TUKWILA — The Peninsula College men’s and women’s soccer teams continued their quests to win NWAACC championships by winning semifinal games Saturday.
Both Pirate teams are ranked No. 1 in NWAACC and sport top-11 national rankings.
The Pirate men, West Division champions, shut out North-champion Edmonds 2-0 while the Peninsula women, also West champions, blasted North-champion Everett 3-1 in the semifinals at Starfire Sports Complex.
The Pirate men tried to win their second NWAACC title in three years against East champion Walla Walla on Sunday evening at Starfire Complex. Results were unavailable by press time.
Walla Walla earned the title berth by beating Highline 3-2 in the semifinals.
The Pirates, meanwhile, moved on to the finals with semifinal goals from Alex Martinez and Jake Forrester.
Martinez scored his goal 32 minutes into the match while Forrester scored in the 67th minute.
Parker Vacura had an assist in the first half, while Martinez earned an assist in the second half.
Goalkeeper Guilherme Avelar recorded the shutout for the Pirates.
Martinez and Guilherme were named West Division All-Stars.
Peninsula defeated Highline for its first-ever NWAACC championship in 2010.
The Peninsula women, meanwhile, tried to win their first NWAACC crown after taking runner-up honors last year with a loss to two-time defending champion Walla Walla in the title match.
The Pirates, 22-1-0 on the year, took on East champion Spokane for all the marbles.
Peninsula West Division player of the year, Briana Afoa, scored two goals against Everett in the semifinal game to spark the Pirates into the championship final.
Afoa, just a freshman, shattered the school season scoring record a couple of weeks ago and now has 23 on the year after two against Everett.
Afoa’s first goal came on a penalty kick just 17 minutes into the game to give the Pirates a 1-0 halftime lead.
Ashlyn Frizzelle scored a goal a minute into the second half to make it 2-0.
Afoa’s second score came at 57 minutes to give the Pirates a commanding 3-0 lead.
Everett’s Christina Jarvis scored in the 78th minute to break up Peninsula’s shutout bid.
Earning an assist for the Pirates was Ashlyn Crossan at 57 minutes.
Lisa Echert of Everett assisted in Jarvis’s goal.
