Coupeville Sports

Luke Pelant and his team have played strongly in 2013, but can’t seem to catch a break. (John Fisken photo)

It probably wouldn’t be as frustrating if they were bad.

If the Coupeville High School boys’ soccer squad was being blown out 15-0 every game, you would accept it and move on. But this is a team with talent, a team led by veterans who have had quite a bit of success the past few seasons.

So, being unable to catch a break, any break, this season, has to be frustrating.

Case in point, Friday night, as the Wolves battled a very good Lakewood team through a scoreless 80 minutes, then through overtime, before falling at the very end of a rainy night by that most arbitrary of soccer endings, the shootout.

The loss drops Coupeville to 0-10 on the season, 0-9 in Cascade Conference play, and is the sixth time this season the Wolves have been denied by a single goal.

CHS coach Paul Mendes remained upbeat, even in the face of a universe seemingly bent on shafting his team.

“We are continuing to close the gap,” Mendes said. “If we keep working hard, some breaks will come our way…”

Facing off with a Cougar team that improved to 7-2-2, Coupeville put together one of its better offensive games, but couldn’t get the soccer gods to open the net just an inch or two more.

Nathan Lamb, returning from an injury, had a nice look at the net in the first half but the Lakewood goalie snared the ball.

In the second half, the Wolves pressed hard, with Luke Pelant pulling a header just wide of the left post, before Nathan Kircher split two defenders and fed Josh Wilsey, only to have Wilsey’s shot deflected at the last second.

In the shootout, Wolf goalie Kole Kellison came up big, but Lakewood goalie Sam Roe did him one better, denying Coupeville a win in front of their rain-soaked fans.

The Wolves have six regular season games left on their schedule, with three next week. They travel to South Whidbey Tuesday, April 16, before hosting Friday Harbor Wednesday and Sultan Friday.