Vashon’s boys soccer season concluded last week, when the team won its final two matches, defeating Life Christian and Eatonville. The last three games of the season were all victories, which brought the Pirate record to dead even — eight wins and eight losses for the year.

With 24 overall points in the 1A Nisqually League, Vashon finished sixth in the league under the direction of head coach Sergei Serebryakov.

In the last varsity game on May 1, against Life Christian, the final score of 5-1 was a capstone in the confidence that had been building throughout the season.

The game, which was also senior night, featured the depth of experienced players, since there are nine seniors on the roster.

The game got underway when senior Tanner Montague fed a ball up the middle to senior forward Sean O’Neil, who scored at just three minutes in. A second goal materialized after the ball was passed by senior Matt Swope to O’Neil, who bounced it into the net.

As the game headed into the second half, with a score of 2-1, the Pirates intended to keep momentum and succeeded when junior Ariel Henriquez scored on an assist by senior midfielder George Silagi.

The final two goals of the game came from sophomore Austyn Heit with an assist by junior midfielder Peter Amick.

Goalie Ben Stemer was elemental in defusing any more attempts from Life Christian, and the game ended with a final score of 5-1.  The team’s seniors and their families were acknowledged with flowers at the halftime, and everyone enjoyed the tradition of finishing the evening with a potluck meal on the field.

At the match at Eatonville on April 29, the Pirates finished equally strong, also scoring five goals to the opponent’s one. However, at the half the Pirates were only up 1-0 (goal by Heit). Action ramped up after the 65th minute of play, when scoring opportunities resulted in fast passing, and collective teamwork resulted in three goals by O’Neil (including a penalty kick) and a fine goal by junior Jack Brenner on an assist by Amick.

The Pirates’ season was marred by significant injuries that were a contributing factor to the team’s ability to consistently perform at its collective best. But despite some shortfalls, the team’s last three victories were a sweet ending to quite a competitive season.

— Karen O’Neil is a longtime Pirate soccer volunteer and the mother of a senior player.