Kendra Warwick tallied two goals, an assist and a win as she celebrated her 17th birthday Sunday. (John Fisken photo)
“After we warmed up, we became the dominant team.”
For the first 15 minutes Sunday, GU19 Whidbey Islanders soccer coach Sean LeVine had a bit of trepidation.
Then he remembered his team was awesome and settled in to watch it roll host Seattle United Shoreline 4-0 in a State Cup game.
“It was an almost complete game,” LeVine said. “If you’d have asked me during the first 15 minutes if we’d win 4-0 I’d have said probably not. However, I’d have forgotten that we are typically a late starter.
“They had the better possession during the first 15, but after we warmed up, we became the dominant team,” he added. “After that we out-possessed, out-hustled, out-smarted, and out-hearted (if that were a word) our opponent.”
The Islanders broke through first with a gift-wrapped present for birthday girl Kendra Warwick.
The Seattle goalie deflected a shot by Lydia Peplinski, but the ever-sneaky Micky LeVine zipped in, snagged the rebound and banged the ball back to the hard-charging Warwick.
A quick flick of her golden foot (“their keeper had no chance”) and Whidbey had the only goal it would need on the afternoon.
Whidbey poured it on in the second half, with Warwick continuing to have a birthday game for the ages. She was later picked as the Player of the Match.
The pride of South Whidbey punched in a knuckler from 30 yards out for her second goal, then laid in a “beautiful through pass” to Peplinski, who launched a rocket into the side netting.
Not content with a three-goal lead, the Islanders pulled off a miracle fourth goal, had it called off by the refs, then pulled off the same exact scoring play just to prove it wasn’t a fluke the first time.
Alyssa Cross launched a throw-in that found Kenzie Perry’s head.
When her initial shot was blocked, Perry picked up the deflection and popped it past the flailing rival goaltender.
A spoilsport ref waved the goal off, however, deciding Cross had stepped onto the field during the follow-through on her pass.
Not to be deterred, Cross made the same throw a second time, Perry put her noggin in the right spot, and this time the ref could no nothing but marvel at the goal along with everyone else.
“Unbelievable!” said a jubilant LeVine. “That’s heart and determination!”
With Whidbey fighting to hold on to the shutout — which gives it more points in the State Cup tourney — things got down and dirty in the late going.
A Seattle player repeatedly kicked Islander Bailee Olson’s injured ankle (aiming for the very visible ankle wrap) and when Olson briefly retaliated, she was booted with a red card.
The ejection will cause her to miss the Islanders next game.
“It wasn’t a good decision, but I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same,” LeVine said.
Down a player, the Islanders stepped up aggressively over the final 15 minutes, holding on to a shutout that was shared by Perry and Ayla Muller.
“I am very proud of how my team played and responded today,” LeVine said.
The Islanders return to action in two weeks, hosting the Bellevue Ravens 12 PM Saturday, April 25 at Oak Harbor’s Wildcat Stadium.
It will be the final home game for this edition of the squad and pits them against a tough rival they lost to 4-2 earlier this season.
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