PORT ANGELES — The 2017 edition of the Peninsula women’s soccer team could be better than the squad that hoisted the NWAC championship last season.
Against Everett on Wednesday, the Pirate women were up 4-0 in the first 30 minutes on their way to a 12-1 win.
The women have simply toyed with their past three opponents, outscoring the opposition 29-1, and allowing little or no pressure on their goalie.
Peninsula could have been up by six or seven goals in the first half hour Wednesday, as one shot hit the crossbar and a couple of others just missed.
Shantel Torres-Benito scored two goals in less than two minutes in the first half and she nearly had a hat trick in less than five minutes, but another golden opportunity on a shot just missed. She would have to wait until halfway through the second half to record her hat trick.
Remarkably, 10 different women scored for the Pirates (2-0-0, 5-0-0).
“We gave a lot of people the chance to build and score goals,” said coach Kanyon Anderson. “Any individual on any day can score.”
Kelly Kevarshan had two assists in the game, including one on a beautiful cross on a corner kick.
“I think we’re coming together and finding our rhythm,” Kevershan said.
The scary thing for the NWAC? This is a team with a lot of newcomers still learning to play together.
“There’s always room to get better,” Kevershan said.
The one minor blemish in the game came when Everett was able to score a quick goal immediately after a Peninsula goal. It was as if the Peninsula women weren’t set and simply let down their guard for a minute after a goal.
Anderson said he doesn’t want to focus on the negatives, but said that kind of momentary lapse is something that can happen with a lot of substitutes in the game. And it’s something the Pirate women have to guard against.
“It’s inevitable [with a lot of substitutions]. But in a one-goal game that could hurt us,” Anderson said.
In addition to Torres-Benito’s three goals, Taylor Graham had two goals and two assists, while Sydney Warren, Brianna Duran and Jordyn DiCintio each tallied a goal and an assist. Emelie Small, Pi’lani Chaves, Jayna Morikawa and Janis Martinez-Ortiz all had goals, while Tatiana Hagan had an assist.
After this game, four Pirate women — Warren, Torres-Benito, Maddy Parton and Taylor Graham — are in the top 10 in the NWAC in scoring.
The women will next play at home at noon Saturday against Skagit Valley (1-1-0, 3-3-0).
