BY OLYARCHIBALD
PORT ANGELES — Eighty minutes stand between the Port Angeles Roughriders girls soccer team and a trip to the state tournament — along with a shot at the District 3 championship game.
The challenge? The top-seeded Bainbridge Spartans, 16-1 on the season, who have had the Riders’ number for years. Bainbridge has won the last eight meetings between the two schools by a combined score of 29-2. Port Angeles’ last win came back on October 14, 2021 — a 1-0 victory. This season, the Spartans blanked the Riders twice, 4-0 at Peninsula College and 2-0 in the rematch.
Bainbridge is led by sophomore Magdalenn Rufo-Hill, who has 17 goals and 7 assists. Senior Isabel Pujolar has 5 goals and 10 assists and will continue her athletic career at Brown University on the lacrosse team. Freshman Inez Gerbeck has scored 10 goals with 6 assists, and sophomore Daphne Jackson has 7 goals and 2 assists.
But Port Angeles comes in red-hot, riding a seven-game win streak and outscoring opponents 26-3 over that stretch. Freshman Emma Desjardins, who netted the game-winner against North Kitsap on Tuesday night, leads the Roughriders with 20 goals and 7 assists. Her “M&M” partner, sophomore Mariah Traband, has 11 goals and 10 assists. Sophomore Lilly Anne Lancaster has added 10 goals and 2 assists, while seniors Becca Manson and Teanna Clark have chipped in 5 goals and 5 assists, and 3 goals and 5 assists respectively. Sophomore Stella Fradkin and junior Morgan Politika have also contributed key scoring plays this season.
Port Angeles senior goalkeeper Kennedy Rognlien is congratulated by the Roughriders’ coaching staff after another shutout performance.
Tonight’s semifinal winner will face the Fife–Steilacoom winner Saturday for the district title. The loser will still have a shot at state, facing the winner of the Kingston–Orting matchup Saturday in a loser-out, winner-to-state game.
You can hear the action live tonight on KONP Newsradio, with Oly Archibald and Dustin Clark calling the play-by-play. The pregame show starts at 6:45.
Meanwhile, the Sequim Wolves travel to Poulsbo to face North Kitsap in a 7:00 p.m. loser-out game. The winner advances to play Saturday for a berth in the state tournament.
Sequim Wolves sophomore midfielder Addie Eastburn, featured on the KONP Newsradio postgame show, looks to shut down North Kitsap’s potent offense tonight.
And congratulations to former Roughrider standout Paige Mason, who’s been named NWAC Athlete of the Week for her performance with the Skagit Valley Cardinals.
Former Roughrider standout Paige Mason has been named the NWAC Athlete of the Week