Tides overcome early deficit, beat Seahawks

Gig Harbor defense shuts down Peninsula in crosstown rivalry

Marques Hunter

of the Gateway

Both teams were hungry for their first win of the season. And there isn’t a better match in which to get that victory than the crosstown rivalry between the Gig Harbor and Peninsula high school girls soccer teams.

The Gig Harbor Tides kicked home their message in their 3-1 win over the Peninsula Seahawks in a non-league contest last Saturday at Roy Anderson Field.

It might have been what the Seahawks needed before their first Class 3A South Puget Sound League match that was set to play against Enumclaw after press time on Tuesday.

Bragging rights aside, Gig Harbor (1-1-1 overall, 0-0-0 4A Narrows League) was excited to earn its first victory against a team the Tides always look forward to competing against.

“It was a good match,” Gig Harbor head coach Dani States said. “Our mission was to make the game simple. We’re always a little frantic to begin with, but as soon as we were able to control the middle of the field, and then use our speed on the outside, it started to come together.”

Peninsula (0-1-1 overall, 0-0-0 SPSL) took early control of the match. After Gig Harbor senior goalkeeper Heather Knapp parried a shot and Peninsula sophomore Katlyn Lundquist scored in the 14th minute for a 1-0 lead.

The Seahawks were the aggressors early on, but there was plenty of time left for Gig Harbor to mount a comeback.

It didn’t take long: The Tides scored the equalizer in the 20th minute, and Gig Harbor senior forward Josie Graybeal passed to speedy junior Mishayala Bertelsen on the outside to penetrate Peninsula’s defense and take a 2-1 lead just two minutes later.

“When we play wide, we’re playing our game,” Bertelsen said. It (the early goal) caught us off-guard, but it definitely helped pump us up and get better.”

Peninsula head coach Jeremie Lynden said he knew it would be a tough match. His point of emphasis was to play strong without being knocked off the ball, which he said the Seahawks did in the first half.

“In the second half, I think we looked a little timid and we backed away from the ball,” Lynden said. “And they took advantage of it.”

The Tides’ defense — with three freshmen and a senior on the backline — didn’t allow a goal in the second half. And Gig Harbor took advantage of the momentum to put the game away when freshman Alexandra Bohnett scored on a 25-yard shot to the upper-left corner of the goal with 15 minutes to play.

Gig Harbor junior Hanna Massee said everyone picked it up the second half.

“The defense kept them from scoring in the second half, and the offense gave us opportunities,” Massee said. “I think we settled down a lot more in the second half.”

Gig Harbor is scheduled to play its first league match at 7 p.m. Thursday at Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma.

Reach sports reporter Marques Hunter at 253-853-9246 or by e-mail at marques.hunter@gateline.com.