Olympic Peninsula News Group
PORT ANGELES — The “beautiful game” is now a bit bigger in scope.
The third annual Sequim-versus-Port Angeles community soccer rivalry is getting a slight revamp this year, with a change in format and location that looks to elevate the popular exhibition further in 2017.
The Super Cup is what is known in England as a “derby,” pitting crosstown rivals against each other. This home grown Northwest event brings several high school alums home to participate, as well as local soccer legends.
After Sequim won the inaugural cup in 2015 and Port Angeles pulled off a come-from-behind win in 2016, this years’s tiebreaker figures to be a special one, now hosted under the lights tonight at Port Angeles’ Civic Field (rather than at the previous venue, Peninsula College).
Organizers of the Super Cup have added a women’s match at 5:30 p.m., to be followed by the men’s match at 7 p.m.
Cost is a suggested $5 donation at the gate. Funds will be donated to a college-bound high school soccer player. Doors open at 5 p.m.
“There a lot of very talented, very passionate women soccer players on the Peninsula and we are really stoked to help showcase that,” event co-organizer Marti Martinez said.
The women’s match will not be a traditional Port Angeles-Sequim rivalry, instead players from both cities were drafted to Red and Blue teams.
Matt Acker, owner of the Port Angeles-based Lefties baseball squad, has offered to pitch in and open up a beer garden along with food courtesy of Next Door Gastro Pub.
As in previous years, there is a bit of a side bet with the 2017 Super Cup: Marc Abshire, Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce’s executive director, has agreed to terms with Brandino Gibson, Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce representative and school board candidate, that the one representing the losing side in the Super Cup will have to attend the winner’s chamber luncheon dressed in the winner’s colors, and declare that the winner’s high school teams are better than theirs.
Women’s rosters
The Blue team will be coached by Kathryn Moseley and Kristen Lunt. Blue team players are: Kate Ballou, Beth Barrett, Jeri Boe, Sara Breitbach, Leslie Cisneros, Brook Cowen, Maria Frutos, Michelle Groves, Gretchen Happe, Elizabeth Hornsey, Shaena Johnson, Kylee Jeffers, Christine Loewe, Molly Plocher, Autumn St George and Alma Torres.
Amanda Anderson will coach a Red team made up of: Alena Adranga, Taylor Berg, Claira Fazio, Laura Gray, Kate Hall, Faith Hiday, Emily Irwin, Victoria Jones, Anna LaBeaume, Brittany Murdach, Shayla Northern, Mayra Quezada, Leanne Potts, Leddie Rubalcava, Ambur Taft and Brittany McBride.
Men’s rosters
The Port Angeles men’s team will be headed up by Peninsula College women’s coach Kanyon Anderson and assisted by Chris Saari and Andrew Cooper.
Port Angeles team members are: Max Bukovnik, Jake Hughes, Dustin Walsh, Miki Andrus, Preston Tucker, Scott Methner, Rick Smith, Nick Allen, Ben Salgado, Killian Doherty, Brent Ricigliano, Cenke Ozer, Anthony Brandon, Tim Schneider, Miguel Nogales, Brian Doolittle Zach Newton and Josh Heckenlively.
Longtime Sequim High School boys soccer coach Dave Brasher is the general manager of the Sequim side, which will be coached by Quincy Byrne.
Sequim team members are: Bill Batson, Benito Morales, Manny Servin, Kyle Kautzman, Lijah Sanford, Samuel Aceves, Keller Batson, Danial Servin, Vann Brasher, Noah Brasher, Zane Carey, Patrick McCrorie, Jay Marizon, Edgar Aceves, Ron Welches, Nick Camporini, Pablo Salazar and Juan Carlos.
Event sponsors include city of Port Angeles, Peninsula College, Windermere Real Estate, Lefties Baseball, OSP Sling, Jose’s Salsa, Fanaticus Sports Grill, Holistic Horticulture, Station 51, Norpoint Medical, Morningstar Photography, Next Door Gastro Pub, Olympic Distributing Company and High Energy Metals.
