Coupeville Sports

They came by car… (Kerry Rosenkranz photos)

and ferry.

Though Becca Pabona thought about flying there. (Kenzie Perry photo)

Getting there was half the battle.

Playing the day after Coupeville High School’s Tolo dance, with most of the ferry routes bothered by high winds, getting the entire GU17 Whidbey Islanders soccer team to the Kitsap Country Fairgrounds Sunday was more of a battle than normal.

Once they were on the field and playing, the Islanders combined ball control and often-superb goal-tending to stay close, but couldn’t pull the trigger on offense. A disputed goal ended up being the difference in a tough 1-0 loss to Tracyton Velocity.

The goal came despite Islander net-minder Kenzie Perry’s apparent save.

Perry snagged the ball, was slammed into by an opposing player and watched it pop loose, then recovered it on the ground. At that point, a Velocity player poked it out of her hands (not legal, but unseen by the ref) and a waiting teammate knocked the suddenly loose ball into the back of the net.

“A very disappointing, undeserved loss,” said Whidbey coach Sean LeVine. “Once again it is clear to anyone who saw that game today that we had the more talented team, but once again, getting the results to prove that escaped us.”

Whidbey had multiple chances to even the score, but misfired on a shot at an open net in the second half and could never quite get over the hump.

Ayla Muller earned the team’s hustle award for the day, bouncing from goalie in the first half to playing the field in the second.

“She had a beautiful diving save in the first half,” LeVine said. “She covered a lot of ground today and gave us several more chances.”

Despite the loss, LeVine has been pleased with the season-long commitment his squad, one of the youngest in the league, has offered.

“It is a testament to your character and the bond of this team that you all still show up to three practices a week, a game (or two) every weekend, dance in parking lots together, make funny videos together, and you continue to show improvement week after week despite some disappointing results this season,” he wrote on his team’s Facebook wall. “Our future is bright! Keep fighting, keep having fun and we win everyday no matter the results of the match!”

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(Kali Barrio photos)

How dangerous is Micky LeVine on the soccer pitch? She doesn’t even need her feet to score a goal.

Capping her team’s “best soccer of the year,” LeVine used her thigh to re-direct a cross from Ayla Muller into the back of the net Saturday, earning the Whidbey Islanders GU17 squad a hard-earned 1-1 tie.

Coming against a much-older Seattle United Shoreline team (a true U18 squad while the Islanders only have one 17-year old on their squad), the game also marked the first time Whidbey had its full 15-woman roster to call on.

That changed, unfortunately, when Selina Medina fractured her right foot when she connected with a rival player’s shin guard right as she unleashed a rocket shot.

“She will be missed,” said Islander coach Sean LeVine. “But she’ll be back; she is one of the toughest young ladies I know.”

Seattle got on the board first, banging home a shot from 12 yards out that barely slid past the Islander goaltender. From that point on, though, it was lights-out time for the Whidbey defense.

“Our girls possessed the ball for probably 75% of the match, and played that much on their half,” LeVine said. “It seemed like everything we’ve been working on for the past few months finally clicked. Our defense solidified and their two best players were a non-factor for the rest of the game.”

Islander defenders Alyssa Cross and Paige Waterman led the defensive stand, clamping down on anything, and anyone, who wandered into their territory.

“They had great games, shutting those players down and creating many opportunities with good passing and forward runs,” LeVine said.

Muller and LeVine teamed up for their score in the game’s 70th minute and the Islanders continued to rain down other shots that just missed. Kendra Warwick lobbed in several corner kicks to Waterman and Matti Miesle faked out the goalie and set up a shot for Muller that went wide by the slimmest of margins.

With a strong team effort and a tie against a ferocious team, LeVine exited the weekend quite pleased. Adding to his joy — a bigger cheering section.

“Our fan base is growing as we had several Coupeville and Oak Harbor High School boys and girls out to watch yesterday and today and parents who don’t have kids on the team,” LeVine said. “My friend Bob Martin came out to watch, and he said “Wow! I didn’t realize how intense soccer is!”

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Cassie Neil

Soccer is the beautiful game, but even the beautiful game can be agony at times.

That rare mix, of sublime play, and one, small gut-stabbing error, was on display at Ft. Nugent Saturday, as the Whidbey Islanders GU17 soccer squad lost a 1-0 heart-breaker.

A game that they dominated, start to finish, took one bad bounce and ended up, against all odds, in the loss column. In one of those quirks of fate, an own goal sealed the Islanders fate.

The game’s defining play came on a melee in front of the net in the second half. Fighting for position, the Islander defenders shut down a striker with the ball, but when one Whidbey player went to clear the ball with her non-dominant foot, it took a bigger skip than expected and sailed over the head of keeper Kenzie Perry, plopping into the back of the net.

“She felt horrible, but it happens,” said Whidbey coach Sean LeVine.

In a side note, LeVine barely missed being part of the most famous own goal in Island history. He was an eighth-grader when the Oak Harbor High School boys’ soccer squad lost 1-0 in the state semifinals when a Wildcat defender, who went on to play college ball, tried to clear the ball in the game’s waning moments.

Accustomed to playing on grass, the ‘Cat tapped the ball, and watched in horror as it took a bigger bounce than expected on a turf field, shooting past his goalie and denying Oak Harbor a berth in the state title game.

Like that OHHS squad, the Islanders are a scrappy bunch who never stop coming, and their play all around the accidental goal pleased LeVine.

“We absolutely dominated possession on their half for the entire first half,” LeVine said. “We played the best soccer I have seen all season!”

Striker Matti Miesle, a speed demon, had Whidbey’s best chance to score. She challenged the goalie on a one-on-one, but was denied at the last moment by a beautiful diving save.

The game also marked the return of Cassie Neil, who had missed several months after a back injury. Her physical therapy behind her, the exuberant Neil took advantage of the limited time she was allowed to play Saturday, earning the team’s hustle award.

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