College soccer: Pirates picked to North Region all-star team

By Sequim Gazette Staff • November 16, 2022 1:30 am
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell Peninsula’s Millie Long, left, pictured here looking to get past Bellevue’s Malia Fernandez in a 6-0 Pirate home win on Oct. 26, was recently named the NWAC North Region’s MVP for 2022. The former Port Angeles High standout led the Pirates with 19 goals.
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell Peninsula’s Millie Long, left, pictured here looking to get past Bellevue’s Malia Fernandez in a 6-0 Pirate home win on Oct. 26, was recently named the NWAC North Region’s MVP for 2022. The former Port Angeles High standout led the Pirates with 19 goals.

Peninsula College forward Millie Long was named Most Valuable Player and Jake Hughes was selected Coach of the Year on the NWAC North Region’s all-star team, conference officials announced last week.

Long, a former Port Angeles High standout, led the team with 19 goals — five of them game-winners — and added five assists.

Also named to the all-North Region team were Pirate midfielders Kenzie Banner and Chiaki Takase, defender Rylee Sims and goalkeeper Frida Markstrom.

Takase, from Kaisei, Japan, had four goals and five assists, while Banner, of Franklin, Tenn., had four goals and an assist for Peninsula (12-1-1).

Sims, from Sparks, Nev., and Markstrom, of Pieta, Sweden, paced the Pirate defense that allowed just six goals all season, and just one in conference play as PC out-scored opponents 58-6. Markstrom gave up just two goals all season and a 0.24 goals-against average, both leading the NWAC.

PC’s honorable mentions include forward Briana-Jean Tanaka (nine goals, five assists), midfielder Taya Bohenko (two goals, six assists) and defender Kielee Silva.

Hughes led the Pirates to a 15-3-3 mark and North Region title.

Named to the all-North Region men’s team were Pirate forwards Pau Vivas Ayala and Fernando Tavaras, midfielders Tim Deser and Shu Kato, and defender Dylan Pauw.

Ayala, of Barcelona, Spain, led the Pirates with 14 goals, including six game-winners, while Tavaras, of Everett, had four goals and a team-high eight assists.

Japan native Kato had three goals and five assists, and Deser, of Obing, Germany, added a score and four assists.

London native Pauw helped lead a PC defense that allowed just 19 goals all season and recorded nine shutouts.

Pirates named to the honorable mentions for PC were forward Inchun Hun (five goals, six assists) and defenders Alfonso Edfeldt (three goals, two assists) and Yusaku Shimakura (one goal, three assists).

Both Peninsula squads fell in the NWAC tourney quarterfinals on Nov. 5; PC’s women dropped a 3-2 decision to Spokane following a penalty kick shootout, while the PC men fell to Walla Walla, 2-0.