Last week the Vashon Valkyries girls lacrosse team split its two-game week, defeating Overlake but then falling to Stadium two days later.

The Valkyries faced off against Overlake at home on Wednesday, April 25. After a rough string of umpire calls, Olivia Brenno settled into her role as a key defender, applying pressure behind the cage and locking down cuts around the goal circle.

Midfielder Sadie Hoverter led the midfield effort with three controls off the draw and two goals before an injury confined her to the sidelines. The Valkyries led soundly at the half, Overlake gained ground in the second half, but the Valkyries held their lead, winning the game, 12-9.

Genevieve Rauma contributed five goals to the win, Anneke Steneker followed that up with three goals and two assists and midfielder Mykah Shiosaki enabled three goals with her assists, while Ellen Chappelka fired in two more.

On Friday Valkyries battled the Stadium High School Tigers in another home game. The Tigers came to win, scoring two back-to-back goals within the first four minutes of the game as the Valkyries struggled to find their footing.

Midfielders Sarah Raymond, Grace DeGraaf and Shiosaki aggressively worked the field, but the Tigers shut down midfield transitions with double and triple team coverage. Attack squad captain Emma Dubois orchestrated the team’s motion offense with her stick skills and tenacity, bringing in one goal and two assists and establishing her as the team leader in goal assists.

Although the Valkyries lost 5-7, the score is no indication of the effort exhibited by a team that fought to the end. Steneker contributed two goals while Shiosaki continued to show her dominance with one goal and an assist, with Rauma bringing in one more.

— Mary Kay Rauma is the assistant coach of the Vashon Valkyries.