Community Sports

Sports Beat | Local teams earn first girls soccer wins

Junior Brooklyn Mays got an early-season hat trick as Peninsula (1-2) defeated Lakes, 7-1, in the Seahawks’ Puget Sound League Nisqually Division opener on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Peninsula junior Heidi Tenzler opened the scoring with a free kick from 30 yards out at the 28-minute mark. Tenzler placed the ball six inches under the crossbar, just above the reach of the Lancers’ goalie.

Lakes knotted the score at 1-1 a few minutes later and the game remained tied at halftime. It appeared the Seahawks were in for a close game.

Big second half

But Peninsula exploded for six second-half goals and the Seahawks tightened up defensively behind Alex Cichanski, one of the Nisqually Division’s best all-around midfielders.

Brooklyn Mays scored a hat trick against Lakes. Photo courtesy of Peninsula High soccer

Mays’ first goal came just two minutes into the second half, when she followed her own corner kick. The ball rattled around in front of goal before Mays retrieved it and kicked a low fastball past the goalie for a 2-1 lead.

Her second score was likely one of the easiest of her career. The ball ricocheted right to her, five feet in front of the goal, and she side-swiped it into the net.

Mays, who is tall and powerful, was predominantly a defender last season, when the Seahawks had plenty of prolific goal scorers on the roster. Coach Jose Brambilla moved her to attacking midfielder this year, and the decision quickly paid dividends. On Tuesday, she secured her hat trick with a crushing 30-yard shot.

Sophomores Emma Tucker and Delia Labowitz also scored against Lakes. An even younger Seahawk, freshman goalie Emma Petersen, looked solid charging 50-50 balls and reacted quickly to shots on goal.

Brambilla was encouraged with the Seahawks’ play against Lakes after they opened their season with losses to West Seattle, 2-0, and Class 4A powerhouse Curtis, 1-0.

The Seahawks typically play a tough non-league schedule. It has helped them reach five consecutive Class 3A state tournaments.

The Seahawks face Bellarmine in Tacoma at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24.

The Peninsula girls soccer team. Photo by Jose Brambilla

Freshmen lead Gig Harbor

Gig Harbor (1-2) also found the net often in their first league game, defeating Central Kitsap 6-1 in Silverdale on Sept. 22.

The Tides won league and district championships last year, but started 2026 slowly. Their non-league schedule included losses to two elite programs:  Seattle Prep, 2-0, and Sumner, 3-0.

A ton of talent graduated from Gig Harbor’s 17-1 2025 team. But at Gig Harbor, they don’t rebuild they just reload.

Nadia Schwab of Gig Harbor during a game lasst season. Photo by Bryce Carithers

The Tides still have one of the most talented duos in the South Sound in junior forward Nadia Schwab and sophomore midfielder Violett Lester. Claire Clevenger, Janelle Jones and Anne Louden are excellent senior defenders and midfielders.

Lester and Schwab have speed to burn. Both were members of relay teams that won state track championships for the Tides.

Youth movement

Six freshman made the varsity, and they showed they belonged with breakout performances against the Cougars.

Brooklyn Baune introduced herself just 30 seconds into the game. She filled the middle lane, received a pass and fired a crisp shot to take a quick 1-0 lead. It was her first of two goals in the game.

Gig Harbor midfielder Janelle Jones during a game against Peninsula last season. Photo by Bryce Carithers

Freshman Piper Sturrock provided the second goal when she took a quick throw-in that caught the Cougars off-guard. The ball landed perfectly on Sturrock’s foot and she quickly fired a pinpoint 25-yarder for a 2-0 lead with 27 minutes to go in the first half.

Louden got into the act when she intercepted the Cougar goalie’s clearance attempt and fired a 25-yarder into the net.

Another talented Tide freshman scored next. Reagan Sletner punched in a short shot in front of the goal to make the score 4-1 at the end of the first half.

The Tides host Lincoln at Roy Anderson Field at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24.

The Gig Harbor girls soccer team. Photo courtesy Gig Harbor High soccer