason. The third-place team will host the fourth-place team Thursday, Oct. 30. The winner guarantees itself a spot at the district tournament, while the loser moves on to a district playoff game.
Port Angeles next takes a shot at second-place Olympic (7-1, 9-2, 21 points) on Tuesday at Silverdale Stadium.
North Mason 3, Sequim 2
BELFAIR — The Wolves began their rough, season-ending four-road game stretch with a close loss to the Bulldogs.
Sophie Radford and Shelby Lott scored for Sequim (1-8, 4-9) in Saturday’s game.
North Mason (4-4, 6-5) kept pace with Port Angeles and stayed ahead of Kingston (3-6, 5-8) in the Olympic League standings.
Sequim next faces league-leading North Kitsap (8-0, 9-1-1) on Tuesday in Poulsbo.
Cross Country
Roughrider freshman sets course record
GIG HARBOR — The Port Angeles cross country team’s underclassmen competed at the Terry Rice Frosh/Soph Classic at Sehmel Homestead Park on Friday.
Roughriders freshman Gracie Long won the girls race and set a new course record, finishing the 2-mile, hilly, rain-slick course in 12 minutes, 47 seconds.
Teammate Lael Butler took sixth place (14:23); Maelyn Dougherty, eighth (14:24); Zaundria Patterson, 68th (17:54); Jennifer Danielson, 93rd (20:17); and Claire Fritschler came in 94th with a 20:18 mark.
“Gracie Long showed patience and didn’t go out too fast,” Port Angles coach Cheryl Gerardi said. “She let a few other girls go out ahead of her and didn’t take the lead until about halfway in the race.
“Another girl challenged her for about three-fourths of a mile, but Gracie met each challenge with a surge of her own and eventually widened the gap between them.
“The new course record was even more impressive because runners had to be very careful going down the steep hills, crossing the slick wooden bridges on the course. Several runners in both the boys and girls races went down.”
The Port Angeles girls placed fourth of the 10 teams represented at the meet.
The Riders had two runners in the boys race: Tristan Butler, who came in eighth with a 12:00, and Isaac Newlin, who finished 88th with a 13:51.
Port Angeles, along with runners from Sequim and Port Townsend, next competes at the Olympic League championship meet at Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course on Thursday at 4 p.m.
