POULSBO — The rain falling from the sky and the chill in the air couldn’t dampen the atmosphere surrounding this rivalry game.
Kingston and North Kitsap played at a frenetic pace all night on March 13 at North Kitsap Stadium to the delight of the crowd. The Bucs came out on top, 1-0, thanks to a free kick goal by Adin Bowers late in the first half.
Bowers isn’t the only player who takes free kicks for Kingston, but perhaps he has earned a few more chances. The shot by the senior defender was an absolute rocket from about 25 yards away.
“He wanted it that time, and whoever was going to take it backed off for him, thank God,” Kingston head coach Craig Smith said.
It was the only goal of the game in an otherwise fast-paced game that saw both teams create a few scoring opportunities. Kingston, having already played one game coming into Tuesday night, had the better of the play in the first half even before Bowers’s goal in the 37th minute.
But North Kitsap (0-1) came on strong to start the second half after surviving a near-miss by the Bucs. Three minutes into the second half, Peter Sustad nearly tucked the ball into the corner of the net past Giacomo Battu, but the keeper reached out with his left arm to make the stop.
“We made some adjustments which helped a lot,” North Kitsap head coach Greg St. Peter said. “We had a lot of good opportunities in the second half but couldn’t pop it in. They’re a good, fast team and it’s first game of the season, you never know what to expect.”
The Vikings nearly found the equalizer in the 52nd minute. As senior midfielder George Beddoe raced up the right wing with the ball, teammate Nick Cullen got free in the box for an open look. Beddoe fed the ball across and Cullen teed up a good shot, but Kingston keeper Ian Schmid rushed out of his net and got only a piece of the ball,but it was enough to preserve his team’s advantage.
“[Cullen] ran straight off of his defender and I came out as fast as I could to cut down the angle,” Schmid said. “And I pushed my leg out and got just enough of it with my left foot.”
That was the best chance the Vikings had in the second half. They had a couple more near-misses — including a valiant effort by Cullen on a cross as he laid out to get his head on the ball — but Kingston held on for the 1-0 win.
“I’m pleasantly pleased because you never know so early in the season against a strong rival that always rises to the occasion,” Smith said.
Gig Harbor 2, Central Kitsap 0
EAST BREMERTON — Central Kitsap (1-1) was shutout at home by the Tides on Tuesday. Dylan Horwath and Max Frank found the back of the net for Gig Harbor (2-0), which won their second consecutive league game to start the season. The Cougars struggled to get scoring opportunities for much of the game as the Tides recorded its second clean sheet this year.
March 13 scoreboard
- Sequim 8, Olympic 0
- Bremerton 2, North Mason 1
- South Kitsap 3, Graham-Kapowsin 2
Baseball
- Peninsula 18, Bremerton 8
Softball
- Peninsula 10, South Kitsap 8
- Olympic at Central Kitsap — postponed
- Bremerton at Foss — postponed
Tennis
- Bremerton at North Kitsap — postponed
March 14 schedule
Baseball
- Seattle Christian at Klahowya, 4 p.m.
- South Kitsap at North Kitsap, 4:15 p.m.
- Central Kitsap at Bainbridge, 4 p.m.
Softball
- Seattle Christian at Klahowya, 4 p.m.
- Quilcene at North Kitsap, 4 p.m.
Boys Soccer
- Klahowya at Vashon Island, 6 p.m.
Tennis
- Olympic at Kingston, 4 p.m.
- Port Angeles at North Kitsap, 4 p.m.
- Klahowya at Bremerton, 4 p.m.
Boys/Girls Golf
- Shelton at Bremerton, 3 p.m.
— Mark Krulish is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. He can be reached at mkrulish@soundpublishing.com.
