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Archive for the ‘GU19 Whidbey Islanders’ Category

“Another stellar finish to a tough season!!”

Posted in Girls Soccer, GU19 Whidbey Islanders, tagged , , , , , , on March 29, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Micky LeVine celebrated her 18th birthday Saturday by helping her team pull off a huge win. (John Fisken photo)

  Micky LeVine celebrated her 18th birthday Saturday by helping her team pull off a huge win. (John Fisken photo)

Strong down the stretch.

Capping a season-ending five-game unbeaten streak Saturday, the GU19 Whidbey Islanders select soccer squad bounced Crossfire Select 1-0 in a nail-biter.

The victory, coming over their league’s second-place team, gave the Islanders a final mark of 4-2-6 in North Puget Sound League play.

Whidbey kicks off State Cup play with a game at Oak Harbor’s Wildcat Stadium 1 PM today.

Crossfire, which entered the game with just a single loss and the distinction of being the only squad to have taken down the league’s top team, was a formidable foe.

But one the Islanders were ready to knock off.

“Another stellar finish to a tough season,” said Whidbey coach Sean LeVine. “We knew we were in for a fight, but I also knew that we can compete with any team in the league.”

The Islanders dominated the first half, punching in the game’s only goal when Gillian Crossley took advantage of sloppy clearance by the Crossfire goalie to set up the score.

Snagging the ball, she laid in a flawless pass to a waiting Lydia Peplinski, who smacked the ball to the far post, well out of reach of the scrambling goaltender.

Coming out of the break, the Islanders, who, as usual this season, were playing with no subs, had to face down a much deeper opponent intent on attacking repeatedly.

“Second half we had to weather storm after storm,” LeVine said. “Our tired team hung in there though and played smart, maintaining their shape and toughness.”

Islander goalie Kenzie Perry, bolstered by a tough band of defenders, stood tall and claimed her third straight shootout.

The game was capped by an unusual moment in which the ref tripped, fell backwards and knocked himself out cold.

“A first for me. Scary moment,” said LeVine, who doubles as a paramedic in real life.

Crossley was tabbed as the Player of the Game for her “hustle, tenacity and getting in on the assist” while birthday girl Micky LeVine “had a great game too, putting some dangerous crosses in and defending well.”

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Kenzie Perry denies you (and your goals)!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, GU19 Whidbey Islanders, tagged , , , , on March 23, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Kenzie Perry threw down her second straight shutout Sunday.

Kenzie Perry threw down her second straight shutout Sunday.

Ah, soccer, where they get excited about a 0-0 game.

Still, any time you face down a top-level team and rise up and meet them at their level, there’s something to be appreciated.

That was the case for the GU19 Whidbey Islanders Sunday, when they used a stellar game from goalie Kenzie Perry and an inspired defense to forge said tie with the Lake Hills Legend of Bellevue.

“Great game today!,” said Islander coach Sean LeVine. “This was a great game against a very tough team who is in third place in our league and only one game behind the first place team.

“We weathered a storm and proved we can compete with anyone in the league,” he added. “This game will go a long way in preparing us for the State Cup.”

The game was a tale of two halves, with Bellevue dominating play in the first half, before the Islanders took control after the break.

“First half was all them. They dominated possession on our half for the first 45 minutes,” LeVine said. “We maintained a good defensive shape and were nearly impenetrable in the back due some fantastic defenders.

“When they did get a shot or cross off Kenzie was on fire today in coming off her line and stopping shots and crosses,” he added. “She finished the day with 10 saves, most did not trouble her too much.”

Having kept the game scoreless while under a barrage, the Islanders switched up tactics in the second half and took the game to Bellevue.

“We changed our tactics for second half, encouraging the other team to possess and then trying to catch them on a counter attack,” LeVine said. “The change worked, in that, after a few chances on their end they gave up some of their possession, which gave us even more chances on their end.

“We looked very dangerous on their end.”

Whidbey’s best chance at a game-busting score came on a “great through pass” from Hailey Erbe to Lydia Peplinski, who had the Bellevue goalie out of position.

The ball seemed destined for the back of the net, but a Lake Hills defender got her toe on the ball at the last chance, narrowly deflecting it away.

While neither squad could break through, Perry’s work in net was exemplary, earning Player of the Match honors. The shutout was her second straight.

“Her vocal leadership, shot and cross stopping today was key to earning the draw,” LeVine said.

The Islanders close out their regular season with a game in Redmond Saturday, Mar. 28, then kick off the six-week State Cup tournament at home the next day.

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Perfection? Pretty dang close!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, GU19 Whidbey Islanders, tagged , , , , , on March 16, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Ayla Muller (second from left) was the Player of the Game Sunday.

Ayla Muller (second from left) was the Player of the Game Sunday.

Complete and utter domination.

Even down a star (Becca Pabona was out sick) the GU19 Whidbey Islanders select soccer squad routed the visiting Tracyton Pumas 2-0 Sunday in a game that was as one-sided as they come.

Attacking from all sides, the Islanders controlled the flow of play from opening whistle to closing whistle.

“We played an outstanding game today and dominated in time of possession, shots on goal, and corner kicks,” said Whidbey coach Sean LeVine.

About the only thing slowing the Islanders down was the ref, who refused to believe his own eyes.

Whidbey sparkplug Micky LeVine got blasted in the box and bit the turf after breaking free behind the defense with the ball, but the ref, missing his seeing eye dog, declined to give the Islanders a penalty kick.

Denied that early goal, Whidbey settled for making their own, raining down a pair of beauties in the second half.

The only goal they would need came when three Islanders hooked up on a bing-bang-boom play.

Kendra Warwick lashed “a perfect ball through the defense towards the corner,” where speedster Bailee Olson nabbed it and redirected the ball to Gillian Crossley, who used her chest to knock the shot into the net.

Not content with one, Warwick cracked another corner kick, using Ayla Muller’s head as her target.

Muller’s forehead met ball, goal, celebration.

It was part of a busy day for Muller, who came dangerously close to scoring on two other occasions. One of those bounced along the goal line before being cruelly denied at the last second by the harried Tracyton goaltender.

For her stellar efforts (she played the full 90 as a center back with Pabona out) Muller nabbed Player of the Game honors.

Whether it was Muller or others, Sean LeVine came away very pleased with what he saw on the field.

“All in all it was a complete game and I am very happy with everyone’s play today,” he said. “Again we were missing players and only had one sub, but this is the new normal for us.

“Our defense did outstanding today!”

The Islanders, who have won two straight, return to the pitch Sunday, Mar. 22 when they travel to Bellevue to play Lake Hills Legend.

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More wins, less hair!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, GU19 Whidbey Islanders, tagged , , , , , on March 1, 2015| Leave a Comment »

After a shave and haircut, soccer coach Sean LeVine was discovered hiding underneath.

After a shave and haircut, soccer coach Sean LeVine emerges a new man.

Sean LeVine’s family thanks you all. Their great national tragedy is over.

With his GU19 Whidbey Islanders soccer squad pulling off a 1-0 victory over the Northshore Evolution Saturday, LeVine finally went in for a shave and haircut, emerging as the silky-smooth coach his wife and three daughters sorta, kinda remembered from the past.

LeVine had vowed to let the locks and grizzle grow until the Islanders broke a recent losing streak, and reports of Sasquatch being seen on Whidbey had followed him during his day job as a paramedic.

No longer, and Lydia Peplinski gets the assist.

Well, actually, it was Gillian Crossley who got the assist, setting Peplinski up for the game’s lone score, but you get the point.

Crossley nabbed the ball early in the second half, snatching the ball out of the air then redirecting it to Peplinski, who banged home the goal from 18 yards out.

Her shot exploded like a firecracker, hitting the turf and taking a wicked curve that caused the Northshore goaltender to bobble it, then watch in silent horror as the loose ball skipped merrily into the back of the net.

The Evolution fought hard to try and get a tying goal, but Whidbey’s defense held strong. Despite playing with just one sub, the superbly-conditioned Islanders held up under fire.

“It was quite a battle and our players had to weather an early onslaught, but they held firm and kept them from having any meaningful shots on goal,” LeVine said. “Our stellar conditioning really won this game today.”

Whidbey came dangerously close to blowing the game wide open, with Crossley, Peplinski and Vivien Valles raining down shots from all sides.

Valles notched her second consecutive Player of the Game honors, showcasing hustle from opening whistle to closing whistle.

“That girl is just going 100%, doing what we ask of her, and the extra effort saved a goal for us today when a player broke through our back line and was caught by the speedy Valles, saving our keeper from having a one-on-one,” LeVine said. “She was also in on several opportunities on the offensive side of the pitch.

“I’m really proud of how well she is contributing right now.”

The Islanders will kick off one of its busiest months with a match Saturday, Mar. 7 (3:45 kickoff) at Wildcat Stadium in Oak Harbor.

Whidbey closes out the regular season and starts state cup tournament play at the end of the month.

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The facial hair stays (for now)!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, GU19 Whidbey Islanders, tagged , , , , on February 22, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Gillian Crossley scored a pair of goals Sunday.

Gillian Crossley scored a pair of goals Sunday.

sean

Sean LeVine’s beard hits dangerous levels of growth in this surveillance photo.

Whidbey Islanders GU19 select soccer coach Sean LeVine has vowed not to shave or get a haircut until his team breaks its current losing streak.

To his wife Joline’s great disappointment, that day did not come Sunday.

“Now my wife is considering moving my bed to the couch. It doesn’t look good,” LeVine said with a laugh after the Islanders fell 5-2 at home in a game that was far more competitive than the score might sound.

Gillian Crossley tried to get the clippers fired up with an early goal, taking a “great through pass” from Hailey Erbe and banging the ball into the side of the net.

Unfortunately for those praying for a shaving, things got rougher from there, with the Islanders surrendering back-to-back goals on corner kicks.

“The sad part is that we’ve been scored on five times this season on corner kicks and we’ve put a lot of time in at practice on trying to correct this already,” LeVine said.

Three more unanswered goals dug a huge hole for the Islanders, though LeVine felt the Islanders played the second half “definitely looking like the more dangerous team.”

Crossley did her part, knocking in her second goal of the game on a “perfectly-placed shot” off of a chip from Vivien Valles, who was named the team’s Player of the Game for her “assist, several beautiful runs and her tenacity.”

The Islanders charged the net hard in the second half and created a number of chances, but couldn’t get another score before time ran out on them.

Even in a loss, one huge positive for Whidbey was the return to action of big-time players Paige Waterman and Jacalyn Hefflefinger.

Sidelined by injuries so far this season, Sunday’s action was their season debut.

“Paige put in some quality time in her traditional role at right defender,” LeVine said. “Jacalyn displayed her old ways at striker for us today and had two great chances on goal, one of which was a half volley off a cross that she nailed, but it went straight to the keeper.”

Playing in front of an enthusiastic crowd (“We had a great fan base today and it was really great for the girls to have so much support”), the Islanders put in a ferocious effort, team-wide.

“This game was so good that despite the three-goal lead, everyone there would tell you that they expected us to catch up at any moment,” LeVine said. “Our conditioning is really good right now and we looked really good offensively today, but the ball just didn’t bounce our way.”

The Islanders return to action with a game at Bothell Saturday, Feb. 28.

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