By GREG MARTIN

For The Beachcomber

Last Wedensday, the Vashon Vultures took on Bellarmine Prep in their first game of the season.

As a club sport, the league definition is different than for the school sports. Bellarmine, nonetheless, is a larger school and typically has a strong team. Vashon fields a team this year with just one senior, quality in players in each class and strength in numbers. Prior to the game, senior Eliot Carleton and junior Dawit Tuller-Ross both alluded to a strong off-season work ethic this year, especially among the younger players, and a hope that although they were a young team, they would play well. Both noted they wanted to keep their streak of winning the league going, having won that the last two years. Coupled with that is a desire to go farther into the state playoffs this year.

Chris Nye, father of junior Carson Nye, and I recorded a broadcast of the game, and a podcast will be forthcoming once edited. From our vantage point, we noticed quickly that the team was in mid-season form. Passes were crisp, and player movement off the ball was effective. They played together as a team. One great addition is new lacrosse player Kellen Riley, who has quickly earned the role of taking the face-offs. This is a specific skill requiring quickness and guile. By dominating the face-offs, Vashon had plenty of time with the ball on offense. The team quickly moved out to a solid lead, and by halftime it was 7-2. Bellarmine came back hard in the second half, and by the end of the third quarter, the score was 9-7. With a key goal,Vashon took a 10-7 lead and then held onto the ball, slowed the game and ground out a solid win. Carleton led the scoring, and notably there were four goals contributed by three different freshman players: Paris Brown with two, Kiryk Mozeleski with one and Calvin McMillan with one. Sophomore Max Schira was a strong presence, leading the attack with Carleton and adding a goal, as did Tuller-Ross, who sets the bar for work ethic and skill in the midfield.

On Saturday, the team met South Kitsap in the second game of the season. South Kitsap is an expansion team this year (splitting the Kitsap program into two as lacrosse continues its rapid growth on the West Coast). They played with early season form, while the Vashon team started where they left off against Bellarmine. The game was effectively over by halftime, and the final score was 18-3. Carleton had eight goals, and the team chose to focus on possession rather than shots for the final eight minutes of the game. Freshman defender Mason Rice played well, and on one memorable play, made a defensive stop followed by a run up the midfield, ending with a beautiful assist to Carleton. Mozeleski had two highlight reel moments for goals, when he beat two defensemen with one “toe drag” move, resulting in a goal, and another where he dodged first one defender then another. With a third defender charging his left side, he did a behind-the-back shot over his right shoulder for his third goal of the match.

It is harder to provide highlights for the defense because they made it look easy. Nye, Jack Kelley, Rice and keeper Duncan McMillan provided a nearly impenetrable force, with help from the midfield, including the return of freshman Adrian St.Germain. Already a national champion wrestler, he is quickly making an impact with his relentless defense.

— Greg Martin is the father of a lacrosse player.