Lydia Peplinski | Coupeville Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Lydia Peplinski’

Not enough players? We’re good!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, GU19 Whidbey Islanders, tagged GU19 Whidbey Islanders, Lydia Peplinski, Sean LeVine, Seattle United South, Soccer on December 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Kenzie Perry was lights-out in goal for the Islanders Saturday.

Soccer is normally played with 11 to a side.

Don’t tell that to the GU19 Whidbey Islanders select soccer squad, which started with 10 Saturday, finished with nine, and still almost won its game against a tough foe.

Despite being two players down for much of the second half, the Islanders only surrendered a goal on a place kick — set up by an inadvertent trip — falling 1-0 to visiting Seattle United South.

Not bad for a game in which Whidbey was missing stars like Erin Rosenkranz, Jenn Spark, Jacki Ginnings, Paige Waterman, Kendra Warwick, Ayla Muller and leading scorer Jacalyn Hefflefinger due to a combination of injuries, illness and absence.

Things got chippy when Bailee Olson was lost in the second half with a pulled hamstring, dropping the Islanders down to nine. Even then, though, they didn’t break.

“It was a very, very interesting game and our girls played their butts off!,” said Whidbey coach Sean LeVine. “They believed until the last second that we would get a goal or two.

“The loss is always tough, but given the circumstances, I think we won something more today and our team as a whole improved.”

Whidbey had its chances to net a tying goal, but Seattle United was able to escape at the last second each time.

Gillian Crossley went one-on-one with the rival goalie twice, just missing, while Lydia Peplinski beat the goalie but was pulled just wide and had her shot redirected by a scrambling defender.

With several starters sidelined, many Islanders ended up playing in different spots than normal. All stepped up.

“Morgan Zylstra played left back today, stepped in, and did wonderful,” LeVine said. “Gillian, Lydia and Bailee all had a chance at right back and did well.

“Big props to Lydia today who played center mid, right back, and striker, and did it all very well,” he added. “Also, to Kenzie Perry, who played goal for the full 90 and had too many saves to count. She deserved the shut out, but that darn PK was taken well.”

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Bow down to Whidbey!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, GU19 Whidbey Islanders, tagged Crossfire Select Cup, GU19 Whidbey Islanders, Lydia Peplinski, Soccer on July 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

The GU19 Whidbey Islanders hoist Lydia Peplinksi after her goal clinched a tourney title Sunday. (Kali Barrio photos)

The GU19 Whidbey Islanders soccer squad celebrates after winning the Crossfire Select Cup Sunday. (Kali Barrio photos)

A memento from the last tourney of the summer.

Ayla Muller enjoys the sweet taste of victory. (Charity Graves photos)

Morgan Zylstra played five games in three days and is still smiling.

Lydia Peplinski loves drama. Apparently.

Picking the biggest moment to make her biggest play, Peplinski netted a goal with less than five seconds to play in overtime during the championship game Sunday afternoon, lifting the GU19 Whidbey Islanders select soccer squad to its second win of the day and a tournament title.

Her shot sent the Franklin Pierce Fury down in flames, and the 2-1 win, coming on the heels of a 3-1 drubbing of Bainbridge Island FC in an early morning game, gave the Islanders the crown at the Crossfire Select Cup in Redmond.

Whidbey finished 2-1-2 in the three-day tourney, the cap to the summer soccer season.

The Islanders will continue to practice together, but won’t compete again until after the high school season plays out.

Peplinski sent them out on a huge high, netting both of the goals in the finale.

Trailing 1-0, Whidbey tied things up when Jenn Spark lobbed a free kick over the heads of the Fury defenders, finding Peplinski in mid-stride.

Timing her run perfectly, she snatched the ball away and poked it past a flailing goalie.

After that, the two squads battled back-and-forth through the remainder of regular time, then through two ten-minute overtime periods.

With the referee’s mouth a breath away from signaling the end of play and the beginning of penalty kicks to decide the match, it was Peplinski time.

Taking a pass off the foot of Bailee Olson, Peplinski launched a shot from an impossible angle, shocking the world by burying the ball in the back of the net.

Cue the screaming and hollering.

“The referee literally blew his whistle signalling the end of that half immediately after the ball hit the back of the net!,” said Islander coach Sean LeVine. “It was very exciting for us and well deserved. Champions!”

The win avenged a tie against the same team earlier in the tourney.

“In the earlier game we felt like we dominated and should have easily won,” LeVine said. ” However, they were coming off a 3-0 win that morning, and they were definitely a better team Sunday afternoon. It was a battle!

“Those girls were large, speedy, and aggressive,” he added. “Our organized possession proved to be much better though.”

The Islanders made it to the championship with an offensive explosion in their first game of the day, an 8 AM wake-up special against Bainbridge.

After not scoring in their first three games, Whidbey was locked and loaded.

Erin Rosenkranz punched in a pair, the first off of an assist from Micky LeVine, then Gillian Crossley broke free and converted on a pass from Peplinski.

Winning the title was especially impressive, as the Islanders played several players down for most of the tourney.

Leading scorer Jacalyn Hefflefinger missed the tourney, while Alyssa Cross, Jacki Ginnings and Paige Waterman all were limited in how much playing time they could put in.

With most of the team’s regular backfield out, others stepped up and, while playing out of position, excelled.

Becca Pabona, Ayla Muller and Olson all got nods from LeVine.

“I always tell our players that they are soccer players, not positions, and they proved that Sunday!”

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“All in all, it was a great weekend!!”

Posted in Girls Soccer, GU19 Whidbey Islanders, tagged GU19 Whidbey Islanders, Jenn Spark, Lydia Peplinski, NCSAA College Showcase, Soccer on July 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Jacki Ginnings

Kendra Warwick

Sometimes you have to get beat to get better.

That’s the hope for the GU19 Whidbey Islanders select soccer squad, which fell 5-1 to Chinook United of Calgary Sunday.

The loss capped a three-day run for the Islanders at the high-stakes NCSAA College Showcase Tournament in Puyallup, and, at 0-2-1, the results weren’t quite as awe-inspiring as hoped.

On the other hand, Whidbey coach Sean LeVine knew going in his team would be facing a caliber of opponents they rarely, if ever, see.

The Islanders opened play Friday against the #9 team in the entire nation.

With NCAA coaches everywhere in the stands, the tourney drew top-level teams with rosters jam-packed with possible Division 1 recruits.

“All in all, it was a great weekend,” LeVine said. “We knew we would play the toughest teams we’d ever faced. In this sport, that is how you get better.”

Whidbey played Chinook fairly even for a half Sunday, then “the wheels fell off a little” after halftime.

Trailing just 2-1 at the break (“other than two gifts we gave them, we looked like the better team”) the Islanders were victimized by a couple of quirky plays.

A slow-rolling ball took an odd last-second bounce and skidded right across the fingertips of Whidbey goalie Kenzie Perry for one score, and an “imaginary foul” set up Chinook with a gift-wrapped penalty kick for another.

Whidbey netted its lone goal midway through the first half.

Jenn Spark popped a beautiful set-up to Lydia Peplinski, who twirled, froze the goaltender, who was out in front of her net, and calmly knocked the ball past her for her first score as an Islander.

After it was all over, LeVine tabbed Kendra Warwick and Jacki Ginnings as his Players of the Tournament.

“We are very lucky to have these two players!,” he said. “They battled hard this weekend, had limited mistakes, and they make our team better.”

The Islanders close out their summer season with an appearance at the 7th annual Crossfire Select Cup Tournament in Redmond July 25-27.

After that, their players will head off to their respective schools for the high school season, before reuniting in November for another college showcase.

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“I love being a leader and an example!!”

Posted in Girls Soccer, GU18 Whidbey Islanders, tagged GU18 Whidbey Islanders, Lydia Peplinski, OHHS Wildcats, Soccer on July 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Lydia Peplinski

Lydia Peplinski lives and loves the soccer life.

One of the newest members of the GU18 Whidbey Islanders select squad, she has been playing since she was old enough to kick a ball.

As she heads into her sophomore year at Oak Harbor High School, the center midfielder is as much in love with the sport now as she has ever been.

“I love to run the field; I like having the responsibility of the flow of the game,” Peplinski said. “I love being a leader and an example.

“I enjoy being outside, I enjoy the big team, I enjoy the game, I enjoy everything about it,” she added. “There’s no place I’d rather be!”

The daughter of former OHHS athletes Tony and Amy (Preder) Peplinski (who I actually wrote about back in my Whidbey News-Times days), Lydia brings brains and natural skill to the pitch.

“My strengths would be my leadership, footwork and how, since I’ve been playing so long, I can predict the game,” Peplinski said. “I’m smart on the field.

“I definitely need to work on speed,” she added. “I can be extremely fast if I worked at it; three years ago I’d beat (teammate) Gillian (Crossley), now she’s whooshing past me!”

Peplinski started early (“I’ve been playing since I was a kid!”), and, after several years of rec ball, listened to the urging of coach Troy Cowan, who now calls the shots for the Coupeville High School girls’ soccer team, and moved up.

“He pushed me to join club soccer,” Peplinski said. “I began forming relationships with my teammates and had personally my favorite coach so far, Ryan Baker. ”

Away from the field, she is a strong student (“MATH! I love math! It comes easy to me and they seem to be the best classes”), and is deeply committed to music.

“MUSIC! Huge, huge part in my life,” Peplinski said. “I’ve played piano for eight years now and sax and clarinet for four. It’s my passion beside soccer.”

Now in her fourth season of select soccer, she draws on numerous people, both local and far away, for inspiration.

“Big influences? Everyone,” Peplinski said. “From the people that are on TV that are amazing soccer players, to my mom and dad with all their support, the coaches that made soccer fun and the people who don’t get the chance to play.”

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