PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Angeles boys soccer team’s long playoff drought is over.
The Roughriders overcame an emotional senior night crowd at Port Townsend’s Memorial Field on Thursday night, beating the Redskins 3-1 to earn their first postseason appearance in nine years.
Hayden McCartney had two assists, and Sam Beasley, Anthony Brandon and Kurbanjan Mamat each scored goals as the Riders (3-1-2 in league, 9-3-2 overall) improved on their best record since 2001.
“It’s huge,” Port Angeles coach Chris Saari said of the win, his first at Memorial Stadium in seven years of leading the Rider program.
“It was their senior night, and they had a lot of energy. We had to deal with their crowd and all of that. But even when they tied it, we played through it and answered back.”
The Riders struck first with a long-distance shot from Beasley in the 24th minute.
Port Townsend’s Omar Santos answered five minutes later on an even more incredible strike, tying the score at 1-1 after his blast from near midfield snuck under the crossbar and into the net.
Go-ahead goal
It wasn’t until there was a minute left in the first half that the Riders scored the go-head goal on a free kick from McCartney that found Brandon’s feet.
The junior striker then kicked it past Port Townsend keeper Brian LeMaster, giving Port Angeles a 2-1 lead it would never relinquish.
“It was a little nerve racking, because Port Townsend did improve a lot since the last time we played them [a 2-0 PA win],” Saari said.
Indeed, Port Townsend (2-5-0, 4-8-1) had its chances.
That included one first-half shot that hit the cross bar and a few others on goal in the second half that Rider keeper Jack Doryland turned away.
Doryland ended up with seven saves on the game, while LeMaster had 12 in a valiant effort for Port Townsend.
The offensive players of the match were Brandon and Beasley, the defensive player Owen Kays-Erdman and transition player McCartney.
The Riders will host North Kitsap on Tuesday night in a game that will have major implications on Class 2A sub-district seeding.
“We want to fight for that better seed, so we’re going to treat these next two games like playoff games,” Saari said.
Port Townsend still has some work to do to clinch its own spot in the 1A playoffs.
The Redskins travel to last-place Klahowya on Tuesday. A win there likely puts them in the postseason.
Port Angeles 3, Port Townsend 1
Port Angeles 2 1 — 3
Port Townsend 1 0 — 1
Scoring Summary
First half: 1, Port Angeles, Beasley, 24th minute; 1, Port Townsend, Santos, 29th minute; 2, Port Angeles, Brandon (McCartney), 39th minute.
Second Half: 3, Port Angeles, Mamat (McCartney), 53rd minute.
North Kitsap 3, Port Angeles 0
POULSBO — The Vikings scored once in the first half and twice in the second to beat the tired Wolves in an Olympic League match Thursday.
“This was our third game in four nights and we were a little tired, a little slow,” coach Dave Brasher said.
The Wolves (3-3, 7-6) next host Olympic on senior night Tuesday and conclude the regular season at Kingston next Thursday.
Forks 2, Rochester 1
FORKS — Geovany Miguel scored in the 78th minute to give the Spartans (4-9, 4-10) a SWL-Evergreen Division win Thursday.
Alexis Ayala had the assist on the winning goal while James Salazar put the Spartans ahead 1-0 in the second minute.
Wilson Avila-Luna, who had a hurt knee, played in the net and had 15 saves in his first time in goal.
Forks next plays at Elma on Tuesday.
Track Sequim boys 1st, girls are second
SEQUIM — Haleigh Harrison won four events and Jayson Brocklesby was a triple winner in a three-way Olympic League meet with Kingston and North Mason on Thursday.
Harrison won the high jump, long jump, triple jump and 300-meter hurdlers while tying her school record in the high jump at 5 feet, 4 inches.
Brocklesby, meanwhile, won the 400, high jump and triple jump.
The Sequim boys easily won with 88 points to improve to 4-4 in league and 8-6 overall while the girls finished second to Kingston to finish the regular season 6-2 in league and 10-4 overall.
See results of the meet on Page B3.
PA boys, PT girls win
BREMERTON — The Rider boys claimed a three-way Olympic League meet with Bremerton and Port Townsend on Thursday, while the Redskin girls won theirs.
The Port Angeles boys scored 89 points to top Bremerton (45) and Port Townsend (36).
That was thanks in large part to double winners Ian Ward (high jump and triple jump) and Brendan Dennis (400 and 800).
Port Townsend’s girls narrowly edged out their Port Angeles counterparts 68-67.
Brittany Grant claimed victories in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 to lead the Redskins.
Girls Tennis Port Angeles 5, Bremerton 2
PORT ANGELES — The Riders swept the doubles and won No. 3 singles to improve to 10-2 on the year.
Caylie Cook and Danielle Rutherford at No. 2 doubles were named the players of the match.
“Caylie and Danielle are really finding their groove right now,” coach Brian Gundersen said.
Cook and Rutherford won 6-2, 6-0 as the Riders did not drop a set.
Other doubles winners were Alexis Corn and Laney Boyd at No. 1, Chelsea Drake and Lissy Moriarty at No. 3 and Callie Peet and Bradi McFarlen at No. 4.
Kyrie Reyes won at No. 3 singles for the Riders.
Port Angeles next hosts rival Sequim today in a doubleheader, with matches starting at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Lacrosse Olympic Mountaineers 12, South Kitsap 3
PORT ORCHARD — Joey Hall scored four goals to power the Mountaineers past the Wolves in Olympic Conference play on Wednesday.
The road win kept Olympic (3-6-0) in the thick of the race for third place in conference
The Mountaineers turned a 2-1 first-quarter lead into a 6-2 advantage by the end of the first half.
In the second half, they blanked the Wolves 6-0 to cruise to a victory.
Olympic’s Jacob Dostie had three goals and 11 ground balls, while teammate Julian Walls had 17 saves in goal.
The Mountaineers next host Liberty (3-6-0) at Storm King Soccer Fields on Saturday at 3 p.m.
