Coupeville Sports

The many faces of goal-scoring ace Matti Meisle.

The competition is fierce, but so are the sharpshooters on the Whidbey Islanders GU18 soccer squad.

Riding a goal from Matti Miesle (on a beautiful through pass from Kendra Warwick), the Islanders scrapped to a 1-1 draw against Seattle United Shoreline Friday at the Crossfire Select Tournament in Redmond.

The Islanders return to action Saturday with a pair of games, one in the early morning and one in mid-afternoon.

Against Seattle, the Islanders struck first. After taking a pass from Warwick, Miesle beat the goalie from 18 yards out, popping the ball past her into a waiting net.

Seattle United answered two minutes later, right at the end of the first half, when Whidbey momentarily “lost our shape in the box,” according to coach Sean LeVine.

Becca Pabona almost broke the tie, when she converted an Erin Rosenkranz pass into a shot that the Seattle net-minder barely deflected at the last second.

With both teams a bit sluggish while battling the heat, the second half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither squad being willing to bend.

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Islanders coach Sean LeVine imparts sideline wisdom. (Kali Barrio photos)

Team captain Erin Rosenkranz prepares for battle.

The leaning tower of cell phones, as the players enjoy a Red Robin break.

Toasty. (Kerry Rosenkranz photo)

Rosenkranz and Megan Rapinoe. (Scott Rosenkranz photo)

Their name got tweaked a bit, but their style of play has remained intact.

Now known as the Whidbey Islanders GU18 soccer squad (last season they were a GU17 team), the select booters opened a new season with a strong showing at a heat-soaked tournament off-Island over the weekend.

In addition to their three games, in which they split with the Timber Barons and dropped close contests to the two teams that faced off in the final — the Rainer Valley Slammers and Highland Premier FC — the Islanders also got the chance to attend a Seattle Reign FC professional game.

The Reign are headlined by U.S. National team star Megan Rapinoe.

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Micky LeVine

Julia Myers

Erin Rosenkranz

Julia Myers is back.

Having battled through knee surgery and an extensive rehab, the Coupeville High School sophomore is returning to the soccer pitch after missing an entire high school season.

One of 18 girls tabbed when the roster for the 2013/2014 edition of the GU18 Whidbey Islanders was named Tuesday night, she and her new teammates will have a busy year ahead of them.

The Islanders, coached by Sean LeVine and Scott Rosenkranz, play three summer tournaments.

After taking a break for the high school soccer season, they’ll return to practice in November for a season that runs December-March. That includes a State Cup tourney in January, which means the booters will be playing twice every weekend that month (while some are also doing double time with high school basketball).

“It is a BIG commitment,” LeVine said. “The skill level is good, but we will again be a young U18 team, as only two players are true U18 players and we have a couple as young as U15.”

The roster is truly an all-Island affair, with 10 players from Oak Harbor, six from Coupeville and two from South Whidbey.

The Electric 18, with asterisks next to the CHS players:

Zoe Bassett
Alyssa Cross
Jacki Ginnings (*)
Micky LeVine (*)
Selina Medina
Emily Miesle
Ayla Muller
Julia Myers (*)
Cassie Neil
Becca Pabona
Kenzie Perry
Erin Rosenkranz (*)
Jennifer Spark (*)
Vivien Valles
Kendra Warwick
Paige Waterman
Victoria Wellman (*)
Morgan Zylstra

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