Vashon Island Excessive Faculty boys soccer will carry their profitable streak into the state playoffs.
The Pirates, who haven’t misplaced a sport since March and accomplished an undefeated run by Class 1A Nisqually League play final week, added a 1A West Central District championship Thursday night time in Tacoma with one other convincing victory.
Two days after posting an 8-1 win over league rival Cascade Christian within the district semifinals, Vashon Island shut out Bellevue Christian, 5-0, in one other spectacular efficiency within the title sport at Lincoln Bowl.
The Pirates (16-2) managed possession a lot of the approach, and despatched a number of photographs into the field all through the competition, but it surely wasn’t till the closing minutes of the primary half that they lastly broke a scoreless tie to take a lead they by no means misplaced.
“We actually simply needed to be affected person about it,” freshman ahead Lewis Thompson stated.
Within the thirty seventh minute, Pirates sophomore Rowan Marceau-Roache dribbled previous a Vikings defender on the left facet, and despatched in a shot that deflected off Bellevue Christian’s goalkeeper. Junior Ellis Cudaback then knocked the rebound into the again of the web to present Vashon Island the decisive 1-0 benefit.
That was the primary of three objectives for the Pirates — who despatched a midfielder ahead in the course of the half to create extra stress — in a five-minute stretch of sport time.
“As soon as we moved the additional attacker up, we simply began placing the ball behind the web, and that was the distinction,” Vashon Island coach Scott Nicolino stated.
Moments after the primary purpose, Marceau-Roache tapped in a second purpose on an extended cross to present the Pirates a 2-0 benefit heading into the break.
Thompson — Vashon Island’s scoring chief this spring — added a hat trick within the second half, scoring within the forty second, 59th and sixty fourth minutes to place the lead out of attain.
Thompson scored the primary off a rebound on a blocked shot, and despatched the ultimate two previous the goalkeeper from about 10 yards out.
“Simply nice teamwork to get it in there within the first place, and I used to be simply on the proper place on the proper time,” he stated of the three objectives.
The win was Vashon Island’s third in opposition to the league rival Vikings — who beat the Pirates within the district championship sport final season — and secures their spot within the 1A state bracket for a fourth consecutive season.
The Pirates received this system’s first state title in 2019 earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the following two tournaments, and superior to the primary spherical final season. This spring, they are going to look to make one other run with each skilled returners and gifted newcomers.
“Final yr we made it to the state event, we received the primary sport after which misplaced the second in Wenatchee,” Nicolino stated. “This yr, we’ve bought loads of improbable seniors, however we’ve additionally bought an inflow of actually good freshmen.”
The Pirates, who’ve now received every of their previous 12 matches, posted their tenth shutout of the season in Thursday night time’s win, and are outscoring opponents, 80-17, this spring.
“We’re completely balanced, actually from the entrance to the again,” Nicolino stated.
Thompson famous the Pirates’ teamwork as a key to their success this spring.
“We’re such an excellent workforce, and we’ve got a fantastic bond as effectively,” Thompson stated. “And we’re actually good about protecting possession and protecting level-headed.”
Bellevue Christian (9-5-2) will play Life Christian (10-5-2) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Franklin Pierce Stadium in a winner-to-state, loser-out sport. The Vikings beat the Eagles, 2-1, within the semifinals Tuesday and the 2 applications break up in the course of the common season.
Life Christian edged Cascade Christian, 3-2, at Lincoln Bowl in a loser-out contest earlier Thursday night to advance to Saturday’s state play-in sport.
The Pirates now wait to seek out out who their first-round opponent can be within the state bracket, which begins subsequent week. Qualifying groups can be seeded by WIAA committee.
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