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Archive for the ‘Boys Soccer’ Category

Leyva lads light up the net

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , , on March 26, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Aram Leyva celebrated his birthday by banging home a hat trick Tuesday as Coupeville soccer romped to a 5-1 road win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

First things first – they’re going to the playoffs.

The bracket for the boys soccer district tournament was posted Tuesday, and it shows five teams from the North Sound Conference qualifying, with the other three slots being filled by the Northwest Conference.

With Granite Falls having abandoned its program this year, that guarantees the five NSC schools still playing are all postseason-bound.

So, instead of fighting for a playoff berth, Coupeville will spend the next month vying for seeding and the chance to open the postseason at home.

Or, in the case of the Wolves, close to home up in Oak Harbor, since playoff games have to be contested on turf fields.

Five of eight teams will advance from districts to bi-districts, the last stop before the state tourney.

In any case, having already clinched a playoff ticket takes a certain pressure off of everyone.

Though, with the way the Coupeville booters are playing of late it might not have mattered.

Raining down goals from all sides Tuesday in Bothell, the Wolves battered host Cedar Park Christian 5-1 to claim their third win in their last four games.

Now 2-1 in league play, 4-3 overall, CHS moves into a second-place tie with South Whidbey (1-0, 4-1), a half-game off of league-leader King’s (2-0, 3-1-1).

Sultan (0-1, 0-5) and Cedar Park (0-3, 0-4) round out the Granite-less standings.

Coupeville, which has six regular-season games left, five of them conference bouts, gets a major challenge Friday when it travels down Island to Langley to face South Whidbey.

Tuesday’s game was close for a half, as the Wolves went to the break clinging to a 1-0 lead, thanks to a Derek Leyva score.

Things quickly turned in the second half, however, as birthday boy Aram Leyva ripped off a hat trick, peppering the CPC goaltender for three quick scores.

His cousin, Derek, popped back in to seal the offensive attack, rattling home his second goal of the night.

That leaves the Leyvas tied atop the season scoring stat sheet with nine goals apiece, while Derek hangs on to a 33-28 lead in career scoring.

Both Wolf juniors are hot on the heels of Aram’s older brother, Abraham, who graduated in 2016 with the program career scoring record of 45 goals.

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Rock ’em, sock ’em, knock ’em out

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , on March 22, 2019| Leave a Comment »

A strong defense, led by senior captain Teo Keilwitz, carried Coupeville High School soccer to a 2-0 win Friday night under the lights. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

You want pretty? Probably should have gone to a different game.

Want a victory, garnered by any means necessary? Then you were at the right stadium.

Playing under the lights Friday night, and missing three starters, including their leading scorer, the Coupeville High School boys soccer squad gutted out a 2-0 win over visiting Sultan.

And, in the end, the W, especially with it coming in a league game, is what mattered most.

“We got a win in a game that was a hard fight, and we were able to take advantage of Mother Nature a bit, so that was good,” said CHS coach Kyle Nelson.

“The guys worked hard and deserved the result.”

The win lifts Coupeville to 1-1 in North Sound Conference play, 3-3 overall.

The Wolves sit in third-place in the five-team league, a game off of King’s (2-0, 3-1-1) and a half-game back of South Whidbey (1-0, 4-0).

Sultan (0-1, 0-5) and Cedar Park Christian (0-2, 0-3) round out the standings.

Friday’s clash, played in a persistent, though not overpowering wind, fell on the chippy side.

Sultan has always been a soccer program which seems to pride itself on being physical, and the Wolves got into mini-scraps with the Turks more than once.

A few yellow cards were waved in the air before the clock ran out Friday, but Coupeville dodged any red cards, while controlling play on both sides of the field.

Starting goaltender Dewitt Cole carried a shutout into the second half, while facing only one truly legitimate shot on goal.

The Wolf defense, anchored by scrappers like James Wood, Teo Keilwitz, and Owen Barenburg, kept the Turks bottled up all night, refusing to give their goalie much to worry about.

Until he came down wrong on his leg after a brief bit of action in front of the net and had to exit the game about 10 minutes into the second half.

With his senior goalie stuck on the bench the rest of the way, Nelson turned to freshman Miles Davidson, who entered the game with PA announcer Eryn Wood giving him a rousing intro.

Once on the field, the man known simply as “Turducken” played lights out, making several scrambling saves and putting in a solid half-hour of scoreless ball.

Coupeville had collected both of its goals in the first half, thanks to Sage Downes and Aram Leyva.

Downes slashed in from the left side five minutes into the game, slapping a ball past Sultan’s flailing goalie for his fourth score of the season.

While that would be the only goal the Wolves would really need, Leyva tacked on a bit of insurance right before the half.

The junior captain was awarded a penalty kick in stoppage time and promptly blew the ball past the over-matched Sultan net-minder, who waved at the orb weakly as it shot past his head doing 75 MPH in a 50 zone.

It was Leyva’s sixth goal of the season, and 25th of his career.

The Turks one really good shot (in an 80-minute game) came 15 minutes in, when a sudden, unexpected hole opened in the Wolf defense.

With the ball on his foot, a Sultan player ripped a liner at Cole, only to see the ball clang off the bar and skitter away.

That was the first, last, and only time the Turks would get a clear look at the net, thanks to a Wolf defense which imposed its will.

With starters Derek Leyva, Xavier Murdy, and Chris Cernick unavailable for duty, Nelson gave quality field time to young guns like Aiden Burdge, Dakota Eck, and Andrew Aparicio, and they all responded strongly.

Friday’s win was the last time Wolf fans will see their team play on its home turf for almost a month.

Coupeville’s next five games, which include four league contests, are on the road, and the Wolves don’t return to Mickey Clark Field until Apr. 19.

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Undermanned Wolves push King’s to the brink

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , on March 19, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Derek Leyva notched his seventh score of the season Tuesday, giving his family 100 goals as CHS soccer players. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

No faulting their fight.

Despite playing a man down for almost three-quarters of the game Tuesday night, the Coupeville High School boys soccer squad came within a shot or two of upending perennial power King’s.

But, missing their #2 scorer, junior team captain Aram Leyva, who was given a red card after a scrum, the Wolves fell 2-1 on their home turf.

The loss drops Coupeville to 0-1 in North Sound Conference play, 2-3 overall.

If the red card, which was levied in the game’s 22nd minute, is upheld, Aram Leyva will have to sit out his team’s next game, Friday night at home against Sultan.

But there may be hope.

“We will see,” said CHS head coach Kyle Nelson. “We may appeal depending on what we see on the video.”

Coupeville, coming off a big road win Saturday at Nooksack Valley, drew first blood in its league opener.

Barely two minutes into the game, Derek Leyva bounced a ball over the diving King’s goaltender to put his squad up 1-0.

“Great goal from Derek,” said CHS assistant coach Robert Wood. “Unassisted, moving right to left on top of the 18, a bouncing shot the keeper couldn’t handle.

“Home field advantage there.”

The seventh goal of the season for Derek Leyva, it gives him 31 for his Coupeville prep career, but the score was also a bigger milestone.

When the ball hit the back of the net, it was the 100th goal scored at CHS by a Leyva, with Derek’s tally added to the 45 and 24, respectively, of his cousins, brothers Abraham and Aram.

King’s fought back, literally, with its big bruiser “barreling through our players” while knocking in a header off of a corner kick in the 12th minute.

The Knights added to their rally, taking the lead on a give-and-go play, in which their striker, who Wood favorably compared to Will Bruin of the Sounders, slapped a shot just to the side of Coupeville goalie Dewitt Cole.

Coupeville played the final 18 minutes of the first half, and the entire 40-minute second half down a player, but its defense held up magnificently.

Cole and his back-line mates stood tall, while the Wolves continued to push the ball on King’s side of the field.

“We were able to hold them off for the rest of the game,” Nelson said. “And even had a few good attempts on goal.”

Wood agreed, praising “great saves by Dewitt all the way to the final whistle” and a defense anchored by Sam Wynn, who had an “especially fine effort, tracking everyone and everything.”

Derek Leyva, Teo Keilwitz, and Sage Downes brought the heat up front, but, despite their best efforts, the tying goal would not find its way into the net.

While they wanted a win, Coupeville’s coaches departed the pitch pleased with much of what they saw.

“All heart playing a man down for 60 minutes,” Wood said. “All strength from the back line. All focus from the mids and forwards.

“Really happy with their play and passion,” he added. “Lots to work on, but they’re coming together and understanding what is required.”

Tuesday’s game kicked off a four-game run of league games for the Wolves.

After Friday’s home tilt with the Turks (0-0, 0-4), Coupeville hits the road for games at Cedar Park Christian (Mar. 26) and South Whidbey (Mar. 29).

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One family, one big milestone

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , , on March 18, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Abraham Leyva scored 45 goals in three seasons while playing for the Coupeville High School boys soccer program. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

After tossing in four scores Saturday at Nooksack, Derek Leyva has 30 career goals.

Aram Leyva has five goals through four games as a junior, and 24 career tallies.

They’re one swing of the foot away from history.

The Leyva clan — Abraham, who graduated in 2016, and current juniors Aram and Derek — are the best goal-scorers Coupeville High School boys soccer has ever had.

And now, as Aram and Derek prepare to play King’s at home Tuesday night (6:00 PM) in their league opener, the family is just a single score shy of its 100th goal.

Abraham exited with a school-record 45 goals, having played for the Wolves from 2014-2016.

His cousin, Derek, made his debut on the CHS pitch in 2018, and is coming up fast behind Abraham, having rattled the net for 30 goals.

Not to be forgotten, Aram, who is Abraham’s younger brother, has peppered in 24 scores between 2017 and the two goals he scored Saturday at Nooksack.

That puts the Leyva’s 1-2-3 on the CHS career scoring chart, with William Nelson (20 goals) and Ethan Spark (17), who both graduated in 2018, rounding out the top five.

Combined, the Leyva trio have 99 goals, and should only go higher with Derek and Aram still having at least nine more games to play during the current season.

Over the years, the three snipers have combined to score at least one goal against 20 schools, with Chimacum, Forks, Port Townsend, Nooksack Valley, and Vashon Island their favorite targets.

As the family races towards that 100th goal, here’s a look at how the three booters have piled up their stats.

 

Abraham:

2014 (sophomore) – 11 goals
2015 (junior) – 14
2016 (senior) – 20

 

Most goals in one game:

(4) – twice against Chimacum, once against Forks

 

Hat tricks (three or more goals in one game):

(5) – three times against Chimacum, twice against Forks

 

Playoff goals:

(1) – against Charles Wright Academy

 

Goals vs. schools:

Chimacum (13)
Forks (9)
Friday Harbor (4)
Granite Falls (4)
Cascade Christian (3)
Charles Wright Academy (2)
King’s (2)
Bellevue Christian (1)
Klahowya (1)
Lakewood (1)
Port Townsend (1)
Sequim (1)
South Whidbey (1)
Sultan (1)
Vashon Island (1)

 

Derek:

2018 (sophomore) – 24 goals
2019 (junior) – 6 and counting

 

Most goals in one game:

(4) – once against Chimacum, once against Nooksack Valley

 

Hat tricks (three or more goals in one game):

(4) – Once against Chimacum, Nooksack Valley, Port Townsend, and Vashon Island

 

Playoff goals:

(3) – all against Vashon Island

 

Goals vs. schools:

Chimacum (6)
Port Townsend (6)
Nooksack Valley (4)
Vashon Island (3)
Klahowya (2)
North Mason (2)
Olympic (2)
Sequim (2)
Forks (1)
Mount Baker (1)
Port Angeles (1)

 

Aram:

2017 (freshman) – 6 goals
2018 (sophomore) – 13
2018 (junior) – 5 and counting

 

Most goals in one game:

(3) – twice against Chimacum

 

Hat tricks (three goals in one game):

(2) – twice against Chimacum

 

Playoff goals:

(2) – one score against Bellevue Christian, one against Vashon Island

 

Goals vs. schools:

Chimacum (13)
Nooksack Valley (2)
North Mason (2)
Port Townsend (2)
Bellevue Christian (1)
Forks (1)
Klahowya (1)
Olympic (1)
Vashon Island (1)

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Wolves chomp Pioneers

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , , on March 16, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville freshman Miles Davidson made his debut in goal Saturday, teaming with Dewitt Cole and Michael Langille to stifle Nooksack Valley in a 9-1 win. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Derek Leyva (left), celebrating with Alex Jimenez, knocked in four goals, giving him 30 for his prep career.

For a moment, it seemed like it would be a nail-biter.

But it was a very short moment.

Breaking an early tie at Nooksack Valley Saturday, the Coupeville High School boys soccer squad rained down eight straight goals and romped to a 9-1 win.

The non-conference victory evens the early-season record at 2-2, as the Wolves prepare to head into league play.

CHS plays its next four games against North Sound Conference foes, with the first two bouts on its home turf.

The Wolves host King’s (1-1-1) Tuesday, Mar. 19, before Sultan (0-2) arrives on Whidbey Friday, Mar. 22.

Saturday’s game was Coupeville’s second-straight road game against a team from the 1A/2A/3A Northwest Conference, and this one went a lot better.

After falling 4-0 to Meridian two days before, the Wolves peppered Nooksack’s goalie from all angles, filling up the back of the net.

Up 5-1 at the half, with the only Pioneer goal coming off of a “power shot to the opposite corner from the attack line,” Coupeville’s back line was playing large and in charge.

“Defense had a great first half,” said CHS assistant coach Robert Wood. “(Wolf goaltender) Dewitt (Cole) made a superb effort diving and got a finger on it, but it was just one of those shots.”

The Wolves stayed on the attack after the break, smacking home another four goals and sending Coupeville head coach Kyle Nelson to the bus with a big smile on his face.

“The one goal we conceded was early in the game,” he said. “No looking back from there.”

Coupeville’s cousin connection sparked the offensive explosion, with Derek Leyva rattling the net for a season-best four goals, while Aram Leyva popped in a pair of scores.

The duo have combined for 11 goals through four games, with Derek back in front 6-5 in the scoring chase.

His final score of the afternoon was the 30th of his short career, after he scored a school single-season record 24 in his debut as a sophomore last year.

Saturday’s explosion pulls him within 15 of his other cousin, Abraham Leyva, who holds the CHS career mark of 45 goals.

Sage Downes added his third goal of the season, while also collecting three assists, and Chris Cernick and James Wood rounded out the scoring with a goal apiece.

Derek Leyva racked up two assists, while Sam Wynn added another sweet set-up which resulted in a teammate scoring.

The Wolf coaching staff was appropriately pumped after the big road win.

“Finally playing as a team the way game demands,” Robert Wood said. “Really good showing by everyone.”

After working with the team’s goaltenders, the assistant coach was especially pleased to see the team’s backups, Miles Davidson and Micheal Langille, get quality time in net, giving Cole a chance to rest on the sideline.

The young duo swapped 10-minute sessions in the net, both holding Nooksack scoreless.

Davidson took a kick to the face, but the scrappy Wolf lived to tell about it.

“They both put practice sessions directly into game experience,” Robert Wood said. “Superb effort and focus and application from both.”

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