See photos from the game here.

A historic season came to a close in crunch time last Thursday for the Lady Wolves soccer squad.

Sequim (11-8) lost 2-1 to rival Port Angeles (11-8 overall) in a shootout on Nov. 3 in the West Central Districts at Olympic High School’s Silverdale Stadium.

After finishing regulation and two overtimes tied 1-1, Sequim and Port Angeles faced off in penalty kicks.

Tied three goals-apiece at six shots each, the Roughriders had one more shot. Freshman Delany Wenzl sent her kick inside the left goal post for the win. Wenzl said the goal was her first ever in penalty kicks and was nerve-racking.

“I just had to think back to what we practiced on and take a deep breath,” she said.

Port Angeles head coach Scott Moseley said Wenzl was “a stud freshman in a critical moment.”

The win guaranteed PA a spot at the state tournament, which Moseley said he’s pushed for the program to achieve since taking over eight years ago.

“It’s been 30 years since we’ve been to state,” he said. “There’s a lot of excitement and happy tears out there … It’s so exciting for them. They’ll play the next couple of games with confidence. It’s just a huge step we’ve made it to state.”

The Roughriders faced and defeated the Orting Cardinals (13-4-2) 1-0 on Nov. 5 for the fifth seed from districts. They face Selah (14-3-1) on their home field, Karl Graf Stadium, at 5 p.m. Nov. 8, to open the class 2A state championships.

Record-setting season

Despite the loss, the Wolves set a school record with 11 wins, three more than the previous 1991-1992 squad. They also won the program’s first postseason game with a 1-0 win over Steilacoom on Oct. 29.

“Everyone knows in the soccer world it’s a funny game,” said Sequim head coach Derek Vander Velde. “I couldn’t have asked my girls to do more this season or tonight. I felt like we came out to fight. We had a lot of shots on goal and it just didn’t fall our way.”

Midfielder Adare McMinn said being so close to a state spot was tough after a strong season.

“With all the new people coming up, this team bonded so much,” she said. “But we know what it feels like and this makes us more hungry for it.”

Moseley said defeating Sequim was like winning a game against your cousin.

“So many of the players know each other and play year-round and they are friends,” he said.

“Their coaching staff is great and I’m going to suggest (Vander Velde) get Coach of the Year for the turnaround they had.”

McMinn and Vander Velde said this season was a surprise to everyone.

“No one thought from last year to this year we’d be the most winning team and almost go to state, go to districts and get a win at districts,” McMinn said. “We should be proud of what we’ve done and we are but it’s hard to come this close right now.”

Vander Velde said after opening the season with a 4-0 loss to Archbishop Murphy on Sept. 8 no one felt they’d later be in a position to go to state and pushing the program forward.

“None of us thought that even myself. We’re all shocked,” he said.

“But they came out every game and practice. I look forward to next season as we build from here.”

Shootout scenario

McMinn said the Wolves “came out on fire” against the Roughriders.

“Everyone’s intensity was super high and everyone wanted (the win) so bad,” she said. “It was our rivals. We gave it everything we had. To be that close makes it that much harder.”

Sequim struck first at districts though.

Midfielder Yana Hoesel drove in-bounds a corner kick that through a flurry rolled past Roughriders goalkeeper Madelyn Wenzl at four minutes into play.

Vander Velde said he guessed it appeared to be an own goal because of how wild the play became.

Play went back and forth in the first half with both goalies making several saves but momentum didn’t swing until early in the second half.

Midfielder Shannon Cosgrove scored her first goal of the season 44 minutes in to tie the game 1-1 in the second half.

From there, Port Angeles controlled the ball for most of the second half and two overtimes but neither team could capitalize on breakaways.

In the shootout, Sequim struck first with Henninger placing a goal inside the right goal post.

Port Angeles’ Taylar Clark evened it at 1 though but McMinn scored on Sequim’s next shot giving them the 2-1 lead.

Both teams missed their next two shots before Roughrider Kyrsten McGuffy shot the ball past Henninger to even the shootout at 2 apiece.

Sequim’s Yana Hoesel put the Wolves up 3-2 with a shot to the top right corner of the goal.

Both teams would miss their next shots leading to Leah Haworth to sink Port Angeles’ third goal in the left corner of the net to even it at three each.

Sequim saw its third missed shot ricochet off the goal post giving Delany Wenzl the opportunity to win.

This was the second time this season Port Angeles and Sequim decided a game against one another in a shootout with Sequim winning 1-0 with three penalty kicks to one on Sept. 27. The Roughriders rebounded though to beat the Wolves 4-1 on Oct. 20.

Sequim’s Cristina Williams and Port Angeles’ Sierra Robinson search for the ball in Sequim’s territory as the Roughriders try to capitalize on good field position on Nov. 3 at Olympic High School during the West Central Districts tournament. Sequim Gazette photos by Matthew Nash

Sequim’s Yana Hoesel shoots and sinks one of the Wolves’ three penalty kicks against Port Angeles’ Madelyn Wenzl. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Sequim midfielder Adare McMinn advances the ball by Port Angeles’ Emily Boyd on Nov. 3 in the West Central Districts game in Bremerton. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash