After an unsteady beginning, the U-17 Islander soccer team played a strong second half to defeat visiting Vashon Island 7-3 Sunday, Oct. 19.

The win lifted the Islanders into first place.

“We played a pretty sloppy game and seemed to be out of sync,” coach Curtis Vieke said. “We put things together in the second half and took a convincing win.”

Blustery winds played a role in the uneven play but also produced a boost for the Islanders. It helped carry one of goalkeeper Austin Moncada’s punts the length of the field for a goal.

Keagan Snell and Kurtis Zylstra each scored twice, and Chaz Purdy and Jordan Shelley tallied once.

The Islanders head to Puyallup for a their next match Sunday, Oct. 26.