Vikings soccer on eight-game winning streak

October 15, 2024 1:30 am
Cienna Richardson photo. Andrzej “Andre” Kasperski during the game against MVC. Behind him is Viking Hayes Richardson and far right is Demetrio Salinas-Cruz.
Cienna Richardson photo. Andrzej “Andre” Kasperski during the game against MVC. Behind him is Viking Hayes Richardson and far right is Demetrio Salinas-Cruz.

by Declan O’Malley

Sounder contributor

Orcas Island High School soccer continues to surge ahead this season with an electric eight-game winning streak.

OIHS has not lost a match since Sept. 13 against state powerhouse Saint Georges from the Spokane area. The Vikings’ recent victories were earned from solid wins against Grace Academy in Marysville and Mount Vernon Christian High School.

The Vikings had their second double-digit goal-scoring match of the season against Grace Academy on Oct. 8. The Vikings netted five goals in the first half, two of which were scored in the first five minutes, and followed the first frame, scoring an onslaught with a six-goal second half to secure an 11-1 victory.

In their next match, the Vikings faced off against MVC on Oct. 11. The first match between the two sides earlier this season yielded a hard-fought 1-0 win for OIHS. The result would be different in this match as the Vikings found their offensive touch and would win 4-1.

OIHS scored at the 15th-minute mark and used that momentum to keep their foot on the gas. They added another to take an early 2-0 lead before adding a third goal just before halftime off a long-range attack.

“It was a perfect day for soccer as we faced Mount Vernon Christian on our home field. We played aggressively, creating several scoring opportunities,” said captain Demetrio Salinas-Cruz.

The Vikings added another goal in the second half, and MVC mustered just one goal in the second half of the game.

“We played MVC a couple of weeks ago, and it was a much closer game. We didn’t play badly, but we beat them 1-0. this last game is so special because we can see just how much we improved as a team in such a short amount of time,” said Romero Lago.

Up next

• October 15 at Friday Harbor High School, 3 p.m. kickoff

The Vikings will travel to take on 2-3 Friday Harbor High School. Friday Harbor High School is coming off a 7-1 loss to Lopez High School.

• October 18 vs. Lopez High School, 3:30 p.m. The Vikings will host Lopez High School. The Lobos have had a historic season and boast a 5-0 record.

Cienna Richardson contributed to this story.