Coupeville Sports

Xavier Murdy set up a Coupeville goal Tuesday, picking up an assist on a score by Cael Wilson. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It’s a perfect time to learn under fire.

The Coupeville High School boys soccer team is closing the season with back-to-back road games against the top two squads in the Northwest 2B/1B League.

With the Wolves out of playoff contention, and only three players set to depart — seniors Xavier Murdy and Tony Garcia and exchange student Miguel Puente — CHS coach Robert Wood plans to give his younger booters plenty of playing time in the final moments.

Tuesday afternoon, with a rainbow taking the place of the rain which poured down earlier in the day, Coupeville went toe-to-toe with defending league champs Orcas Island.

And, while the Wolves fell 6-1, Wood was able to give his bench a chance to play the entire second half.

“Crushing defeat, but we had fun,” he said. “Orcas is #1 or #2 and they certainly were tonight.”

The loss drops Coupeville to 4-9 on the season, while the Vikings rise to 12-2, a half-game off of Providence Classical Christian (11-1), which welcomes the Wolves to Bothell for the Oct. 28 regular-season finale.

Tuesday’s lone CHS goal came courtesy of a thrilling wham-bam-bam play.

The Wolves sent a corner kick screaming for the net, where Xavier Murdy went high to collect the ball with his head and deflect it towards pay-dirt.

When the ball hit the post, denying X-Man, it popped right to freshman Cael Wilson, who punched it in for his first goal of the season, and second of his prep pitch career.