Peninsula Women's Soccer Defeats Lower Columbia 3-0 to Reach NWAC Final Four

The Peninsula College women’s soccer team is heading back to the NWAC Final Four after a commanding 3-0 victory against Lower Columbia on Saturday.

The match, played in Port Angeles, remained a tactical stalemate until the second half, when the Pirates successfully broke through to secure their spot in the semifinals.

The match stayed scoreless for the first 55 minutes. The breakthrough finally arrived when Lauren Lases found the back of the net off an assist from Cailey Ridgeway. This momentum shifted the game entirely in favor of the Pirates, who outshot Lower Columbia 15-1 over the course of the match.

The Pirates capitalized on this renewed energy with two more goals to put the game out of reach. Alyssa Carney delivered an insurance goal in the 63rd minute, assisted by Ceydie Whitfield, before scoring her second of the day in the 88th minute, again set up by Ridgeway. Goalkeeper Aspen Fraser anchored the defensive effort, recording a save to secure the shutout.

This victory sets up a high-stakes semifinal showdown between two undefeated powerhouses. The 13-0-0 Pirates are scheduled to face the defending NWAC champion, Spokane, which enters the contest with an unblemished 14-0-0 record. The match is set for 11 a.m. Friday at the Starfire Soccer Complex in Tukwila.

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History adds a layer of intensity to this particular matchup. Spokane and Peninsula have faced each other in the postseason in both 2022 and 2023, with Spokane prevailing in penalty kicks on both occasions. For the Pirates, Friday’s game represents an opportunity to flip the script against a familiar rival.

The winner of the Peninsula-Spokane semifinal will advance to the NWAC championship match on Sunday. They will face the victor of the other semifinal bracket, which features Columbia Basin (13-2-2) and Skagit Valley (12-2-1).

Peninsula Women's Soccer Defeats Lower Columbia 3-0 to Reach NWAC Final Four

While the women’s team continues its deep postseason run, the Peninsula men’s season concluded in the NWAC quarterfinals. The Pirates fell 2-0 to Highline in a match that proved difficult from the outset. Highline opened the scoring in the eighth minute, and the Pirates played much of the contest shorthanded after Brady Paz Yanicich received a red card in the 40th minute.

Despite playing with ten men for the final 50 minutes, the Pirates held Highline at bay for most of the match. Highline eventually secured the win with a second goal on a header in the 78th minute. The Pirates finished their season with an 11-3-2 record. Several players from the squad are expected to represent the team in the NWAC All-Star Game scheduled for next Sunday.

For the women’s program, the focus now shifts entirely to Tukwila. The transition from a scoreless first half to a three-goal surge on Saturday shows the team's depth, a quality they will need as they prepare to challenge the defending champions on Friday.