By GARY MEANS
For The Beachcomber
The girls high school soccer team played the tough Orting Cardinals to an overtime draw last Tuesday, and on Thursday they defeated the Life Christian Eagles 4-3 in rematches with teams that had overcome the Pirates earlier this season.
The Cardinals opened the scoring after a hard shot (initially blocked by Pirate keeper Sophie Nespor) rebounded to the feet of a Cardinal striker for an easy put-away goal.
The Pirates answered the Cardinal goal quickly. Junior striker Teal Sigler sustained a hard foul by the Cardinal keeper that led to a Vashon penalty kick. Kiki Means buried the kick just right of the keeper to even the score at 1-1.
The Cardinals opened the second half scoring with the only breakaway goal of the game, taking a 2-1 lead.
But Vashon’s defense began to control the game behind the hustling play of outside defender Katie Chale and the strong center defense of Anna Jones and Brooke Pringle.
The pressure paid off when exchange student Sophia Florian was left unmarked at the top the box, playing a left-footed ball into the lower right of the goal to even the score.
Regulation play ended at 2 goals apiece, and neither team scored in the overtime.
“This is the best we have looked all season,” said coach Paul Beytebiere.
On Thursday against Life Christian, Vashon opened the scoring early as sophomore Carlyle Scott placed a near-perfect throw-in to the feet of Means, whose powerful one-touch strike from inside the 18 cleared the Eagle keeper.
Florian played a role in the next three Pirate scoring opportunities, just missing a header from a free kick and a subsequent volley off a corner.
Florian’s efforts finally paid off with an assist on a through-ball played to Cat Amick, whose left- footed goal gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
Vashon dominated first half play with a free kick goal from 30 yards by Sigler and an additional unassisted goal from Amick.
The Eagles’ lone score of the half resulted from a point-blank volley of an uncleared free kick.
The Eagles scored twice on corner-kick headers in the second half, but the Pirates held on for a 4-3 win.
Vashon’s last home game is slated for Oct. 28 against Charles Wright. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
— Gary Means is a soccer dad.
