Coupeville Sports

   Wolf freshman Knight Arndt scored her first varsity goal Thursday at Port Angeles. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

“We came out a stronger team.”

Playing on the road, without one of its key players, against a very good, and very large, 2A school, the Coupeville High School girls soccer squad learned under fire Thursday night.

And while the Wolves suffered a 9-3 setback at the hands of Port Angeles, CHS coach Kyle Nelson emerged from the experience unbowed.

“A tough opponent tonight, with a tough first half,” he said. “We came back and played a much better second half.

“We look at these games as opportunities to improve,” he added. “And we figured out a few things tonight.”

The loss drops Coupeville to 6-5, but the Wolves still sit a tidy 4-1 in 1A Olympic League play.

With Port Townsend (1-4) falling to Klahowya (5-0) Thursday in a league tilt, the Wolves are three games up with four to play in the race for second place in conference play.

Another bright spot against Port Angeles was the continued emergence of players with a strong  scoring touch.

Freshman Knight Arndt became the ninth Wolf to tally a goal this season when she scored on “a nice back post run.”

Coupeville’s other two goals came on free kicks from senior captain Sage Renninger.

With the three-goal night, the Wolves raised their season total to 39 scores.

There are at least six games left on the schedule and CHS is coming up fast on last year’s team, which scored a program-record 47 goals while going 8-7-1.

Coupeville will have to go the rest of the way, though, without splendid junior midfielder/defender Lindsey Roberts, the team’s third-leading scorer.

She’s out with a tendon injury which requires wearing an ankle brace, icing three times a day, limited flexing, plenty of anti-imflammatories and a month’s rest.

While her own soccer season is done, Roberts is remaining with the team to cheer on her teammates and hopes to heal before basketball season.

Coupeville’s goal scorers:

Kalia Littlejohn 15
Genna Wright 8
Lindsey Roberts 4
Sage Renninger 3
Avalon Renninger 2
Ema Smith 2
Knight Arndt 1
Lauren Bayne 1
Mallory Kortuem 1

Own goals by opposing teams 2