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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