Valley players help Peninsula College women’s team make history

MAT-SU — The Peninsula College women’s soccer team wasn’t supposed to be a factor in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges.

The Port Angeles, Wash., school was fielding a women’s soccer program for the first time. Before the season, the Pirates — a team made up completely by freshmen — were understandably picked to finish near the cellar of the NWACC. But the Pirates shocked everyone by playing their way into the NWAAC postseason. And four players from the Mat-Su Valley helped the Pirates make history during their inaugural season.

Colony graduate Jessica Farrell, Palmer graduates Shawna Thein and Sierra Shelton, and Wasilla grad Tabitha Bare were all part of a Peninsula squad that finished second in the NWAAC West Division with a 6-4-5 record and 23 points in the standings.

“No one really expected us to do that well at all,” Farrell said by phone earlier this week. “We were just hoping to upset everyone.”

And the Pirates pulled off their fair share of upsets, with the help of the Valley talent. Farrell led the team with five goals. Thein was tied for fourth on the team with three goals. Bare added two goals and an assist.

“It was fun,” Farrell said of playing college soccer with the other three Valley players. “It was nice to be able to play with a familiar person. But I really love my whole team.”

Even though most expected the Pirates to struggle, both Farrell and Thein said the players had confidence in their first-year team.

“As a team, I don’t think we were surprised,” Thein said. “Everyone else was definitely.”

Peninsula dropped its first two games of the season, but followed by going 3-0-1 during its next four.

“We knew we were going to be good, we could tell those first two games,” Farrell said. “Next year we can go even farther.”

In addition to the new experience of playing college soccer, Farrell was also at a new position. The Peninsula coaching staff moved her from midfield to a striker spot, where she produced a team-high five goals.

“It was kind of a surprise,” Farrell said of the change of positions. “No one’s ever told me that before, thought it could be done. I was up for anything and gave it my best.”

Peninsula head coach Kanyon Anderson found the Valley players during a recruiting trip to Alaska last spring. Thein said her coach is planning on recruiting more Alaska talent.

“There are a few girls I know he’s looking at,” Thein said.

The four Valley players at Peninsula College are among at least a dozen Mat-Su players currently competing in soccer at the college ranks. Also on that list are: Dylan Crawford (Colony 2010), a freshman Clark College; Tillerman Kroon (Wasilla 2009), a sophomore at Southwestern Oregon Community College; Weston Patrick (Colony 2009), a sophomore at Northwest Nazarene (Idaho); Jimmy Sliwa (Wasilla 2008), a junior at the University of Great Falls; Ryan Thamm (Houston 2007), a senior at Northwest Christian (Ore.); Tess Anderson (Palmer 2009), a freshman at the University of Great Falls; Kendra Nelson (Wasilla 2009), a sophomore at Southwestern Oregon Community College; and Randi Smith (Wasilla 2009), a sophomore at Wenatchee Valley (Wash.) College.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.