PORT ANGELES — Back home after a long flight back from an early season trip to Ireland, the Peninsula College men’s soccer team opened NWAACC division play with a 1-1 draw at home against Columbia Basin.
Peninsula, which entered the season ranked seventh in the NWAACC, battled much of the game before taking a lead against the eighth-ranked Hawks.
Neither squad could find the net for the first 81 minutes of play before Peninsula sophomore John Troka found classmate Cory Matthews, who slotted it home for his first goal of the young season.
Peninsula held the lead into stoppage time thanks to the play of goalkeeper Jase Hall but the Pirates were called for a penalty inside of their own goal box in the 92nd minute.
“The ref let the game go a little long . . . a very questionable call,” Peninsula coach Andrew Chapman said of the ending.
Columbia Basin converted the ensuing penalty kick to head back to Pasco with one point in the standings.
As a team Peninsula outshot the Hawks 15-8 on the game and Hall had six saves in goal for the Pirates.
Peninsula (0-0-1, 2-2-1) has another long trip, this time to Ontario, Ore., on Saturday to face the Treasure Valley Chukars (0-1-0, 0-1-0).
