PORT ORCHARD, WA—Port Orchard Football Club completed a remarkable 12-0-0 league and playoff season on Sunday July 30 at WPFC Soccer Complex with a 4-2 win over Nido Aguila Seattle 2 in the Cascadia Premier League 2 Final. The victory pulls the first year club directly up to the First Division for 2024.
Watch Goals and Celebrations in the video below.
POFC trailed 1-0 after a disappointing first half. Then the guys refocused and ran away with the trophy. “To be honest, I thought we were a bit nervy to start the game off,” said Head Coach Pat Leonard. “The first part of that first half we allowed Nido to overwhelm us in moments. Credit to them, they’re a club that’s been established and well known for awhile now. That last fifteen or so minutes of the first half we started to settle in and look far more like ourselves.”
PRESS: Jeff Graham reports on the match in the Kitsap Sun
PRESS: Eli Meyer reports on the championship in the Kitsap Daily News
FACEBOOK GALLERY: Photos from the match by Jesse MacKenzie
FACEBOOK GALLERY: A Day for Club and Fans
FACEBOOK GALLERY: Action shots from the CPL
In a short span early in the second half Port Orchard drew level on a free kick from Connor Louden that rolled just beyond the gloves of the Nido goalkeeper. Next a handball call put Gabe Threagold at the penalty kick spot and his conversion just moments later put POFC suddenly up, 2-1.
“At halftime we were just very real about what we were seeing as coaches and what needed to change,” Leonard remarked. “We made some changes to start that second half, and the guys rose to the occasion. The second half we were much more of ourselves, thankfully.”
The goals continued as Michael Divano headed a shot off the right post that bounced right back to him in front of goal for a put-away shot. It was Divano’s 23rd goal of the season and made it 3-1 in favor of Port Orchard.
The scoring for the Champions was complete when Divano drove down the left side and put in a shot that rolled to an onrushing Jake MacKenzie. Jake pounded the ball home and it was looking good for POFC with a 4-1 lead.
Nido did get one back in the late stages but it wasn’t enough. A huge crowd supporting Port Orchard celebrated the club’s first trophy with chanting, a victory tunnel, waving flags, singing, and cheering as the guys got their medals and were awarded the Championship trophy.
Leonard beamed about the change of events in the second half. “I couldn’t be more proud of the guys. From day one this has been the end goal for this group. To see this over the line the way we did, as a coach I can’t ask for more. Everyone connected to this club deserved that moment, and I’m grateful we could make that happen for them.”
Port Orchard will compete in the CPL 1 in 2024 with some of the best elite adult teams in the Northwest region.
Watch a full match replay from DaveSPN in the video below.
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