Coupeville Sports

Senior goalie Sarah Wright and the CHS girls soccer team kicked off a new season Tuesday in Bellingham. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Right into the fire.

The Coupeville High School girls soccer team has no pushovers on its early-season schedule, and a Wolf team in transition will get a chance to learn quickly against tough competition.

First up was Meridian, which came within a game of making it to the state tourney last season.

The Trojans are already gelling this time around, as they rolled to a season-opening 4-0 win over Coupeville Tuesday in Bellingham.

After absorbing the shutout loss, the Wolves head back to Whidbey, where they’ll play three straight.

The home stand starts Thursday, with Friday Harbor, a 2B state quarter-finalist last year, arriving in Cow Town for a 4:30 match-up.

Then comes defending 1A state champs King’s Sept. 11 and always-tough Sultan Sept. 13, as CHS plays its first-ever games in the new North Sound Conference.

Second-year Coupeville girls coach Kyle Nelson, who led his team to a program-record eight wins last year, came away from the opening day loss with eyes set firmly on the long view.

“We lost, but it gave us a look against a good team and areas we will be looking to improve,” he said. “With many new players, and players in new positions, it was a first chance to start figuring out our system and changes that will need to be made.”