Gillian Crossley (left), seen here earlier in the season, scored in Saturday’s State Cup win. (John Fisken photo)
Two wins from a title.
Despite missing three key players Saturday, the GU19 Whidbey Islanders select soccer squad played what coach Sean LeVine termed “the perfect game,” shredding host Lake Hills Athena 3-0 to nab a spot in the State Cup semifinals.
The Islanders head to Tukwila Saturday, May 9 for that match.
Win and they stay around to play in the championship game the next day.
To get there, Whidbey overcame the loss of Bailee Olson (out on a questionable red card suspension), Jacalyn Hefflefinger (competing in the Miss Oak Harbor pageant) and Ayla Muller (moved out of the country … seriously).
Down to 10 players, the Islanders got a little break when their foes elected to be good sports and not take the man advantage.
Still, Lake Hills did have four subs, while Whidbey’s warriors went every second.
And still kicked some fanny.
“We dominated them from whistle to whistle in every aspect,” a jubilant LeVine said.
While they might have had no backups, the Islanders who were in attendance came out on fire, especially Player of the Match Vivien Valles, who had a hand (or foot) in all three goals.
“Her runs created openings for other players or she assisted the assist or directly assisted all three,” LeVine said.
On the first score, the Islanders kept the ball moving and the Lake Hills goalie guessing until the last, fateful second.
Kendra Warwick (“who also played dominant and lights out”) found Valles, who was ripping off a “brilliant diagonal run,” with the ball then shooting off to Gillian Crossley, who opened fire on the net.
When Crossley’s shot was partially blocked by the keeper, Lydia Peplinski nabbed it and calmly hammered it into the back of the net for the only score her squad would need.
Not content to sit on a 1-0 lead, however, the Islanders poured it on.
Valles knocked a ball into the box, with Crossley scooping up a deflection and chipping it over the flailing keeper’s head for score #2.
Coming out of the half with the intention of getting another goal and holding on to the shutout, Whidbey did both.
Valles capped the scoring action early in the second half, firing a “perfect” cross into the box where Micky “Two Fists” LeVine dropped a one-touch shot over the keeper and into the far post.
Not bad for a player who had been “on her death bed the last two days with illness,” according to her father/coach.
As the Islanders celebrated and advanced, knowing they’ll get back two of their missing three players next week, Sean LeVine basked in the afterglow.
“Our game today was the most dominant performance of our season!,” he said.
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