The Pirate girls are going to the State Soccer Tournament.
Vashon High School’s girls qualified for State with a nail-biter 4-3 shootout win over the Orting Cardinals Tuesday evening. The Pirates were the designated “host” team for the Tri-District qualifying game played on Orting’s home field. Vashon’s grass field does not meet standards for post-season play so the Cardinals’ year-old synthetic turf field was the designated location for the round of playoffs.
Orting jumped to a 2-0 lead when Acacia Johnson punched in two goals within a two-minute stretch midway in the first half. Cat Amick put Vashon on the board with a heads-up shot just before half time.
Carlyle Scott tied it for the Pirates early in the second half, then, with just over two minutes to go, she put Vashon ahead 3-2. As the clock wound down it looked like the Pirates were headed to State, but the Cardinels’ Johnson struck again with 17.8 seconds left in regular time, tying the game.
Neither team could score in the two five-minute “golden goal” overtime periods and the game went to a shootout with each team alternating shots on goal from the penalty spot.
Denise Griffith made the first shot for Vashon. Orting’s first shot missed. Amick buried her shot and Orting’s second kicker did the same. Lena DeGuzman made number three for the Pirates and the Cardinals’ matched it.
Olivia Andrus had to shoot twice when the referee called her first shot back, so she made the second try and Vashon was up 4-2 with Orting having two more tries to Vashon’s one.
The Orting kicker shot just under the bar and Pirate goalkeeper Larissa Kuhns leaped up to tip the ball over the top, giving Vashon an entry to State.
On Thursday the Pirates played the first of two seeding games at King’s High School. Vashon drew District 2 champion and defending state champion Seattle Academy Cardinals.
The Pirates held the Cardinals scoreless in the first half but couldn’t stop their powerful attack in the second half. Seattle Academy scored three times in the second half.
Vashon avoided a shutout when DeGuzman was brought down 30 yards short of the goal line in added time. DeGuzman took the free kick and placed the ball perfectly just under the bar near the far post to make the final score Seattle Academy 3, Vashon 1.
Vashon plays the loser of Thursday’s Seattle Christian-Bush game for third and fourth seed to State at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at King’s. Seattle Academy plays the Seattle Christian winner at 3 p.m. for first and second seed.
Orting lost another shootout to University Prep and was eliminated from the competition.
