Coupeville Sports

    Danny Savalza is one of eight Wolf seniors hoping to play deep into the playoffs. (John Fisken photo)

Even shorthanded, the Wolves put a scare into King’s.

Playing minus co-captain Luke Pelant (out with a bruised hip) Friday, the Coupeville High School boys’ soccer squad almost ruined their host’s Senior Night festivities, pushing them into overtime before losing a 2-1 thriller.

Sean Donley, who banged home his team’s goal in regulation, barely missed on a potential game-winning shot mere seconds into the extra period. King’s immediately countered with a crossing play from the left side, slipping a short-range shot into the back of the net.

Still, with three wins in their final five games, and the tantalizing possibility of a fourth, the Wolves (3-13) are playing like a different team than the one that struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the early part of the season.

“It was a very close game,” said Wolf coach Paul Mendes. “We played very well, especially considering we were missing some starters.”

With Pelant out, junior Brett Arnold stepped up and directed the defense, doing “an excellent job.”

Nathan Lamb, coming off of a hat trick against Granite Falls, “had another strong game with four dangerous shots in regulation time, forcing their goalkeeper to make some fine saves.”

“It was an intense game. Our boys were not intimidated, playing on their field and for their Senior Night,” Mendes said. “A number of our guys have shown recent improvement.

“They have grown in the quality of their play and confidence,” he added. “It has been encouraging to see, as we approach the postseason.”

Coupeville will open district play with a loser-out game Wednesday, May 1 against the #1 team from the Northwest Conference.

Win that, and they’re guaranteed to advance to tri-districts, after additional games Thursday and Saturday for seeding purposes.

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Josh Wilsey, lost in a sea of orange, yet still in control of the ball.

Nathan Kircher, on the move.

Nathan Lamb was en fuego, scoring three goals in 13 minutes.

Luke Pelant clears the ball.

Sebastian Wurzrainer almost lost his voice.

By the end of Coupeville’s thrilling 4-1 win over visiting Granite Falls on Senior Night Wednesday, the Wolf team manager/PA announcer was hoarse, but still bellowing in support of his boys.

No can accuse him of being impartial, but then few in the stadium were. As eight CHS booters made their final home bow, it was a night when the town came together — students, parents and random soccer fans.

In the middle of the action, clicking away for you, was John Fisken, whose photos are right above these words.

To see more, head over to http://www.cascadeathletics.com/index.php?act=view_gallery&gallery=4058&league=2&page=1&page_name=photo_store&school=24&sport=0&tab=1.

Plus, if you use the coupon code EB40584962 to purchase photos from this game before Thursday, May 9, you’ll get 15% off.

Nice.

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The legends.

  Left to right, super fans Katie Kiel, Holly Craggs, Emily Clay and Caleb Valko bring the spirit.

Kole Kellison and parents Ray and Christy.

Nathan Kircher and parents Thomas and Dawn.

Nathan Lamb and mom Debra. Dad Randy was there in spirit.

Jacob Lovell and parents James and Shannon.

Luke Pelant and parents Robert and Joanne.

Tim Quinn and parents Joe and Patty.

Danny Savalza and parents Hank and Deb.

Josh Wilsey and parents Terra Wilsey and Randy Lane.

It’s a veritable smorgasbord of Senior Night soccer photos.

Thanks to ace clicker John Fisken, here are shiny pics of each of the eight Wolf booters who made their final bow with a rousing 4-1 win at Mickey Clark Field Wednesday night.

Mr. Fisken implores you to enlarge, right click and save until your little fingers fall off. So be at it.

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The present and the future of Wolf soccer, senior Nathan Lamb (left) and freshman Zane Bundy. (Janine Bundy photo)

Nathan Lamb went out like a golden god.

Playing on his home turf for the final time in his stellar soccer career, Lamb launched an all-out assault on the goal Wednesday night, scoring a hat trick in 13 incredible minutes that sent Coupeville High School fans into a tizzy.

Toss in a goal from fellow senior Josh Wilsey, off of an assist from senior goaltender Kole Kellison, and the Wolves exited gracefully, thrashing Granite Falls 4-1 and sending their eight twelfth-graders out winners on Senior Night.

“This is a good group of guys, and it was nice to send them out like this,” said always-Zen Wolf coach Paul Mendes as his men celebrated their third win in four games with their family and friends behind him.

“It was a good capper.”

While Coupeville still has a road game at King’s Friday and then a hopefully long playoff run ahead of them, this was the final time for the Elite Eight to claim their turf as their own. And they did.

Lamb, Kellison, Wilsey, Jacob Lovell, Danny Savalza, Tim Quinn, Nathan Kircher and Luke Pelant fought through a back-and-forth first half to get to the good stuff — the second half.

Down 1-0 at the half on a mediocre goal, it could have been worse, but Kellison went airborne to make a beautiful tip save over the crossbar to deny a Granite Falls shooter.

Whatever Mendes said, or didn’t say, at halftime sparked something in the Wolves, who came out on fire and on the attack, throwing everything they had at a suddenly rattled Granite goalie.

Lamb found the back of the net first, lofting a long shot from the right side that dropped over the goaltender’s head. Then, after Pelant narrowly missed on a header, the Wolves unleashed the whirlwind.

Kellison crushed a moon shot from his own goal, laying it out in front of Wilsey, who beat two defenders, juked the goalie out of his over-priced shoes and buried the ball in the net.

Before the fans could stop screaming, Lamb lit up the joint with two more goals in a two minute span, using his left foot once, then his right foot the second time.

The first time this season Coupeville has played with a complete roster — Lovell missed a chunk of time with an injury — it was also the nicest weather the Wolves have seen all year.

Crushing your foes in spectacular fashion? Well, that’s the cherry on top of the sundae.

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The Man, the Myth, the Legend … Danny Savalza.

Lil’ Savalza.

In a little over an hour, eight Coupeville High School soccer players will defend their home pitch for the final time.

It’s Senior Night for the Wolves, with a 6 PM game against Granite Falls. Everything after this, including the final regular-season game Friday and however many playoff games Coupeville can battle through, will be on the road.

It is a superb group of players that has tasted glory in seasons past, but struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm this year. Of course, every Wolf fan hopes tonight is the spark for a late-season surge like no others.

Shock the world, Coupeville.

But tonight we will bid farewell to Nathan Lamb, Luke Pelant, Tim Quinn, Josh Wilsey, Jacob Lovell, Nathan Kircher, Kole Kellison and Danny Savalza.

Of all of them, I have known Savalza the longest.

Back before he was the heartbeat of his school, the emotional leader of the Wolf student cheering section in his thrift store dress and Bow Down hat, before he took hand-offs and slammed face-first into tacklers on the gridiron and battled for balls on the pitch, he was one of those little kids who constantly ran around Videoville.

A permanent fixture in the video game section, he was the same fun-lovin’ guy he is now, just a little shorter.

And now here is, playing in his final game on his home turf.

I would love to see him do something dramatic tonight. Score a game-winner or grab a vuvuzela horn and run across the field wailing on it, one step ahead of the Fun Police.

But even if it’s just another game, I wouldn’t miss it.

Danny Savalza is Coupeville through and through. And when the legends walk out for the final time, you take your hat off and pay witness.

Athletes come and athletes go.

Danny Savalza will always be remembered.

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