Two shutouts in one week: Vashon girls’ soccer shines
Published 1:30 am Thursday, October 20, 2022
Vashon’s varsity girls’ soccer team had two games last week, starting with a record of five wins, four losses and one tie.
On Oct. 11, the Pirates comfortably handled the East Jefferson Rivals, 9-0, on an unseasonably warm and sunny evening.
The girls dominated the first half with a well-balanced offensive attack, spreading the scoring around with goals by Oliva Boyles, Kate Spranger, Besa Hruska and Mallory Keenan.
Meah McInerney just missed a 35-yard blast that ricocheted off the crossbar and careened up and over the net.
In the previous five games, the Pirates have outscored their opponents 25 to 2, resulting in keeper Ivy Staczek feeling lonely but thankful for her teammates as she protects the net.
Staczek stopped all four shots by the Rivals on goal, securing her fifth shutout of the season.
Leah Gross was fouled hard on a second-half drive that forced her out of the game. The crowd thought the play should have drawn a yellow card, but the referee, who was working without assistants, didn’t see it that way.
Second-half scoring was by Hanifa Khidr, Lena Puz, another by Hruska, and a pair by Alana Bass including one where she received the ball at the mid-field line, and then outraced and outmaneuvered a pair of defenders before sending the ball into the corner of the net. Truly a magnificent play by Bass.
Prior to kick-off, announcer, David Leonhardt, introduced several dozen members of island U8, U10, and U13 teams, sporting colorful team names such as the Purple People Eaters, Green Flash, and the Blue Berries. In a few years, many of these girls will be donning Pirate uniforms.
Many of the younger players and their parents remained in the stands to cheer the varsity team on to victory.
The second game of the week was against Annie Wright.
Gross was on the sideline but unable to play after sustaining a broken collarbone in the previous game. The timeline for her return to action is unknown at this point.
The Pirates uncharacteristically lost to this same team a month previously, but with tireless coaching and work by the team, as well as home-field advantage, players and fans were confident of a different outcome.
Vashon dominated the first half with almost a dozen quality shots on goal and a defensive effort that scarcely saw the ball in their half of the field. Hruska found the back of the net as the half ended, and the home favorites led, 1-0.
Air quality was horrible, due to the smoke from the Bolt Creek fire, irritating some of the players from both teams.
With 10 minutes remaining, Boyes gave the Pirates a 2-0 on a stunning unassisted corner kick.
The Pirates would hold on to the lead and the shutout, securing their second win of the week and upping their overall record to 7-4-1.
