Boys Soccer: Wolves down Riders in OT

With some last second heroics and strong second half possession play, the Wolves (5-3 in league, 6-4-2 overall) won in double overtime 3-2 over Port Angeles (4-4, 7-5) at home on April 24.

 

With some last second heroics and strong second half possession play, the Wolves (5-3 in league, 6-4-2 overall) won in double overtime 3-2 over Port Angeles (4-4, 7-5) at home on April 24.

The win follows two losses to the Roughriders in late March (2-1 non-league match on March 21, and a 1-0 league match March 28).

Back from injury for his second game, Thomas Winfield got the Wolves rolling early with a goal in the second minute with a throw-in from Adrian Espinoza.

But Port Angeles’ Grayson Peet answered about 14 minutes later on a throw-in from Kenny Soule and Miki Andrus scored 29 minutes on an assist from Angel Rivero to go ahead at halftime 2-1.

Down a goal, Sequim controlled the ball most of the half, keeping it near the Roughriders’ goal with shot after shot in the waning minutes.

The determination showed for the Wolves as many of their shots soared over the goal.

But in the final minute of regulation, Cameron Chase headed in a ball from a corner throw-in from Adrian Espinoza to force overtime.

“I saw the ball coming in and I hit it,” Chase said. “I thought it went over but when I saw it in the back of the net I was relieved. It was beautiful.”

Moments after the goal, Chase had another shot that missed for the win.

In the first five-minute overtime, Sequim continued to keep possession and got a few shots off but again, they soared over the goal.

Winfield scored again a little over a minute into the second overtime on a pass from Will Bitner for the win.

“It felt amazing,” Winfield said about the game-winner. “There are no words to describe it.”

Head coach Dave Brasher said the win was awesome.

“I was preparing my speech that we beat them three times (in possession and shots) but lost to them every time kind of thing,” Brasher said. “In the second half, the ball was in their half the whole time. But they (Sequim) just stuck with it.”

Despite being down a goal, Winfield said Sequim persevered.

“We stayed in it the whole game,” he said. “We wanted it more.”

But the Wolves’ season, currently in third place in the Olympic League, could have gone topsy-turvy after losing a 1-0 defensive battle in Kingston (7-1, 9-3) on April 21.

“Those guys are the top of the league, but that’s another one where we could have won,” Brasher said.

“We played right with them, if not a little better. It was a real defensive game and they had a great goal.”

With four games left in the season, the Wolves faced the Bulldogs at North Mason (0-7, 1-9) on Tuesday, and host North Kitsap (7-1, 9-1-1) on Thursday.

“Second (in league) is not out of the question yet,” Brasher said.

“We’re going to turn up the intensity to keep it moving,” Chase said.