On Monday, Oct. 24, the Vashon Island High School girls’ soccer team took on Bellevue Christian in its last league game of the season. Unfortunately, it was Bellevue Christian’s senior night and its team was determined to win. The Pirates fought back hard, but ultimately lost 2-0.

If the Pirates had won that game, they would have had a definite spot in the playoffs for state. They lost, which meant that they had to wait for the other schools to finish playing their games before they would know if they were moving on.

The next day, the Pirates received news that Seattle Christian had lost to Cascade Christian, which meant that the Pirates would advance to a play-in game. On Thursday, Oct. 27, the team played Port Townsend to determine who would go to the playoffs. The game started off fairly slowly. The Pirates seemed a little shaky and unsure of themselves. It wasn’t until around 20 minutes into the first half that they found their rhythm and were able to pull ahead. Vashon’s Madison Browne beat four players to score the opening goal. This goal gave the Pirates hope to surge ahead. Soon after the first goal, Dalia Aladin laid a ball off to Kat Andrus who hit it off the bottom of the crossbar and into the back of the net. Andrus scored again soon after that from a through ball played by Jordan Bezoenik. For the rest of the game, the Pirates controlled possession.

The Pirates took a lot of shots and the game ended with a 3-0 Vashon victory, but there was little time for celebration as they rushed off to catch a boat.

Vashon’s rematch against Bellevue Christian came on Saturday, Oct. 29. This tense playoff game started out fairly even. Both teams were having chances and breakaways, but no one could score. Vashon’s goalie, Sydney Adams, really came through for the Pirates and had some amazing saves. Adams was a big reason why the Pirates kept themselves in the game.

Half time came and went with no score from either side. In the second half, the Pirates tried to take advantage of the fatiguing Bellevue players with no luck.

As the second half came to an end and overtime began, both coaches were starting to think about the possibility of going to penalty kicks. If neither team scored the golden goal in the 10-minute overtime, then the game would come down to penalties.

After the first five minutes, the teams switched sides. Soon after the start of the second half of overtime, a breakaway came for Bellevue Christian. It was one-on-one against Adams. Showing tremendous control and experience, Adams came up big for the Pirates and somehow managed to dive at the striker’s feet and take the ball. The ball kept rolling toward the goal, but Vashon’s Lizzy Sutherland cleared it with no trouble.

Just as it was looking like the game would go to penalties, a ball bouncing chaotically around the Bellevue goal box was kicked by Browne in the direction of Aladin. With 14 seconds left on the clock, Aladin volleyed it toward the goal and into the back of the net. From the Pirates’ side, there was screaming, hugging and celebrating.

Aladin and Adams were the heros of the day and the entire team could go to homecoming with the knowledge that it was one game closer to its dream of state.

The girls played Klahowya High School after press time Tuesday in the third round of the 1A district tournament.

— Paris Crispin is a member of the VHS girls’ soccer team.