by Declan O’Malley
Sounder sports contributor
The Orcas Island Vikings’ soccer team is atop the Washington high school soccer world after securing the 2B/1B State Championship with a 2-0 victory over Lopez Island High School.
“We had played Lopez twice already this year, splitting games with them in the regular season and in the district final. Lopez deserves a lot of credit for coming such a long way since last year, and they’ve had a great season… the best in years, or even decades, that I remember,” said Orcas Head Coach Terry Turner.
Orcas Island High School claimed the state title after defeating their inter-island rival 2-0 in the championship match. The Vikings were welcomed home on Nov. 23 with a parade and gathering in town.
The Vikings’ first goal came in the opening half when Romero Lago scored off a corner kick. The second goal came in the second half, also off a set-piece corner from team captain Demetrio Salinas-Cruz.
The State Championship caps off an impressive season for the Vikings, who won 17 straight games after a season-opening loss. OIHS’ second season loss came in November when they fell to Lopez in the District Championship.
“This is a very talented team with exceptional ball handlers, brave defenders, and highly practiced and refined teamwork and tactics,” Turner said. “The players’ dedication and commitment over the years really showed. Both as individuals and as a team, we witnessed marked improvement since last year and throughout this season, all the way to the culminating state final.”
After the game, the Vikings celebrated on the field, and their captain took a bit to soak it all in and what the title meant.
“As we celebrated on the field, it wasn’t just about the victory, it was about the journey. We had faced adversity, learned from our losses, and came out stronger because of it,” said Salinas-Cruz. “Beating Lopez Island in the state game was more than just a win, it was a testament to our growth as a team and a reflection of the dedication and effort we’d put in all season long. We had turned the page on our previous encounters, and in the end, we were the ones standing tall. I can’t express with words how proud I am of all these kids. I’m more than happy that this was my team for my senior year. Thank you, guys.”
After the match, Lopez Coach Mycha Kraushaar reflected on the significance of her team’s performance in the title game.
“I wouldn’t change a thing about how we played the game, and I know they’re feeling pretty proud of how they represented their community, too,” Kraushaar said. She’s excited to see how the experience will impact local soccer in the future. “The impact on the community and overall, on the program, was massive,” she added. “And while it might not happen immediately, I’d expect to see Lopez showing up as a veritable opponent in the years to come, and it’s entirely thanks to the momentum of this junior and senior class.”
Vikings advanced to final with 4-1 win over Providence
The Vikings reached the final after defeating league-rival Providence Classical Christian 4-1 in the semifinals.
“Once again, in our game this evening, we faced stiff gusts of wind coming from the south end of the stadium,” Turner said. “We had to play into the wind in the first half, which meant playing the ball on the ground. We connected passes and had 7 shots on target to our opponent’s 0 shots, but we went into halftime 0-0. The Providence goalkeeper made many exceptional saves.”
Four Viking players scored in the semifinals: Joaquin Shanks-Moraels, Sam Vaccarella, Romero Lago and Kristian Freeman.
The State Championship caps off a tremendous run for Orcas Island, which has recently seen two state titles and two runner-up finishes.
Player quote was contributed by Cienna Richardson.
