Sequim’s Wolves started their week with a big win on the road and ended it with some heartbreak at home.
In the right place at the right time and with the proper angle, Port Angeles freshman Lilly Anne Lancaster sent in the game-winning strike in the final seconds of the second golden goal overtime period to lift the Roughriders to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Sequim on Sept. 26.
“We had a great first half [but] we became a little bit frantic,” Sequim coach Haley Sue Freeman said.
Far into injury time in the second overtime, Port Angeles’ Teagan Clark put a well-placed free kick into the left side of the goal box was headed off the post by Kedryn Descala and deflected across the face of the goal. Lancaster pounced on the loose ball and fired from a tough, low-angle shot back to the left post and in for the winner.
“A bigger win for us, especially because they swept us last year,” PA coach Daniel Horton said. “We came in, we know what we have and our girls were 100 percent confident that they were going to turn the tables at Sequim.”
The scoreboard, if not the match itself, was in Sequim’s control for much of the game.
Five minutes in, Port Angeles fouled Sequim on the right side of the field, setting up an Amara Gonzalez free kick. Gonzalez sent in a high shot that Port Angeles goalkeeper Kennedy Rognlien did well to get fingers on before the ball found the net.
Kiley Winter’s run down the right side was rewarded with a foul in the goal box and a penalty kick, which Winter converted to the left for a 2-0 Wolves lead three minutes into the second half.
“I do think we possessed [the ball] well but we were having a hard time capitalizing on our finishes,” Freeman said.
Port Angeles managed to flip the momentum completely for the remainder of the contest, getting the rally going in the 49th minute.
A Descala shot was deflected out of bounds, setting up a Riders’ corner kick. Clark sent in a right-to-left ball to the near post and freshman Mariah Traband was there for a tap-in header goal.
Clark found the net three minutes later, tying the score at 2-all on an assist by Descala.
The game nearly ended in the final moments of regulation when the ball was sent back toward the Riders’ goal and on to an on-rushing Winter; she beat the lone Port Angeles defender and unleashed a hard shot from right to left, but a diving Kennedy Rognlien was there to preserve the overtime opportunity.
Shutout in Silverdale
Earlier in the week, Sequim solved Olympic’s offside trap as five Wolves found the back of the net in a 6-0 Olympic League girls soccer win at Olympic on Sept. 24.
“We had a lot of offsides calls in the first portion of the game, we talked about how to beat that and what we needed to do and the girls listened and executed,” Freeman said.
“We had two scores called back from offsides calls which makes the girls think about positioning, the timing of their runs, when to send the pass.”
Sequim’s Olive Bridge, Bella Rich, Sasha Yada, Raimey Brewer (two goals) and freshman Adalie Eastburn all tallied goals for the Wolves.
“Adalie is a player we brought up from JV, so that was a cool moment,” Freeman said.
“We were making smart decisions with the ball and good plays on the ball. “Some midfielders who are more defensive minded like Aliyah Siemion and Ivy Barrett and they both played great. Our whole back line played great, seems like they are really starting to gel together.”
The Wolves (2-3) were scheduled to play at North Kitsap on Oct. 1; results were not available at press time.
Coming up
Sequim is at Bainbridge on Oct. 3.
The Wolves host Kingston on Oct. 8 and North Mason on Oct. 10 before taking on Bainbridge on the road on Oct. 15.