Coupeville Sports

   Maddy Hilkey was one of three Coupeville booters to score in a shoot-out Thursday, lifting the Wolves to a big win at Port Townsend. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Coach long enough and you’ll see just about everything.

But after what he witnessed Thursday, Coupeville High School girls soccer guru Kyle Nelson could only utter three words.

“Crazy game tonight.”

But, it was a crazy game his team won, so he said the words with a smile on his face.

Playing on the road at Port Townsend, the Wolves managed to lose a three-goal lead in the late going, ended regulation tied 4-4, then survived two scoreless overtime periods before winning 3-2 in a shoot-out.

The victory was huge, as it lifts Coupeville to 3-1 in Olympic League play, pulling them within a game of Klahowya (4-0) and providing a major cushion over Port Townsend (1-3) and Chimacum (0-4).

The Wolves, who have finished second in the four-team league three straight years, now own a tiebreaker over the RedHawks, having beaten Port Townsend twice in as many meetings.

That’s huge, as the #2 team from the Olympic League gets a home playoff game, which, for Coupeville, would be at Oak Harbor’s stadium.

Facing a different Port Townsend team than the one they rolled 8-0 two weeks ago (four RedHawks who were AWOL the first time around had returned), the Wolves were limping a bit.

Junior Lindsey Roberts, the heart of the team, is dealing with a leg injury, while leading scorer Kalia Littlejohn twisted her ankle late in the game.

Fab frosh Genna Wright rose to the occasion, raining down a pair of goals, her sixth and seventh on the season, as Coupeville built a 4-1 lead in the first half.

Ema Smith and Mallory Kortuem also scored for the Wolves, then “things took a turn in the second half.”

With the momentum all on the side of the host RedHawks, CHS had its back to the wall, but refused to break.

After battling through a pair of five-minute overtime periods, Coupeville found itself involved in a shoot-out for the first time in 2017.

It was a tense battle, going six rounds, with Wolf goalie Sarah Wright keeping her squad alive with “a couple of nice saves.”

Given a reprieve, the CHS shooters prevailed, with Lauren Bayne, Genna Wright and Maddy Hilkey torching the RedHawk net-minder to seal the win.