GU18 Whidbey Islanders stars Kendra Warwick (left) and (right, top to bottom), Micky LeVine, Jenn Spark, Kenzie Perry and Morgan Zylstra.
Tons of injuries? Crappy playing conditions? It matters not.
Overcoming six missing players (five on injured reserve, one who missed her ride to the game) and a slippery, muddy surface in Shelton, the GU18 Whidbey Islanders soccer squad still came away with a huge victory Sunday.
Behind goals from Kendra Warwick and Morgan Zylstra, the Islanders crunched the Shelton Impact 2-1 in a State Cup game that wasn’t as close as the final score might sound.
The Impact, who boasted an 18-player roster, only got a goal during a time when they had an 11-to-10 player advantage, after Whidbey defender Jenn Spark slipped and bounced her head on the ground.
With no reserves, the Islanders hung tough in the waning moments, but did give up a goal while undermanned — though the goal only went into the net after taking an unlucky bounce off of the muddy field, nicking a Whidbey defender during a melee in front of the net.
The condition of the playing field kept the game closer than it would have been otherwise, said Islander coach Sean LeVine.
“The thing about playing on that kind of surface is that it almost levels the playing field when it comes to skill. It’s just so hard to cut and control the ball,” LeVine said. “Which was good for them, because the game was lopsided for most of the game.
“We dominated every aspect of that game,” he added. “On a solid surface I think the score would have been pretty lopsided in our favor.”
Warwick, the pride of South Whidbey, punched in the game’s first score and she did it in wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am style.
Less than 30 seconds into play, she picked off a ball and then went full-on superstar, deftly dribbling past several players and blasting home an unassisted goal. Game. Set. Match.
The Islanders weren’t done, however. While their first goal was a one-woman affair, the second involved practically everyone on the front line.
Spark, pre-injury, set it up with a free kick into the box. Micky LeVine won the battle for the ball, then Vivien Valles crossed it back across the face of the goal, where it connected with Zylstra’s perfectly-placed thigh and ricocheted into the back of the net.
Playing through injury — she hurt her ankle in the first half but, with no backup, limped through the rest of the game — Islander goalie Kenzie Perry held off Shelton’s final charge, sealing the victory.
“Our girls played hard and their determination, tenacity, and smart play won us the game,” Sean LeVine said.
The Islanders, who hope to get the majority of their injured players back this week, return to State Cup play Saturday, Jan. 18 with a home game at Ft. Nugent (2 PM) against Seattle United Shoreline.
