Pirates best East Jefferson Rivals in girls soccer match.
Published 4:37 pm Thursday, September 25, 2025
After two losses in their first two games, the Vashon High School girls’ soccer team was hopeful for a win as they faced the East Jefferson Rivals on Tuesday, Sept. 16, in front of a home crowd.
The Rivals finished last in the Nisqually League in the previous season, with a 0-7 win/loss record.
The Pirates took control of the game right from the start, and within three minutes, freshman Lana Antonellis had put the ball in the back of the net. Unfortunately, the goal was called back, as the referee determined Antonellis was offside.
Just five minutes later, Antonellis took the ball all the way down to the goal line and crossed it in to junior and co-captain, Isa Knowler, who easily tapped it in for the first Pirate scored goal of the season.
While Vashon maintained the majority of possession throughout the game, the Rivals created a few chances by working the ball into the box, but each time it was easily cleared away by senior, Nya Hart, in goal.
In the twentieth minute, Knowler saw freshman Evie Serebryakov in a good position up the field and sent a well-weighted pass through to her. Catching the Rival defense flat-footed, Serebryakov went head-to-head with the Rivals’ keeper, who chose to stay on her line. Serebryakov kept her composure and easily put the ball in the goal, making the score 2-0.
The players were noticeably fatigued by the heat, but that did not stop them from taking a few more shots before the end of the first half. The most notable attempts came from sophomore, Josie Reiling, whose powerful shot clanged off the crossbar, and two shots from Antonellis, which both hit the posts.
With a comfortable lead, Coach April Bottman-Haase, chose to sub in some younger players, including freshman, Natalie Stephenson. Her impact was felt immediately as she pounced on a misplaced short pass from the Rivals’ keeper and scored a goal in the 48th minute.
Stephenson must still have been buzzing from her first varsity goal when Reiling sent the ball through to her from the midfield in the 50th minute. Again, the Rivals’ keeper was hesitant to come off her line, and Stephenson easily scored, putting the Pirates up 4-0.
Vashon remained in control for the duration of the game, and the defense had very little to do to protect the shutout against East Jefferson.
Fans and players celebrated the win at the final whistle.
“I think this game shows how far our team has come,” said junior and co-captain Lillith Provo. “We have been working hard and I am glad it paid off during this game. I am excited to see how the rest of the season will go!”
Coach Bottman-Haase also reflected on the game.
“In the East Jefferson game, the team showed how well they can transition into the attacking mid and then apply pressure in the opponent’s 18 yard box with multiple players pressuring,” she said. “We had a good number of combination plays through the midfield which is an area we have been focusing on. It is a glimpse of where we want to go as a team this season for our attacking style.”
Find out more and follow the team and other VHS sports at govashonpriates.com.
Jenni Wilke is an educator who covers girls soccer and other subjects for The Beachcomber.
