By KELLY McEACHERN
For The Beachcomber

The Vashon High school girls varsity soccer team continued its successful run through league play last week, vanquishing Cascade Christian at home, 7-0, Tuesday night and coming away with a 2-2 draw at Charles Wright on Thursday.

The Pirates played their best all-around game of the year against the Cougars with displays of accurate passing, precise shooting and ball possession. Katherine Andrus opened the scoring by finishing off an excellent cross from Ana de Guzman, one of three assists for the versatile sophomore.

Maddie McEachern, another sophomore, followed with a laser from 25 yards off a nice drop pass from her sister Llira. Senior striker Llira joined the act soon thereafter with the first of her three goals, again assisted by de Guzman.

Llira’s next goal came at the expense of two Cascade defenders who knocked heads with each other in an unsuccessful attempt to keep up with the twisting Pirate as she set up her shot. Llira and de Guzman hooked up again soon after for a 5-0 lead. The attack on the Cougar goal continued when Mira Jewell-Peterson knocked in a goal from a corner kick, another example of the fine form the Pirates showed. Jewell-Peterson struck again, finishing a pass from Ellen Chappelka for the final 7-0 score.

The Charles Wright game was an intense battle of two heated rivals. The Tarriers were on fire from the opening whistle and scored early, getting behind the defense and finishing a one-on-one with Vashon’s keeper, Kate Atwell, despite her all-out effort. The Pirates took advantage of a penalty kick, awarded for a hand ball by Charles Wright in the 18-yard box, as Emily Browne placed her shot to the left of the keeper for a 1-1 tie.

The Tarriers scored again almost immediately with a nice pass and finish against a confused and stunned Pirate defense. The 2-1 score held through the rest of the half and most of second despite constant pressure by the Vashon side.

The Pirates held a clear edge in possession, shots and shots-on-goal but were unable to tie the score until Andrus caught up to a through ball from de Guzman and poked in the second Vashon tally.

With only minutes remaining in regulation play, Maddie McEachern made a nice run down the right side and laced a shot off of the Tarrier keeper’s hand and over her head. Despite the goalie reaching a full arm’s length past the goal line that she was standing on to reach the ball as it was falling to the ground, no goal was awarded. The rest of regulation and the two five-minute overtime periods passed with the Pirates in clear control but unable to finish the win.

The 2-2 draw leaves the Pirates with a 6-2-3 record headed into their lone game this week on Thursday at Life Christian.

— Kelly McEachern is a parent and soccer fan