The Mercer Island girls soccer team won its first KingCo title last night after defeating Bellevue, 3-1. It is the team’s first title since the 2002 season.
“This is quiet an amazing achievement, it really is,” said head coach Adam Gervis following the win. “This is our first and the first of many. We knew we just had to get the job done.” The team, which played its final home game last Tuesday, has one match left in the regular season: Interlake on Thursday night. After an overtime loss to Liberty last Thursday, the team is 9-2 in league and 11-3-1 overall.
The night against Bellevue began after Mary Hill snuck a goal into the far right-hand corner of the Bellevue net, assisted by senior Beth Felker in the 20th minute. Bellevue (6-6-1) found a way past Islander goalkeeper Corey Goelz as Jessica Neiman scored an unassisted goal in the 32nd minute of the game to tie the score at one point apiece. Neither team found another opportunity, despite many attempts on both sides during the rest of the first half.
After returning from halftime, a minute into the second 40-minute period, senior captain Erin Bourguignon made a goal, giving Mercer Island the lead. The Islanders had just made a quick downfield sprint and shot the ball, which drew Bellevue’s goalie Alyssa Gilbert out to the middle of the goalie box. The ball was deflected by Gilbert and bounced to Bourguignon, who passed the ball into the goal, slipping past the remaining Bellevue defenders.
From there, Mercer Island never looked back, seeking every chance they could, setting up play after play on the Bellevue half of the field, but the last touch required to connect the plays to a goal was never quite there.
With 10 minutes left to play, Bourguignon battled through the Wolverines’ middle and defensive lines to score an unassisted goal for a Mercer Island 3-1 lead.
The Islanders had a chance to lift it to 4-1, with 8 minutes left, after a foul in the Bellevue box gave Bourguignon a penalty kick attempt. Her shot sailed high, flying past the top of the Wolverines’ net.
Gervis said one of the team’s biggest hurdles this season has been sickness and injury, a plague affecting many of the players, including starters.
“Keiko [Stafford] — this is the first I’ve had her on the field since day one, and she’s my starting back,” said Gervis. “When we went to Mount Si, the disappointing thing was we still should have won, but we were so sick. They played with such heart and just played their tails off.”
With the KingCo crown secure, the team can now look toward the state playoffs and rest up a bit, knowing it is on its way.
“We’ll change some things up and get some rest for some players. We’ll start looking ahead; we’ve got three weeks before we start playing state,” he said.
During the win over Bellevue, the team celebrated its seven senior athletes: Ellen Haas, Keiko Stafford, Leah Johnson, Hill, Bourguignon, Rachel Pedreira and Felker.
“They are a special group of young ladies, they really are. They have a place in my heart and will always have a place in my heart because of who they are and what they stand for more than anything else,” said Gervis.
The team’s last game of the regular season will be on Thursday at Interlake.
