The 2024 annual Ryan Krug Memorial Cup was played under a sunny skies in a fortunate break in the weather last week, between the BU19 (boys under 19) Vashon Island Soccer Club (VISC) team coached by Shanti Escovedo and a motley group of adults coached by John Coghlan.

Each year, this soccer match gives the community a chance to remember and honor the late Ryan Belknap Krug, son of Rich and Rose Krug, who tragically died in a car accident in 2013. The game, played this year on November 17, is a fundraiser for the Ryan Krug Memorial Scholarship fund.

The adults, all men this year, compete for roster slots and starting positions on their team through donations. The top eleven bidders become the starters. The adults raised more than $3,000 this year, and the highest adult bidder this year was Richard Rivas, with a contribution of $360.

Each year, the donations help the Krugs award scholarships to two soccer players — a boy and a girl — and to a musician.

This year, Kevin Wing officiated the game, which saw a formidable adult team take on a speedy youth team.

“We knew that we would struggle in the midfield, so the game plan was to attack on the wings and switch the field through our back line,” coach Escovedo said.

The plan seemed to work through most of the first half as the boys attacked in waves. A speed advantage on the outside allowed them to pressure Rivas, playing keeper, until eventually #23 Charlie Walker broke free on a run across the top of box and blasted in a ball that even Rivas couldn’t stop. The boys continued their control of the game and got their second goal a few minutes before halftime. The men had a loose touch in transition just above the box, which was quickly picked off and passed to Isaac Newcomb, who pivoted and laced a goal in near the post.

Fine-tuning the team at halftime helped the adults turn the tide on the field.

“We had to make some adjustments at half,” said Coghlan, the adults’ coach. “We moved Richard (Rivas) onto the field and Scott Mentink into goal. That allowed us to put more pressure forward and deny them the switch of play through the back. We also wanted more speed in the midfield, and gave Peter Amick more game time. We could not beat them down the line, so we needed more control in the final third.”

The person who individually raises the most funds gets their name on the trophy, if the adults win. Otherwise, the BU19 team and coach get the etching.

So this year, Rivas had his honor and his family name on the line — and he came out during the second half with a lot of energy. The difference was obvious immediately. With the adults playing a high line, the VISC team had several opportunities to counter attack. But most of those attacks were chased down at the top of the box by Ezra Koenig, again demonstrating his speed and obviously surprising the high school boys.

Mentink was forced into a couple of saves, one requiring a noteworthy scramble (or perhaps a high speed crawl) to gather the ball. The play of the game may have been a header save in the mouth of the goal by the somehow-towering form of Skip Tavokolian. Surviving that goal attempt, the men turned the tide and got their first goal on a nice header by Ryan Hutchinson off a crossbar. This was followed shortly thereafter by a hard shot by Oli Christopherson, which deflected off a defender and lollipopped over the keeper to even things up.

With the game tied 2 to 2, Escovedo adjusted his players for more central control on defense and more speed on the wings, but it was too little and too late.

Christopherson showed again that age has not slowed down his tactical game and scored on a nice turn with a near post shot. The boys poured on the energy to finish and had a couple of opportunities, but nothing got past Mentink, and the game ended 3 to 2 to team Rivas.

The adults adjourned to Colvos for a technical discussion of the game’s merits.

“This is the kind of event that makes me glad to live in a community like ours,” said Escovedo. “Both teams wanted to win, but it was a good natured game and a wonderful way to raise money for a worthy scholarship.”

Next year’s date has not been set yet, but the community should keep an eye out for notifications.

For those who enjoy soccer, it might just be the most fun game of the year on the island.

Greg Martin is the organizer of the Ryan Krug Vashon Cup.