Coupeville Sports

(Photos by Nicole Miesle)

They were the youngest team in their league, but they never let that stop them.

Whether it was making Harlem Shake videos, singing in the back of cars or threatening to trash uppity foes on the pitch (they call her Micky “Two Fists” LeVine for a reason), the GU17 Whidbey Islanders select soccer team had an impressive run this season.

“I am very proud of these ladies,” said Islander coach Sean LeVine. “As the youngest team in our league, they proved they can compete with all of them!

“Not to mention, this a wonderful group of young ladies, and it has been a joy to coach them,” he added. “A big thank you, if I may, to all the parents this season for allowing me to coach their daughters! What a huge support they are to me and all the players.”

Guided by LeVine and assistant Scott Rosenkranz, the Islanders, who played from June through March, won the Marysville Strawberry Classic, finished second in the Skagit Firecracker Tournament and claimed fifth at the Rainier Valley Slammers Premier Tourney.

In league play, they went 2-6-4 in the North Puget Sound League while playing much older squads and earned draws in two of their three matches in the Founders State Cup.

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    The excitement was building even before the game started. (Kerry Rosenkranz photo)

The ribbon every player wore Sunday. (Becca Pabona photo)

They wore matching ribbons in their hair and capped their season with a virtually flawless example of teamwork.

Making every pass, finding every open teammate, converting every opportunity, the GU17 Whidbey Islanders soccer squad thrashed host GU18 Issaquah FC Arsenal 3-0 Sunday to go out on top.

“We played our normal game today, which is dominate in possession and great defense, however, we finally added the finishing,” said thrilled Islander coach Sean LeVine.

All three of the Islander goals came in different ways, but all three were similar in that they came from brilliant teamwork.

Whidbey opened the scoring when Alyssa Cross, operating on the left side, dropped the ball in to a streaking Kenzie Perry, who one-touched it past the flailing goaltender and into the back of the net.

“Alyssa had a great game today and is probably our most improved player this season,” LeVine said. “She’s becoming a huge asset on defense and today in the midfield.”

Up 1-0 at the half, the Islanders broke things wide open early in the second half.

Seeing the defense break down, Micky LeVine smartly called off one of her teammates and then, with the ball on her foot, found Emily “Matti” Miesle on a break-away. The electrically-quick Miesle was past the defenders before they could register the danger, and the goal-scorin’ was on.

“As soon as I saw she was side by side with their last defender, I knew she was gone,” LeVine said. “Matti has had these opportunities before, and her nerves or excitement had got the better of her.

“However, today she took one big touch to outrun her opponent, and then another calm small touch to get into the box dribbling straight at the keeper, then a calm poke of the ball into the right side of the net,” he added. “The keeper didn’t even have time to dive or make any saving attempt.”

Ayla Muller then put a stamp on things when she passed on a tempting, but very difficult shot and made the smart pass instead. Forced wide of the goal, she zipped the ball to Morgan Zylstra, who had read Muller’s subtle hint and quickly moved into the vacated middle.

Once she had the ball, Zylstra punched it past the Issaquah goalie and the rout was complete.

The domination was so complete that Whidbey’s two goalies, Perry and Muller, barely had to move in the net. LeVine estimated his tandem only had to make two or three saves, and they converted those with ease.

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A little team bonding before the big game. (Kali Barrio photos)

#1 fan Izzy LeVine and her lucky Scooby-Doo umbrella.

Team unity remains strong.

Sometimes a tie really is like a win.

Facing off with the undefeated number one team in their league Sunday, the GU17 Whidbey Islanders soccer squad dominated play in a wet, slippery game at Fort Nugent Park.

While the final score was a 0-0 draw with the visiting NSC Ultimatum ’95 out of Northshore, it felt like a win for Islander coach Sean LeVine.

“I’ll happily accept it today,” LeVine said. “This was a complete domination by our ladies.

“I don’t think our goal keepers had to make any hard saves today,” he added. “The other team, however, was forced to play in their own half for much of the game, and in their own box for a good chunk of the second half. Our girls were relentless at keeping the ball in front of their goal and getting several shots and crosses in.”

While none of the shots found the back of the net, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Whidbey pressed the matter all game and even, inadvertently, took out the opposing net-minder.

“Every single one of our players contributed in some special way today with great passing, hustle, tenacity, defending, or great runs off the ball,” LeVine said. “Unfortunately, we did not get that deciding goal, but we did force their keeper into a brilliant diving save in the first half, and, unfortunately, she was taken out with an injury in the second when our striker, Matti Miesle, collided hard with her when they were both sliding for the ball.”

Playing for the final time at home this season, the Islanders left it all on the field. LeVine singled out his outside backs, Becca Pabona and Paige Waterman, for their play on both ends of the pitch, giving the duo the hustle award for the afternoon.

“They played amazing today in the back, but they were also the key to our success on the attack today as they came up and helped up front,” LeVine said.

He also lauded the play of center backs Jackie Ginnings and Jennifer Spark (“Those two center backs, combined with our phenom keepers, are the reason we are in every single game this season”) and Alyssa Cross and Kendra Warwick.

Despite playing out of position, Cross helped her teammate to control the middle of the field all game.

The Islanders wrap their season with a road game in Issaquah next Sunday, March 17.

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    The Whidbey Islanders GU17 soccer squad has played and fought as a team all season. (Kali Barrio photo)

   They have also rocked out in the back of mini-vans, as well. (Kerry Rosenkranz photo)

Emily Miesle

“Another tie!”

That was the first words out of Whidbey Islanders GU17 soccer coach Sean LeVine’s mouth after his team played Sunday.

In a continuing trend, his young team won every battle but the final one on the scoreboard. This time, it was a 1-1 draw with visiting Seattle United South, the second time this season the two squads have battled to a stalemate.

“Unfortunately, I think we are the team with the most draws in the league,” LeVine said. “We had a good game and once again should be walking away with the win.

“Like the Sounders last night, we beat our opponent in every statistic except the most important one,” he added. “We had about six or seven near goals in the first half. Shots rang off of posts and bounced off of their keeper, or their keeper was forced to make a good save.”

The Islanders broke through on a brilliant team-up by Kenzie Perry and Emily Miesle. Perry smacked a hard shot off the goalie’s hands, angling the ball perfectly for Meisle, who was there to collect the put-back for her first goal of the season.

A disputed foul call set up the tying goal for Seattle.

After Jen Spark expertly tackled a ball away from a foe in the goal box, the assistant ref called a soft foul, but that was overturned after a discussion with the head ref, setting up the visitors with a penalty kick.

The Islanders’ own chance at a much-deserved penalty kick later in the game got ignored, after Perry was taken down hard in the Seattle box. This time the assistant ref put his flag up, only to change his mind before the head ref saw his signal.

With Perry (winner of the game’s Hustle award, and, earlier in the week, graphic arts student of the month at Oak Harbor High School) and Morgan Zylstra both playing strongly in net, Whidbey successfully blunted all of Seattle’s scoring opportunities after the tying goal.

The defensive play of the game came when Perry made a nifty diving save on a header into the corner off of a free kick.

The Islanders play their final home game of the season Sunday, March 10 2 PM at Ft. Nugent.

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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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