The girls’ varsity soccer team has played four games so far this season and currently has a 1-3 record.
SAAS
It was a beautiful blue sky, sunny day season opener for the Vashon High School girl’s varsity soccer team Wednesday, Sept. 11, against Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences at Delridge Playfield.
Vashon looked strong at kick-off, winning the ball and maintaining possession with a long sequence of clean passing. Within three minutes of start time, sophomore midfielder Phoebe Wilke assisted senior forward Sydnee Adams in a successful goal past SAAS’ keeper. In response, SAAS players turned up their speed and put the pressure on Vashon’s defensive line. Senior Ella Wheeler, senior Hannah Spranger, senior Olivia London and freshman Myra Butler all worked hard derailing SAAS’ attempts to dribble toward goal. When they did make it through, Vashon’s keeper, junior Tamsen Henry, thrilled with one heroic save after another.
Junior Payton Venturi, playing forward, had a run from midfield that almost became goal number two for Vashon. Sophomore Lucy Wing displayed intelligent foot work, winning the ball as defensive midfielder and feeding the forward line repeatedly. After several attempts on goal, SAAS finally got one past Henry, making it 1-1 at the half. The second half was a little sluggish for Vashon, which struggled to keep the ball. SAAS turned it up a notch, keeping Vashon’s defensive line working hard. Within a few minutes, Seattle Academy scored again. SAAS dominated the second half, but Vashon didn’t let up. Keeper Henry continued to wow with multiple athletic saves, attempting to feed the offensive line. Adams had a few more attempts on goal, as did Venturi. The SAAS keeper was able to defend her position, helping solidify their 2-1 victory against the Pirates.
University Prep
The team had its first home game of the season on Sept. 14 against University Prep. The stands were full of fans rooting for both sides. Keeper Henry had multiple double-handed jumping saves, punching the ball up and over the goal post, making for thrilling soccer.
Senior Adams had an early attempt on goal that got the crowd up on its feet. University Prep arrived ready to run, keeping Vashon’s defensive line moving. Freshman defender Leah Gross stepped up and had a couple of commendable plays, winning the ball and feeding Vashon’s offense. Midfielder Wilke had a solid feed to forward Venturi, who gracefully put one past U Prep’s keeper. Venturi immediately followed up her goal with another run from midfield, but the keeper prevented keeper that goal.
The teams appeared evenly matched, but University Prep was able to dominate with its finish. Down 3-1 at the half, Vashon’s Wilke came out strong and had an attempt on goal, as did Adams. University Prep snuck one more through Vashon’s defensive line, past keeper Henry, resulting in a 4-1 final score.
Charles Wright
On Friday, the VHS girls soccer team traveled to Charles Wright Academy to do battle with one of their league rivals for the first time this season and won their first game of the season.
Due to injuries, sickness and a climate change protest, the varsity team was down five players for this important early-season match. The absences made it difficult early on as Vashon adjusted to new players in new positions and a new midfield tactical formation. However, freshmen Butler, Gross Vera Moses and Hanifa Kidr all occasionally found themselves on the field at the same time and helped pick up the slack of the missing Pirate players.
CWA got on the scoreboard first with an unlikely 30-yard floater that found the upper right corner of Vashon’s net. With about 15 minutes left in the first half the Pirates strung together a nice run of passes, which took speedy sophomore Wilke down the left-wing of the field. Senior striker Adams joined her, took a pass and quickly centered it into the box, where sophomore center midfielder Franki Brown drilled it home to tie the score at 1-1.
In the second half, the Pirates’ focus on conditioning in the second half as began to wear down the Terriers on their home pitch. The Pirates repeatedly strung together passes, which wore down a weary CWA team even more. This created numerous scoring opportunities in the attacking third of the field for Vashon, and it wasn’t long before Adams juked a defender on the right side and sent a quick pass to Moses, who launched a goal from just inside the top of the box, overhead of the Charles Wright keeper for a 2-1 lead. A short time later Adams landed another one into the back of the net. Final score: Vashon 3, CWA 1
The Pirates also played Orting at home on Sept. 17; the Pirates lost the game, 1-0.
— Karson Brown is the mother of a Pirate soccer player.
