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Archive for the ‘Girls Soccer’ Category

“We root for everyone!” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Girls’ soccer, you’re on the clock.

With Coupeville High School boys’ basketball and football teams having broken 34 and 32-year dry spells in 2022, the Wolf female booters now have the longest active run without an appearance at the state tournament.

Founded in 2004, CHS girls’ soccer has never qualified for the big dance, making it 18 years and counting.

Every other active sports program at the school has been to state at least once since 2010 now that boys’ basketball (1988) and football (1990) are off the schneid.

Plus, wrestling and golf, sports where Coupeville doesn’t have its own program, but solo stars have trained and travelled with other schools, fit the criteria.

Grappler Alex Turner made it to Mat Classic in 2019, while duffer Christine Fields capped a four-year run of state tourney appearances in 2015.

But what about swim, you ask?

While Turner and Fields (plus her big brother, Austin) trained and travelled with other schools, they ultimately competed in CHS colors.

Swimmers like Amanda Streubel, Lily Doyle, and Rachel and Cole Weinstein did not, as they attended Coupeville schools but fully repped Oak Harbor High School in the pool.

So, no countee … in this exercise, at least.

 

Most-recent state tourney appearance:

2022 — Boys Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Track and Field
2019 — Softball, Wrestling
2018 — Girls Tennis
2017 — Volleyball
2016 — Girls Basketball
2015 — Boys Tennis, Girls Golf
2014 — Baseball
2013 — Boys Golf
2010 — Boys Soccer
Never — Girls Soccer

 

While tennis, cross country, and track (plus wrestling and golf) often qualify individual athletes to state, basketball, softball, football, volleyball, soccer, and baseball only advance as a full team.

How those programs compare:

 

State tourney appearances:

Baseball — 9
Girls Basketball — 7
Boys Basketball — 6
Football — 5
Volleyball — 5
Softball — 3
Boys Soccer — 2

 

State tourney wins:

Girls Basketball — 7
Softball — 5
Volleyball — 4
Baseball — 2
Boys Basketball — 2

 

And no, I don’t think baseball’s win total is correct, no matter what the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association web site says.

The Wolves hardball squad finished 3rd at state in 1987, but the WIAA’s online records only credit CHS with one win at that year’s tourney.

Something doesn’t add up.

That being said, one other thing to notice is that, at least on the WIAA website, Wolf girls have a 16-4 advantage in state tourney wins over their male counterparts, despite Title IX not kicking in until the 1970’s.

What’s up with that, Coupeville boys of every sport?

Maybe you’re the ones on the clock, after all.

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No more endless bus rides to Forks for Kyle Nelson. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

After 15 seasons, two teams, an estimated 100+ bus rides, not to mention a few ferry trips, Kyle Nelson has reached his limit.

The Coupeville High School girls’ soccer coach is stepping down from the position, following on the heels of the recent announcement Wolf cross country guru Paige Spangler is moving to the East Coast.

Nelson is not planning to leave town, or his job as a CHS teacher, but the father of former Wolf booters Loren and William decided this was a good time to step away from his pitch duties.

After stepping in to cover for current Coupeville boys’ soccer coach Robert Wood at a three-team tiebreaker Saturday in Oak Harbor, he pondered the upcoming change.

“My wife would like to see more of me,” Nelson said. “I’ll still show up at some games and make that transition to just being a fan.

“If every game was played in 65-degree weather, and all the road trips didn’t go any further than Oak Harbor, maybe I’d hang on,” he added with a smile.

“But that’s not going to happen, so…”

Nelson, who previously coached swim in Seattle, joined the Coupeville boys soccer program as an assistant to Paul Mendes, serving two seasons in that capacity.

When the former Seattle Sounder retired, his right-hand man inherited the head coaching job, later making it a two-fer when he also took over the Wolf girls’ program.

Nelson led both programs until Coupeville moved from 1A to 2B, where boys’ and girls’ soccer play in the same season.

In all, he coached nine seasons with the CHS boys, seven as head coach, and six with the girls.

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Defensive dynamo Nezi Keiper netted her first goal Tuesday in a season-ending victory. (Jackie Saia photo)

The wind never bothered them anyway.

Playing their season finale on a gusty afternoon, the Coupeville High School girls soccer players defended their home pitch in style Tuesday, knocking off visiting La Conner 4-0.

The victory gives the Wolves a season sweep of the Braves and lifts them to a final mark of 2-4 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 3-8 overall.

“A nice way to finish the season and for Senior Night,” said CHS coach Kyle Nelson.

Sophomore Ayden Wyman continued the torrid start to her high school career, knocking in a pair of goals to pace the Wolf attack.

After rattling home four goals as a fab frosh, she notched nine scores in her second season.

That’s the best showing for a Coupeville girl since Kalia Littlejohn (15) and Genna Wright (10) hit double-digits back in 2017.

With 13 career goals, Wyman slides ahead of Avalon Renninger (12) and sits at #5 all-time on the CHS girls scoring chart at the midpoint of her run.

Her targets in the years to come?

That would be Mia Littlejohn (35), Kalia Littlejohn (33), Wright (20), and Lindsey Roberts (17).

Coupeville’s other two goals Tuesday came from seniors Carolyn Lhamon and Nezi Keiper, while Ava Mitten and Lhamon tallied assists.

Keiper, the heart and soul of the Wolf defense for four years, notched her first high school goal, while Lhamon tallied her fourth of the season, and seventh of her career.

The duo was joined by fellow 12th graders Anna Myles, Gwen Crowder, and Wynter Arndt in being honored for their many contributions to the Wolf pitch program.

 

Final season scoring stats:

Ayden Wyman – 9
Carolyn Lhamon – 4
Wynter Arndt – 1
Nezi Keiper – 1

Coupeville seniors Gwen Crowder (left) and Anna Myles (right) bowed out with a win. (Bailey Thule photo)

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Frankie Tenore and Co. do not get to ride the bus all day and night. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

No hacking and coughing for you.

Tuesday’s Coupeville High School girls soccer road trip was cancelled, thanks to poor air quality in Granite Falls.

It’s the latest in a string of contests preempted in Washington state by smoke from forest fires.

No definitive word on whether the non-conference game will be rescheduled, though odds are not great with the end of the regular season in sight, and both schools putting a priority on playing league games first.

For now, Coupeville’s booters head back to the practice field, with their next and possibly final clash set for next Tuesday, Oct. 25.

The Wolves host La Conner at 4 PM in the first half of a home doubleheader.

Senior Night festivities for both the CHS girls and boys will be held between games, before Coupeville’s boys face off with the Braves.

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Ava Mitten and Co. continue to scrap hard every game on the pitch. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The Hurricanes make it rain.

Goals, that is.

The Mount Vernon Christian girls soccer team is a legitimate state title contender, and the Hurricanes prove it on both sides of the field.

After thunking visiting Coupeville 10-0 Thursday afternoon, MVC has tallied 51 goals, while recording six shutouts in 12 games.

If their 8-4 record seems a bit low-key to you, first consider that the ‘Canes, who rep a 1B school, have only lost to schools at least two classifications higher.

That would be 3A Mount Vernon, 2A Sehome, 2A Burlington-Edison, and undefeated 1A Bear Creek.

Thursday’s win lifts MVC to 5-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, while Coupeville falls to 1-4 in league, 2-8 overall.

The Wolves, who will miss the playoffs this season, have at least two, and possibly three games left on the schedule.

CHS travels to Granite Falls (4-4) Oct. 18, then hosts NWL rival La Conner (0-10) on Senior Night Oct. 25.

Wolf 12th graders Nezi Keiper, Anna Myles, Carolyn Lhamon, Wynter Arndt, and Gwen Crowder will be honored before the clash with the Braves.

Nezi Keiper clears the ball. (Morgan White photo)

There is a chance of another road game after Senior Night, if the schedule breaks right.

Coupeville was supposed to travel to Sultan earlier this season, but the rumble was bumped because the Turks had a backlog of league games to play after smoke from forest fires postponed several matches.

While nothing has been concretely decided, both schools expressed interest in trying to reschedule the game at the end of the season.

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