Anna Dion and CHS soccer hosts Sultan Thursday, with a playoff berth on the line. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Mallory Kortuem, being smooched on by mom Heather, scored her second goal of the season Wednesday night as Coupeville celebrated Senior Night.
They’re coming back for at least one encore, and maybe two.
Despite falling 6-1 to visiting Granite Falls Wednesday in a rough-and-tumble, yellow card-filled bout on Senior Night, the Coupeville High School girls soccer team hasn’t played its final game on its home turf.
The loss, combined with Sultan being blanked 3-0 by Cedar Park Christian, leaves Coupeville tied with the Turks for the final playoff berth from the North Sound Conference.
The Wolves (1-9 in league play, 1-12-2 overall) host Sultan (1-9, 1-13-2) Thursday at 5 PM in a tie-breaker game.
Free to the public, the rumble will run half the length of a normal game, with two 20-minute halves.
If the teams are tied at the end of regulation, there will be up to two five-minute sudden-death overtime periods, with a penalty-kick shootout at the end if we’re still knotted up.
The loser is done for the season, while the winner advances to host a district play-in playoff game Saturday.
That game would be at 1 PM, would also be free, and would feature Mount Baker as the opponent.
If Coupeville survives playing both Sultan and Baker, it advances to face the #3 team from the North Sound Conference, either CPC (5-5, 8-6) or Granite (5-5, 8-7), in another loser-out game Monday, Oct. 28.
Every playoff game from Monday on would be a road game for the Wolves, with admission charged.
Wednesday marked the end of the regular season for NSC soccer teams, with previously undefeated South Whidbey “Cougin’ it” and losing 2-0 at King’s to blow its shot at winning an uncontested league title.
The Falcons (9-1, 13-1-1) and Knights (9-1, 12-4) tie for the title, with each having won 2-0 on their home turf.
While that game was for the title, Coupeville’s tilt on the pitch was a much-more emotional affair, as the Wolves honored their five seniors.
Avalon Renninger, Mallory Kortuem, Anna Dion, Tia Wurzrainer, and Natalie Hollrigel were showered with praise, applause, and hugs, while Sherry Roberts read their farewell notes to a packed crowd.
Full of good will for all, the Wolves then hit the field, only to run into one of the rougher teams it has played this season.
As the battle raged on, players from both sides went down (though no one seemed to suffer any permanent injuries) and the refs spent a decent amount of time waving yellow cards, even handing one out to ultra-cool CHS coach Kyle Nelson.
Granite Falls broke a scoreless tie a little over 10 minutes into the game, winning a one-on-one battle, as a Tiger came crashing in hot and pegged a ball just out of the reach of Wolf goalie Mollie Bailey.
The Coupeville junior, hitting her stride again after returning from an earlier shoulder injury, did her best to combat frequent shots on goals, deflecting balls from all angles.
One play, on which Bailey slid to her right and punched the ball away as it came zinging towards her head, was especially sweet, and earned a roar from the pro-Wolf crowd.
The visitors had the magic touch, however, and knocked in two more goals late in the first half to take a 3-0 lead into the locker room.
With the margin mushrooming out to 5-0, Coupeville got a trio of second-half highlights from Kortuem, which put a more-positive spin on things.
The speedy Wolf star blasted in her second goal of the season, and sixth of her career, to get Coupeville on the board, then she got defensive.
Kortuem first blew up a rival in the open field, dumping a hapless Tiger on her rear, before pulling off a sensational save.
With a Granite player WAY, WAY ahead of her and making a mad dash at the goal, the school record holder in the 400 hit the jets, came flying in like a runaway missile, slid, and deftly knocked the ball free at the last second.
The crowd’s first reaction was stunned silence, as their brains tried to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
Then the stadium rocked, waves of adulation rolling down for Kortuem, one of the best to ever wear the Wolf uniform.
While Coupeville’s coach prefers to focus on team accomplishments instead of singling out players, he was willing to shower some praise on his pack of seniors after the game.
“They’ve been awesome, stepped up and become true leaders of this team,” Nelson said. “Each has been successful in their own way and brought their own talents, and it’s made for a very cohesive team, and one which has had a lot of fun.”
Fun which isn’t over just yet.
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