Tuesday, Sept. 21, the MIHS Girls Varsity soccer team secured a well-earned victory of 4-2 against Interlake High School.
The Islanders came into the game with an overall record of 1-3, after losing against Lake Washington a week earlier. This game brought their record to 2-3.
“I was pretty happy with the way this [game] worked, and I think going into the next game, we’ll be even better.” Coach James Valles said.
The game started off strong, with each team giving it their all. The Islanders made several solid attempts to score, falling just short of the goal. Interlake scored first, but Caley Newcomer tied it up, ending the first half 1-1.
Throughout the second half, Mercer Island showed more grit. Katie Pedersen scored another goal, putting the Islanders in the lead. With this positive energy, the Islanders earned two more goals.
Interlake scored the last goal of the game, but they were not able to overtake Mercer Island’s lead.
The Islanders celebrated in spirit after the game, congratulating each other and taking a group photo. Many fans in the student section happily cheered them on.
“Part of doing something new is that you have to see it work,” Valles said. “Tonight, we saw it work, and we were able to identify some of the areas where we need to improve.”
Although the team played well, Valles still has a few suggestions for improvement, such as working on advancing their lead earlier instead of waiting until the second half.
“If our opportunities are that early in the game, eventually [that victory] is going to come,” Valles said. “If we can get an early lead, that makes the rest of the game much easier.”
The Islanders will play their next game at home against Liberty, Thursday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m.
