Grant Steller and Co. have two regular-season games left as they chase an elusive playoff berth. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
The path to the playoffs just got rockier.
A 3-1 loss Saturday to visiting Lopez Island doesn’t eliminate the Coupeville High School boys soccer team from postseason contention.
But it does make it much tougher for the Wolves to claim one of the top five slots in the Northwest 2B/1B League standings, which they have to do to advance.
A win Saturday would have moved CHS into a fourth-place tie with Grace Academy.
Instead, at 2-4 in league action, the Wolves fall behind Lopez (2-2), and land in a sixth-place tie with La Conner, a game back of the Lobos.
Coupeville hosts La Conner Oct. 25 on Senior Night, then travels to Orcas Island Oct. 27 to face the defending 2B/1B state champs in the regular-season finale.
Now 4-7 overall, the Wolves likely need to win both of their remaining games, while getting some help from other teams, to claim a postseason berth.
If Coupeville doesn’t make it to the playoffs, Saturday’s game, a very winnable one, will loom large.
The Wolves, who were missing a key starter and playmaker as Cole White recovers from a concussion, looked flat for much of the game.
And Lopez took advantage. Really quickly.
The Lobos banged home a goal 35 seconds into play, redirecting a partially blocked shot right back into the net, the ball moving left to right before nestling into the corner of the net.
Coupeville’s defenders clamped down a bit after that, and goaltender Cael Wilson made several nice saves, but Lopez found its moments.
A second goal landed in the promised land in the game’s 15th minute, and a third one was slapped home in the 26th minute.
Trailing 3-0 at the break, Coupeville tried to ramp up its attack in the second half but had little luck stringing together a series of successful passes.
Cameron Epp finally got the Wolves on the board in the game’s 58th minute, winning a battle in front of the net to register his fourth goal of the season.
But that was pretty much it for Coupeville.
Aidan Wilson had one strong blast from just inside the midfield marker, but the alert Lopez goalie stepped in front and snuffed out the potential score.
The Wolves hung tough in the waning moments, with Cael Wilson punching a dangerous in-close shot wide of the net, but there were no comebacks on this day.
Afterwards, CHS coach Robert Wood sighed as he gazed across a sun-splashed pitch.
“On to Tuesday,” he said. “We’ll be ready for La Conner.”
