Sequim Gazette staff

Andrew Chapman and the Peninsula Pirates are back at it.

NWAACC foes, beware.

The Pirates roughed up the conference to the tune of a 22-1-1 mark last season, surviving a physical, 1-0 championship game against Walla Walla for P.C.’s second title in three seasons.

And despite losing some key players, Peninsula looks loaded and ready for another long playoff run.

“That’s our hope, if we do the right stuff and are competing,” Chapman says.

In 2012, led by West Region MVP Daniel Gonzalez and a talented freshman out of Reno, Nev., named Alex Martinez, Peninsula simply dominated on the pitch. With Gonzalez gone, Martinez — he of the team-leading 21 goals, 13 assists and title game score — looks to pace the offense. Also back is all-star midfielder Erick Urzua and defender Mark Cottrell.

Champman and company seek to replaced talented all-stars Gonzalez, Henrique Noujeimi, Irvin Somera, Aaron Jeffery, Morgan Lemus and Guilherme Avelar. (The Pirates had a chance to get Somera back for his sophomore season, but he earned a chance to play at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. “It would be nice to have him return but we want that,” Chapman says.)

Peninsula recruited a physically bigger class than in previous years. Chapman says several newcomers should make a significant impact early, including forwards Ash Apollon of Victoria, B.C., Daniel Moss, a Montana State transfer and Kassio Monteiro of Sao Paulo, Brazil.