Coupeville Sports

   Coupeville girls soccer coach Kyle Nelson and his senior captains, Lauren Bayne (left) and Sage Renninger. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Goal one — score a goal.

Goal two — win a game.

While the Coupeville High School boys soccer team has been to state twice, in 2009 and 2010, the school’s female booters have yet to taste playoff victory.

At any level.

Some will argue that point, correctly stating that an Oak Harbor/Coupeville girls soccer team beat Curtis and North Kitsap in 1994, made the state semifinals and finished fourth in 3A.

But, while the top two players on that unified team, Marnie Bartelson and Amanda Allmer, were the only Wolves to play, everything else gives OHHS ample reason to claim the award as their own.

The squad wore Oak Harbor uniforms, played at Oak Harbor’s field, were coached by an Oak Harbor employee and all the bills were paid for by Oak Harbor Athletic Director Jeff Stone, as he is quick to remind us.

Since CHS started its own soccer program, footing its own bills and playing in red, white and black, and not Wildcat purple and gold, no playoff wins.

In fact, at least over the past eight seasons, the Wolves have yet to score a playoff goal.

Three losses to Meridian, two to Vashon Island, one each to Lynden Christian and Charles Wright Academy and one year with no postseason. Add it all up and Coupeville is staring at a 20-0 deficit.

The goal Saturday afternoon, when the Wolves kick off the 2017 postseason against Vashon, is to change that narrative.

As the #2 seed from the Olympic League, Coupeville will host its playoff opener, though the state’s requirements that postseason games be played on turf requires a short bus ride first.

The particulars:

What: District 3 girls soccer playoff game.

Where: Wildcat Memorial Stadium in Oak Harbor (1 Wildcat Way), which is covered and seats 3,000.

When: Saturday, Oct. 28 (1 PM kickoff)

$8 Adults/Non-ASB
$5 Students with ASB
$5 Sr. Citizens (62+)
$4 Elementary

At stake: Winner advances to face Nisqually League champ Bellevue Christian (a team Coupeville beat earlier this season) Oct. 31.

That game starts the double-elimination round of districts, from which two of four teams qualify for state.

Lose Saturday and your season is done.

The bracket:

http://www.olympicleague.com/tournament.php?tournament_id=2402&sport=11

Records: Coupeville is 8-8, Vashon is 8-6-1

Rankings: Coupeville is #30 in 1A on MaxPreps, #164 in the state. Vashon is #19 and #108.

Goal differential: Coupeville has been outscored 54-43, while CWA outgunned its foes 47-23.

Coaches: Kyle Nelson (CHS) vs. Scott Nicolino (Vash)

Student body: In the 2016-2020 WIAA classification counts, Coupeville had 227 students, making it the sixth-smallest 1A school. Vashon had 429.13, making it the fourth-biggest.

Mascots: Wolves (CHS) vs. Pirates (Vash)

Seniors: Coupeville has two (Sage Renninger, Lauren Bayne) while Vashon carries three (Emme Osborne, Paris Crispin, Lizzy Sutherland)

Common foes: Three (Bellevue Christian, Chimacum, Port Townsend).

Coupeville is 7-0 against that trio, with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over BC their defining game of the season. Vashon is 2-2, having lost twice to BC in Nisqually League play.