PORT ANGELES — The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
Tacoma Community College may have twice the enrollment of Peninsula College but the Pirates not only cut the Titan soccer teams down to size Wednesday, but they flogged them 10-0 in the women’s game and 6-0 in the men’s contest in front of a big home crowd at Sigmar Field.
The Peninsula men and women, who reaffirmed their status as the top-ranked teams in Washington and Oregon when the second Alaska Airlines Coaches Polls were announced earlier in the day, put on an impressive show against two talented and hard-fighting Titan clubs.
The Pirate women are still perfect at 12-0-0 following Wednesday’s win over Tacoma. They picked up all eight first-place votes for 80 points, as did the Pirate men, who are now 12-1-1.
It doesn’t get any easier as the Pirates travel to Walla Walla on Saturday.
Both teams will face a very tough test, taking on the East-leading Warriors.
The Walla Walla women (5-2-2) are the defending NWAACC champions and are currently ranked No. 4.
The Walla Walla men (9-0-2) are ranked No. 3.
Men record shutout
It has been common for the men to follow the lead of the women this year, and the first half of their Tacoma game was a mirror of the women’s.
The Pirates went out to a 3-0 lead at the half, getting back-to-back header goals from Alex Martinez and a third goal by Henrique Noujeimi.
Coach Andrew Chapman substituted liberally throughout the second half and, just like the women’s game, continued to score.
Martinez picked up a hat trick at the 55-minute mark, Noujemi scored his second goal of the match and then, in the final three minutes, Murilo Materagia put one into the net for the 6-0 final.
The Pirates got assists from Aaron Jeffery, Daniel Gonzalez, Richard Gallarde, Jake Forrester and Braiden Gundlach.
Guilherme Avelar picked up the shutout.
“It was great to get this result against a West Division opponent,” Chapman said.
“This win helps put us in front of the other teams in our division. Guilherme had a great game in goal for us. He made some very big saves late in the game.
“But we have a big test on Saturday when we go to Walla Walla.”
The NWAACC also announced Wednesday that Gonzalez, a sophomore out of Yelm, was named the NWAACC Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for last week.
Gonzalez, who has eight goals and seven assists on the season, scored twice against Trinity Lutheran and provided two assists against Spokane.
Women impressive
In the women’s match, Bri Afoa, Briana Estrellado and Shelbi Vienna-Hallam propelled the hosts to a 3-0 halftime lead.
Then, with coach Kanyon Anderson playing his bench liberally, the Pirates blew out Tacoma in the second half, getting back-to-back goals from Jordan Dinneen, another score each from Afoa and Estrellado, two from Ashlyn Crossan and one from Kendra Miner.
The Pirates received assists from 10 different players, including Miranda Sochacki, Morgan Atchley, Emilia Stefanko, Afoa, Miner, Hailey Berg, Dinneen, Irene Jones and Melissa Delgado.
Remarkably, the Pirates did not give up a single shot on goal by the Titans.
Leading that defensive effort were starting defenders Aubrey Briscoe, Shochacki and Vienna-Hallam.
Recording the shutout was Denae Brooks, who, thanks to a stellar defensive effort from a lengthy cast of defenders and midfielders, had no saves.
