West Champions fall to No. 1 Chemeketa

SALEM - The Pirates' fifth straight trip to the NWAACC playoffs ended at the hands, or feet, of top-ranked Chemeketa in the quarterfinals Saturday following a battle of two great teams that left the Storm on top 3-2 when the final horn sounded. The sixth-ranked PC men, who shared the West Region championship with Bellevue, had all the weapons it needed to win the elusive NWAACC championship this year, but a few misfires and some bad luck left the Pirates on that doorstep once again. Should the Peninsula men have managed to win just one of the games they tied, they would have had a home match against a second or third place finisher from a different division. But they didn't, and thus found themselves taking on No. 1 Chemeketa Saturday - and they actually outplayed the Storm for much of the match, only to come out on the losing end. The Pirates scored first, when Brent Ricigliano made good on a pass from John Troka just 12 minutes in to give the outnumbered Pirate fans something to cheer about early. Chemeketa, however, turned up the heat, rallying for three straight goals to lead 3-1 at halftime. The Pirate coaching braintrust of Andrew Chapman, Tim Tucker and Kanyon Anderson then made some changes at halftime - and the momentum shifted back in favor of the visitors who outplayed and outshot the hosts, but could not put one in the net until the 88th minute when Aaron Oppeltz curled a corner kick to the far post where teammate Cory Matthews put his head on the ball and drilled it into the Storm net to close the gap to one. The Pirates played their hearts out to the final horn in an effort to score the equalizer, but it was not to be. Chemeketa advanced to the Final Four and Saturday's match proved to be the Peninsula career final for sophomores Jase Hall, Jason Simonis, Martin Gray, John Troka, Jagpreet Kang, Steve Williams, Cody Sloan, Omar Anderson, Carl Determeyer, Cory Matthews, Ryan Muyskens, and Steve Prevost.

PC men win playoff 3-2 in OT

PORT ANGELES - The 2009 Pirates are winners, but they sometimes win the hard way. In a first-round home playoff match on a muddy Wally Sigmar pitch, the Pirates were coasting along with a safe 2-0 lead over Edmonds, the No. 3 team from the North, when the Tritons erupted for two goals in the final eight minutes to send the match into overtime. The PC men, as they have all season, stepped up to the challenge, and scored just two minutes into the 10-minute golden goal period, when Omar Anderson was fouled just outside the Edmonds box. John Troka drilled a low shot into traffic and Brent Ricigliano, who played his heart out all day, was there for the rebound goal to send the huge crowd, and the PC men, into a frenzy - and onto the quarterfinals. PC's first goal came just seven minutes into the match when Cody Sloan dribbled in from the right baseline and crossed the ball to Omar Anderson on the far post who walked it into the net for a 1-0 Pirate lead that stood through halftime. The Pirates then struck again four minutes into the second half when Martin Gray crossed the ball to Jagpreet Kang, who booted it into the Triton mesh for a much-needed insurance goal. Edmonds rallied with goals by Tanner Parot and Nick Terrel at the 82nd minute and 88th minute to force the OT. The Pirates, who again got strong defensive play out of Steve Prevost and Aaron Oppeltz, outstanding midfield play from Ricigliano, Matthews, Kang and Troka, and another strong effort up front by Steve Williams and Anderson, outshot Edmonds 13-10. Sixth-ranked Peninsula (13-4-5) will take on unbeaten and top-ranked Chemeketa (17-0-2) in Salem on Saturday. The game time and site will be announced by noon on Thursday.

Pirates claim share of West championship

PORT ANGELES - The Pirates were looking to make a splash this year in the NWAACC - and they did it in a big way on Saturday, shutting out Tacoma 2-0 on a rain-soaked PC field and clinching no less than a share of the West Division championship. With standing water all over the field, the PC men took care of business by outshooting Tacoma 14-4 en route to a 2-0 win that could have been a lot worse for the Titans. The Pirates scored their first goal when Steve Williams got the ball to the far post and Cory Matthews was there to put it home 38 minutes into the first half. Then, just 13 minutes into the second half, Cody Sloan scored on a throw-in from Steve Prevost that was flicked to Sloan by Williams. Jase Hall earned the shutout. The Pirate will host the No. 3 team out of the North, which appears to be Edmonds, at 2:00 Wednesday in the first round of the NWAACC soccer playoffs.

Pirates need win Saturday to tie for West title

PORT ANGELES - The West Division championship showdown lived up to its billing Wednesday, as Bellevue and Peninsula battled to a 1-1 tie. Should both teams win on Saturday, they will be co-champions and Bellevue will go as the No. 1 playoff seed based on a tiebreaker numbering system. The Pirates host fourth-place Tacoma, while the Bulldogs host winless Olympic. A huge crowd came out to cheer on the Pirates in Wednesday's match and they witnessed a very tense and hard-fought soccer match. The match played out very much like the previous meeting at Bellevue, where it was scoreless at the half and the visitors struck first. Bellevue got one by Pirate keeper Jase Hall six minutes into the second half and were in the driver's seat to win the league when the PC men stepped it up. Patrick Wolverton scored on a very nice bicycle kick for the apparent tying goal, but it was waved off for an offsides call. Moments later, following some drama in front of the BCC goal that saw two players ejected, the match went on - and darkness was descending. Finally, the home crowd got something to cheer about when Steve Prevost got the ball ahead to Jabril Gude, who booted it past the Bulldog keeper to tie it with three minutes to play. Both teams had their chances throughout the match, with BCC getting off 15 shots to PC's 12, and Hall made one more brilliant save in the closing minutes to preserve the tie. Both teams will take a 6-2-4 record into Saturday's final match. Should Bellevue hang on to the No. 1 playoff seed, Peninsula will have a home match against the third-place finisher out of the North on Nov. 11.

Stage set for West championship showdown

DES MOINES - The Pirates took care of third-place Highline Wednesday to clinch a return trip to the playoffs and set up a West Division championship showdown with Bellevue next week. The Pirates, who tied the Bulldogs 1-1 on Bellevue's field, will host their West rival at 3:00, Wednesday. Both teams will go to the playoffs, but the winner will receive a first-round bye and the home field advantage for a second-round playoff match. In Wednesday's match against the Thunderbirds, Highline went out in front with a goal in the first 10 minutes, but the Pirates answered on a goal by Omar Anderson off a John Troka assist to make it 1-1 at halftime. The PC men then went to work to put it away in the second half, using late goals by Troka and Lucas Costa on assists by Patrick Wolverton and Steve Williams to win it 3-1. PC's assist leader, Aaron Oppeltz, suffered a head injury during the match and was treated and released at an area hospital. His status for Wednesday's match is questionable. 

PC men too much for Olympic

PORT ANGELES - After surrendering a 1-1 tie to the Titans at Tacoma Wednesday in a match that lacked offense, the Pirates became almost offensively offensive on Saturday, rocking Olympic for five goals. The West Division-leading Pirates (5-2-3, 9-4-4) dominated the first half, but did not score the game's first goal until the 43-minute mark, when Cody Sloan slipped through the Ranger defense on a pass from Aaron Oppeltz and booted it home for a 1-0 lead at halftime. The PC men then blew out the Rangers (0-10-0, 0-11-0) in the second half, as the flood gates opened on an early score by John Troka on an assist by Oppeltz. Steve Williams took a lead pass from Mike Avey and turned it into a breakaway goal 56 minutes in, Avey then scored himself on a nice chip over a charging keeper on a pass from Jagpreet Kang at the 69-minute mark and Lucas Costa got in on the fun with a goal from the left side on the third assist of the match from Oppeltz with just two minutes remaining to make it 5-0. Peninsula outshot Olymipc 20-4 and Pirate keeper Jase Hall earned the shutout. The Pirates take on the the third-place Thunderbirds at Highline Wednesday in a match that stands to play a key role in Peninsula's quest for a West Division championship.

Pirates tie Tacoma, now share conference lead

TACOMA - The Pirates outshot the Titans on a rain-soaked field in Tacoma Wednesday where they had to scrap for a score in the final seconds to escape with a 1-1 tie. In a very strange match that saw TCC pick up four yellow cards and two red cards, while the Pirates were hit for two yellow cards, Peninsula outshot the hosts 14-6, but could not score. Tacoma finally scored in the 84th minute on an errant pass that was picked off by Steven Cumby, who made good on the breakaway. Then, with time winding down inside the final minute, John Troka booted a corner kick in front of the TCC goal and a rebound shot was on its way into the net when midfielder Carlos Plascenia swatted it out with his hand and was immediately ejected from the game. Instead of a goal, Peninsula was awarded a penalty kick and Cody Sloan put it into the left side of the net to preserve a 1-1 tie. The Pirates, who now share the West Division lead with Bellevue, host Olympic at 2:00 Saturday.

Peninsula's indoor league starts in January

PORT ANGELES - Peninsula's annual indoor soccer league will kick off play in January. Teams can register by downloading this form.

PC men tie Bellevue

BELLEVUE - The Pirates remained all alone in first place in the NWAACC West Division following a 1-1 tie at Bellevue Saturday. Peninsula (4-2-2 and 8-4-3) maintained a two-point lead over the Bulldogs (3-2-3 and 7-4-3). The Pirates scored first in the match when Steve Williams put PC on the scoreboard 11 minutes into the second half on an assist from Jason Simonis. The Pirates kept the hosts out of their net for 66 minutes, but Davis Smith managed a goal for Bellevue and that proved to be all the scoring throughout a hotly-contested final 24 minutes. The PC men travel to Tacoma Wednesday.

Pirates rock Everett 6-1

PORT ANGELES – The Pirates rebounded from Saturday’s home upset to Wenatchee by pounding Everett 6-1 Wednesday in a non-conference match. John Troka scored two goals and Aaron Oppeltz had a hat trick of assists as the NWAACC’s second-ranked PC men improved to 8-4-2 on the season. The Pirates scored first when Bobby Catania made good on an assist by Jaime Camarena 13 minutes into the match. The PC men made it 2-0 on a goal by Jagpreet Kang, assisted by Oppeltz. Everett closed the gap on a nice rebound goal by Kevin Chavez on a ball that was blocked by PC keeper Jase Hall and it was 2-1 at halftime. The second half was all Peninsula, as the home team punched through four unanswered goals, two by Troka and the other two coming from Connor Taylor and Cory Matthews. The Pirates’ other assists came from Ryan Muyskens and Troka. Peninsula outshot Everett (3-9-0) 22-5. Everett’s keeper, Erik Cruz, had 11 saves. Hall had four saves and Brent Ricigliano, who  played keeper in the second half, had one. The Pirates travel to Bellevue to face the Bulldogs in a match that will figure large in the race for the West Division title.

 Knights upset PC men 1-0

PORT ANGELS – The NWAACC’s recent No. 2 ranking put the Pirates on a wanted poster and the Wenatchee Knights were quick to claim a reward Saturday in the form of a 1-0 upset. Walter Quiros scored in the 80^th minute for the visiting Knights, who had won just two matches this season in the very competitive NWAACC East Division. The Pirates, who rarely lose at home, fell to 4-2-1 in conference play and 7-4-2 overall, while Wenatchee improved to 3-3-1 and 5-3-1. Wenatchee outshot the Peninsula men 9-8 in a very closely contested match that saw the Pirates have several opportunities in front of the Knight goal, only to come up empty. The Pirates struggled all day with off-sides penalties. Defensively, however, keeper Jase Hall played very well in goal and defender Steve Prevost also had a big game holding a very quick Wenatchee team to just one goal. The PC men will host Everett for a non-conference match on Wednesday.

No. 2 Pirates drop Highline in thriller

PORT ANGELES - Following Saturday's upset over then second-ranked Walla Walla, Peninsula was elevated to its highest ranking in school history, replacing the Warriors in the No. 2 spot. The Pirates made it stick on their first test Wednesday, scoring in the final seconds to pull out a 2-1 win over defending West Division champion Highline. It was a classic NWAACC battle between two well-coached and perennial playoff clubs. Following a scoreless first half, a very nice Pirate crowd enjoyed the first goal of the match 19 minutes into the second half when Jabril Gude crossed the ball to the middle where Steve Williams attempted to get his head on it and the ball found its way in front of the foot of Cory Matthews, who drilled it past Liviu Bird for a 1-0 PC lead. Highline answered 16 minutes later when Devin Thomas booted a free kick to the far post where Jarrett Thomas put it home to tie the score. Then, with the drama building and the game in the closing seconds, Troka took a throw-in pass from Steve Prevost and headed it to the corner where Williams drilled it into the T-bird goal as his teammates and the big crowd went wild. The Pirates (4-1-1, 7-3-2) continue their home stand Saturday with a 2:00 match against Wenatchee. 

Pirates topple second-ranked Walla Walla

PORT ANGELES  - The Peninsula Pirates made a very loud noise in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community College soccer world Saturday with a 2-1 victory over previously unbeaten and second-ranked Walla Walla. The unranked PC men outplayed the rested Warriors, who enjoyed a bye this week, outshooting them 11-7 and setting the pace for what was a very hard fought match by both clubs. Peninsula struck first when Steve Prevost got the ball to the foot of Bobby Catania, who blooped it past Warrior keeper Joey Pagan 35 minutes into the first half for a 1-0 Pirate lead at halftime. A big sun-drenched crowd was buzzing about Peninsula’s lead at the half, but Walla Walla was quick to even the score when Juan Garcia turned one over his left shoulder and into the PC net just two minutes into the second half. The Warriors kept the pressure on the Pirate defense throughout the second half, but keeper Jase Hall was active, thwarting four shots on goal and his fellow defenders held them off the rest of the way. The Pirate offensive, however, wasn’t quite finished. Jabril Gude nearly scored on a header that was saved by a Walla Walla defender and his teammates went right back to him, as Jason Simonis got him the ball - and this time he booted it home for what proved to be the game-winning score with 15 minutes remaining. The match ended with the ball in front of the Pirate goal as Walla Walla had all 11 players, including the keeper, in the box in a frenzied effort to score. Peninsula improved to 3-1-1 in conference play and 6-3-2 overall, while Walla Walla fell to 3-0-1 and 5-0-1 following the conference-counting crossover setback. The PC men return to the cozy confines of the Wally Sigmar Athletic Complex at 4:00 Wednesday for a key West Division showdown against Highline. 

PC men come back to edge Rangers

BREMERTON - The Pirates came from behind to steal a 2-1 win from the Rangers at Olympic Wednesday. After a scoreless first half, Olympic got on the board with a goal five minutes into the second. The Pirates answered, however, when Steve Prevost scored six minutes later with an assist from Aaron Oppeltz. The match appeared to be headed for a 1-1 tie when the PC men made good on a corner kick to two minutes remaining as Jason Simonis put in the game-winner on an assist from John Troka. The Pirates return home to take on Walla Walla Saturday at 2:00. 

Pirates beat nemesis Spokane 3-1

SPOKANE - The Pirates knocked off Spokane on the road Saturday for their first-ever win against the Sasquatch in soccer. The clash between the two NWAACC powers was a good one, with Spokane leading 1-0 at halftime. The Pirates, however, put it together in the second half on goals by Brent Ricigliano, Mike Avey and Steve Williams on assists from Avey, Omar Anderson and Jaime Camarena. "It's always good to win on the road," coach Andrew Chapman said. His Pirates (1-1-1, 4-3-2) travel to Bremerton to play Olympic on Wednesday.

Pirates tie Pierce in non-conference match

FORT STEILACOOM - The Peninsula men controlled the pace, but could not put away the Pierce Raiders in a non-conference soccer match Wednesday that ended in a 2-2 tie. Cory Matthews put the Pirates on the scoreboard first with a goal just 13 minutes into the match on an assist by Steve Prevost. Pierce answered at the 35-minute mark to leave it knotted at 1-1 at halftime. Again the Pirates took the lead, this time on a goal by John Troka 25 minutes into the second half, again on an assist from Prevost, but again Pierce answered, scoring eight minutes later. The PC men travel to Spokane for a match on Saturday.

Pirates stop Edmonds 3-1

PORT ANGELES - The Pirates dropped Edmonds 3-1 in a non-conference home match Wednesday that saw all 20 players contribute. Peninsula scored 16 minutes into the first half when Patrick Wolverton took the ball to the end line and found Steve Williams in front of the goal, who booted the ball into the right corner of the Triton net. The PC men struck again four minutes later when Jagpreet Kang headed the ball into the middle where Wolverton settled it, turned and drove it past a diving Dorian Lair into the left side of the goal for a 2-0 lead that stood through halftime. The Pirates then made it 3-0 at the 64th minute when Williams scored his second goal of the match, this time on a nice pass from Connor Taylor. Edmonds answered a minute later when the Pirates failed to clear a ball in front of their own goal and Thomas Sheets made it hurt to taint an otherwise brilliant defensive effort from keeper Alec Risk and his teammates. Peninsula, now 3-3-1 overall and 0-1-1 in conference play, travels to Pierce for anothe non-conference match on Wednesday.

 

Crossover play unkind to PC men

ONTARIO, OR - Following their second straight match against NWAACC East opponents, the Pirates are still looking for their first win. Peninsula slipped to 0-1-1 in crossover play after a tough 1-0 loss to the Chukkars at Treasure Valley Saturday. The Pirates made the long trip to Ontario, which is in a different time zone, and managed to outshoot the hosts 12-6, including two that hit the goal post, but the Chukkars used a goal six minutes into the second half and held on to get the win.

PC men tie CBC in conference opener

 

 

PORT ANGELES - Playing on only a day's rest following a long flight home from Ireland, the Pirates opened NWAACC conference crossover play Wednesday at home against Columbia Basin where both teams were deadlocked in a defensive battle until the final minutes of the match. To the delight of the home fans, Peninsula got on the scoreboard when John Troka found Cory Matthews, who put it in the net to make it 1- 81 minutes into the match. Then, with the scoreboard stopped and the match in stoppage time, CBC benefted from a foul called in the box and made good on the penalty kick to pull off a 1-1 tie. The Pirates outshot the Hawks 15-8 and keeper Jase Hall made six saves. The Pirates fly to Treasure Valley for a match with the Chukers in Ontario, Oregon on Saturday. 

Pirates go 2-2 in Ireland tour

DUBLIN - The Peninsula men got a taste of what the sport of football looks like in other parts of the world, winning 2 matches, losing two matches and, more importantly, experiencing Irish culture in a week-long trip to Ireland. "Friday we had a great time, seeing a big castle, meeting and training with high level coaches, and learning about a soccer degree program at Carlow IT," coach Andrew Chapman said. His team then played a match against Arklow Town FC and suffered a 1-0 loss on a goal that came with three minutes remaining. "It was a great game and we finally got to play on a grass pitch plus a pitch that was big something we have not seen in a week," coach Chapman said. Then, on short rest, the Pirates took on Trinity University Saturday and this one got away from the PC men. The hosts led 2-1 at halftime, but then put it away in the second half to win 6-2. Peninsula's two goals came from Bobby Catania, on an assist from Cory Matthews, and from Carl Determeyer on a penalty kick. The Pirates take on Columbia Basin in a conference match Wednesday in Port Angeles.

PC men 2-0 in Ireland

WATERFORD - The Pirates were scheduled to play Waterford Wednesday, but heavy rain forced officials to close the field and the PC men instead were able to pick up a match against another club team from Villa FC. Following a slow first half, the Pirates got the offense rolling in the second, scoring four goals to win 4-0. The first came 55 minutes into the match when Brent Ricigliano scored off a deep punt from keeper Jase Hall. Connor Taylor, in his first appearance following a foot injury, scored two minutes later off an assist from John Troka. The Pirates made it 3-0 at the 67-minute mark on a free kick by John Troka from 30-yards out and Taylor then tallied his second goal of the match off an assist from Bobby Catania with nine minutes remaining. Hall recorded the shutout. "The first half, we did not look very good," coach Andrew Chapman said, "but in the second, we started knocking the ball around and looked much better." The Pirates are scheduled to play Carlow on Friday and Trinity University on Saturday. 

 

 

 

WATERFORD - Peninsula's 2009 season opener was a bit different than any opener in school history. The Pirates kicked off the new season on Irish soil, playing Villa FC in Waterford, Ireland Sunday where the Irish eyes were smiling - at least for the Pirates. The pitch was small, 100x60 yards, which suited the PC men well, who were playing without a host of injured starters. It was scoreless at the half, but the Pirates managed to outscore their hosts 2-1 in the second half to get the win. The first goal came 16 minutes into the second when Lucas Costa got the ball to Carl Determeyer, who found the back of the net from 20 yards out. The Villa FC men answered eight minutes later and it looked to be a headed toward a 1-1 tie when Bobby Catania got the ball to Costa, who also made good from long range, this one from 25 yards away, for the winning goal with just one minute remaining in the match. Next up for the Pirates is a match against Waterford on Wednesday.

Peninsula banged up, but moving on

 

 

The Pirates went into the weekend with a host of players on the IR, but still managed to get through three scrimmages. The PC men tied Whatcom 1-1 in their first look at artificial turf this season Saturday in Bellingham and they then cruised down the road to Mount Vernon when they beat Skagit Valley 1-0. On Sunday, they tackled the big, fast University of Victoria club in the traditional pre-season scrimmage and although the Pirates had moments of greatness, this one was all U-Vic. The PC men are healing up and preparing to depart for Ireland on Friday.

Pirates prepare for scrimmages

They say there's no rest for the wicked, but no worries, the Pirates look to be "wicked good" again this year. They kick off 2009 with three scrimmages this weekend, following a brutal week of training. The PC men travel to Whatcom and Skagit for two scrimmages on Saturday and then return home to tackle the University of Victoria for a scrimmage at 1:30 Sunday. With a roster recently trimmed to 26, coach Andrew Chapman and his staff will get an opportunity to see all of their players in action as they continue to tune up for another run at the NWAACC championship. Following two straight NWAACC Final Four appearances, Peninsula is stepping up its preseason training this year. In addition to their traditional scrimmage against the University of Victoria, a Canadian soccer power, the Pirates will travel to Ireland at the end of the month where they expect to face a very high level of soccer. The Pirates return 13 players from last year's fourth-place team and boast a very strong freshmen class of recruits. Returners include Omar Anderson, Ryan Muyskens, Cory Matthews, Alec Risk, Martin Gray, Sam Greely, John Troka, Jase Hall, Jason Simonis, Steve Williams, Cody Sloan, Carl Determeyer and Jay Kang. Newcomers include Patrick Wolverton, Connor Taylor, Lucas Costa, Mike Avey, Jaime Camarena, Brent Ricigliano, Bobby Catania, Aaron Funderburk, Steve Prevost, David LaBeaume, Samuel Dafala, Jibril Gude and Aaron Oppeltz. 

Alaska vs. Kitsap exhibition match
Peninsula College was the host for an exhibition match between a team of high school standouts from Alaska and the Kitsap Soccer Club. The Alaska Northstars won the match 2-0. Pirate coach Andrew Chapman said both teams were loaded with collegiate soccer prospects. "It was a great game to watch," Chapman said. "Both teams played very well. The Northstar team traveled with 26 players and were able to play a completely fresh team in the second half which proved to be the difference. This was a fantastic thing to have happen here on the PC campus. Some of these players next year will be wearing the black and gold PC colors. We got to see some very talented players and many showed some good interest in our program."

Check out a report from the Seattle Soccer Examiner

Pirates firm up trip to Ireland in fall
The Peninsula College soccer team will be traveling overseas this upcoming fall. he Pirates hope to get some great training and games in the fantastic country of Ireland starting in late August for 12 days. "We will be working closely with pro and youth clubs and are planning to bring what we learn back to Clallam County to share with the rest of the soccer community," head coach Andrew Chapman said. Details of the trip and fund raising plans are in the works. 

Pirate tradition continues with 9 recruits
The Peninsula College Soccer team has committed 9 for next year fall season. Aaron Funderburk is a 5’9 midfielder from Roseburg High School in Roseburg OR. Aaron plays for the Eugene Metros and was a starter in high school. Aaron has great speed and good pace. He can serve fantastic balls from the outside.

Aaron Oppeltz is a 5’11 defender from Roseburg High School, Roseburg OR. Aaron also plays for the Eugene Metros and was a starter for high school. Aaron also is playing with the Portland Timbers U21 team. Aaron is a very strong fast player that reads the game very well.

 Seth O’Banion is a 5’9 midfielder from Service HS, Anchorage AK. Seth was a starter and captain in high school and is very fast.

Patrick Wolverton is a 6’2 forward from Dimond HS, Anchorage AK. Patrick is a strong forward with great speed that can also play the outside mid role very well. He is a starter in high school.

Lucas Costa is a 5’10 midfielder from Dimond HS, Anchorage AK. Lucas is a sold defensive midfielder that is very aggressive and has very good feet.

Brent Ricigliano is a 6’0 midfielder from South Kitsap, Port Orchard WA. Brent play for Westsound FC and is a starter for the undefeated South Kitsap HS. Brent plays in the middle of the field and has great vision along with a strong mentality.

Bobby Catania is a 5’11 midfielder from Kingston HS, Kingston WA. Bobby runs the outside mid and has great stamina to get up and down the field along with a great touch.

Steve Prevost is a 6’1 defender from North Kitsap HS, Poulsbo WA. Steve is a transfer player from a community college in Arizona were he played Center defender. He is very strong and wins everything.

Jaime Camarena is a 5’10 midfielder from Westside HS, Wenatchee WA. Jaime has great touch, good speed, and can run on the inside or outside midfield position.

Kitsap Pumas sign Chapman 
BREMERTON - Pirate head coach Andrew Chapman was named assistant coach of the Kitsap Pumas Soccer Club, a new professional soccer franchise that will play out of Kitsap County. Coach Chapman will continue his coaching and teaching duties at Peninsula. The Pumas season begins in the spring and runs into mid-summer. The Kitsap SC organization held a press conference Tuesday, Feb. 10 to announce the coaching staff, which includes head coach John Wedge and goalkeeper coach James Ritchie. "When you add the energy, enthusiasm and pedigrees of James and Andrew, we may end up with one of the best staffs in the league," said team owner Robin Waite. Wedge is a native of West Yorkshire, England, where he grew up playing and then coaching soccer. Peninsula athletic director Rick Ross noted that coach Chapman's soccer program is already very strong and this connection has the potential to make it even stronger. "The contacts he's going to make and the coaching experience he's going to gain make this a very exciting opportunity for Andrew," Ross said.

Chapman named Coach of the Year
VANCOUVER - Peninsula head soccer coach Andrew Chapman was named West Division Coach of the Year, as announced Monday by the NWAACC from its office in Vancouver. It marks the second straight year that coach Chapman earned the West Division coaching honor. With the help of his staff, coach Chapman's Pirates turned a 1-5-1 start into 15 straight games without a loss, an unbeaten home season, and two overtime playoff victories before succumbing to eventual champion Walla Walla in the semifinal in double overtime. In six years at Peninsula, Chapman's record has progressed as follows: 1-16-1, 5-11-4, 11-8-4, 6-9-5, 14-5-2, and 14-7-3 with four straight playoff appearances.

Five Pirates make NWAACC All-Star Game 
VANCOUVER - Five Pirates will wear the black and gold one more time this year, representing Peninsula in the annual All-Star Game, as announced by the NWAACC last week. Ernest Boham, Hugo Vasquez, Sean Gaskins, Jason Simonis, and Alec Risk were chosen to play in the 2008 NWAACC All-Star Game, set for Saturday, Dec. 6, in the Vancouver area. In addition, All-Region honors went to Jase Hall, Teagan Cambier, and Buck Kunz.

Pirates place 4th in NWAACC 
TUKWILA - The third-place team in the West turned out to be the only team from the West to reach the 2008 NWAACC Final Four, but, unfortunately, there was no fairy tale ending for the Cinderella Pirates, who took top-ranked Walla Walla 0-0 into double overtime before succumbing in Saturday's semifinal. The eventual NWAACC champion Warriors used a well-placed free kick by Rocky Snyder, following a foul outside the box, eight minutes into the second overtime period to rob the Pirates of a shot at the title. It was a excellent soccer battle of two evenly-matched teams, each failing to convert on scoring opportunities before a big crowd at the Starfire Soccer Complex in Tukwila. Jase Hall had another great night in goal for the Pirates, who got strong play his teammates at both ends. In Sunday's consolation final for third and fourth place, again it was a defensive battle with the match scoreless at halftime. The play of the day may have been a defensive save by Buck Kunz, who cased down a ball that had gone over the head of keeper Alec Risk and was rolling toward the net when the sophomore mid out-ran the ball and made a sliding clear at the goal line. Peninsula's all-time goal scoring leader Ernest Boham had two one-on-one opportunities against the Sasquatch keeper, but wasn't able to convert. Fellow sophs Teagan Cambier, Sean Gaskins, and Hugo Vasquez also played outsanding soccer in their final weekend as Pirates. It was a dream season of sorts for head coach Andrew Chapman and assistants Tim Tucker, Emanual Flores and Kanyon Anderson, who started their season with a 1-5-1 record and then went on to go 15 matches without a loss and finish unbeaten at home en route to a return trip to the Final Four. The Pirates finished their season 14-7-3.

PC men return to NWAACC Final Four 
BELLINGHAM - The 2008 Peninsula Pirates are the Cinderella story of the NWAACC. After a rocky start that saw them lose five of their first seven matches, the Pirates righted the ship and went on a tear that involved 15 matches without a loss, including an amazing come-from-behind heart stopper in the NWAACC quarterfinals on Saturday. The PC men, who finished third in the West, were coming off a 1-0 overtime upset of Clark in the first round of the playoffs when they traveled to Whatcom to play the North Division champion Orcas. It turned out to be every bit the battle soccer fans expected, but Whatcom scored a goal in the first half and then seemingly put it away with another goal with just 12 minutes to play. The Pirates, however, weren't ready to abandon ship and made it interesting on a goal by Sean Gaskins with 10 minutes remaining to close the gap to 2-1. Less than a minute later, a miracle began to unfold. Ernest Boham put one into the back of the Orca net to tie it at 2-2 and then John Troka got loose on the far side and drilled it past the keeper for a shocking 3-2 Peninsula lead with 50 seconds to play. Whatcom, however, turned a foul, a 35-yard free kick and a redirect off the heads of Alex Couweelers and Troka, who was defending him, to once again tie the game and force overtime. Whatcom suffered two red cards in the contest and played two 10-minute OT periods with nine players, but the Pirates couldn't capitalize - and the quarterfinal playoff match would end in a shootout. The PC men once again rose to the occassion, getting goals from Boham, Sloan, Cambier, and Kunz, while keeper Jase Hall blocked two Orca attempts, and the Pirates celebrated and their fans went on to celebrate a return trip to the Final Four. Peninsula (14-5-3) will play Walla Walla (16-3-2) at 4:00 Saturday in the NWAACC Semifinals at the Star Fire soccer complex in Tukwila. In other quarterfinal matches, Spokane eliminated Highline in a shootout after a scoreless tie, Walla Walla stopped Bellevue in a shootout, also going scoreless for 110 minutes, and Chemeketa beat Wenatchee 3-2 in the only match that was decided in regulation. 

Pirates drop Clark in playoff opener 
VANCOUVER - It took the Pirates 97 minutes to put the ball in the Penguin net, but their overtime goal was enough to launch the Peninsula men into the NWAACC quarterfinals. Both teams played tough defensively throughout two halves of a windy, rainy first-round playoff Wednesday at Clark, as both teams dodged bullets through the end of regulation with Jase Hall recording the shutout. With darkness decending, the first of two 10-minute golden goal overtimes began and seven minutes into the first OT period, Cory Matthews got the ball to Ernie Boham out in the center and the team's leading career goal scorer put one into the corner of the net, past a diving Penguin keeper, to end the hard-fought match. While the Pirates celebrated in a pile on the rain-soaked field, Clark players walked off in disbelief as their season came to a sudden end. Peninsula, now unbeaten in 14 matches, will take a 13-5-3 record to Whatcom for a 1:00 quarterfinal playoff on Saturday. The winner of that match advances to the NWACC Final Four, set for Nov. 22-23 at the Star Fire Soccer Complex in Tukwilla.

Pirates take unbeaten streak into playoffs
PORT ANGELES - The Pirates stopped North Division-leading Whatcom 2-1 Saturday to push their unbeaten streak to 13 matches going into Wednesday's playoff at Clark. The PC men finished the regular season with a 12-3-3 record, the same number of wins that earned them a West Division championship only a year ago. This year, the Pirates found themselves behind Highline and Bellevue in a division that may have a lot to say about the post season. Peninsula (12-5-3 overall) will tackle the South Division number two team, Clark (8-8-2, 8-9-3) on the Penguins' field at 2:00 Wednesday in the first round of the NWAACC playoffs. In Saturday's wet, sloppy match that had no bearing on the playoff picture for either team, Peninsula scored first on a goal by Jay Kang on an assist from Omar Anderson just 15 minutes into the match. Whatcom tied the score with six minutes to play, but the Pirates answered three minutes later on a John Troka free kick from 35 yards out to secure the win. "The team played really well," coach Andrew Chapman said. "We talked about how this game was really important and how we need to protect ourselves for Clark. We sat some starters and rested others and were able to play lots of players and the team still stepped it up to get the win." The Pirates remained undefeated at home this year, going 7-0-2 and have not lost a game in the last 13 games while scoring 31 goals and only giving up 6. "The fact that we had such a great record at home is because of our fans," Chapman said. "Thank you to all the fans who come out and watch, you are  big reason for our success this year." Should the Pirates pull off a win in the first round of the playoffs, they will travel to Whatcom on Saturday, Nov. 15

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