Sunday, November 1, 2015

Triton Men Upset Peninsula, Earn NWAC Trip

Victor Vellasenor scored for EdCC Saturday

LYNNWOOD – Edmonds CC punched its ticket to the playoffs by upsetting NWAC No. 2-ranked Peninsula 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Triton Field. EdCC wrapped up the regular season with a 7-6-2 record against North Region opposition, good for third place in the standings and good for the third postseason slot. It’s the tenth consecutive playoff appearance for the Edmonds men’s soccer program.

On Wednesday, the Tritons head to the campus of West No. 2 seed Tacoma CC, which is ranked tied for third in the league, for a NWAC First-Round playoff tilt that starts at 2 p.m. The Titans are 10-3-4 overall heading into Sunday, 8-2-1 in the West. The Tritons defeated Tacoma 2-0 in a Quarterfinal Match last year.

Saturday’s game was the third meeting in 2015 between the Tritons and the Pirates. Peninsula (13-3-3, 11-2-2 North) got the best of EdCC in the other two matches, 2-1 and 4-0.

With three starters sitting out due to an accumulation of yellows or a red received against Skagit Valley on Wednesday, Edmonds Coach Ozzy Erkut had to shake up his line up in the do-or-die match against Peninsula.

Things paid off in the 13th minute when Victor Villasenor took a pass from Ivan Idro and blasted a shot into the PC net. Mohamed Elmoghrbi gave EdCC a shocking 2-0 lead just three minutes later, Sanad Elghanai getting the assist.

The Pirates struck in the 21st minute when Vitor Maia scored. At that point it looked like it was going to be a wide-open and wild match. But, despite rain, wind and an attacking Pirate team, that would be the last goal Saturday.

Edmonds keeper Giberto Avila made four saves, including a couple of terrific stops late, while his counterpart Nick Johnson had three saves.