Coupeville midfielder Ethan Spark slows down Klahowya’s attack with the old “my shoe fell off” trick. Nicely played. (John Fisken photo)
The streak lives.
Abraham Leyva bolted in from the right side midway through the second half Tuesday night, beat Klahowya’s goalie and rattled home the 18th goal of his stellar senior soccer season.
The lone score for Coupeville in a 5-1 loss to an Eagle squad with legitimate dreams of competing for a state title, it kept alive Leyva’s streak of scoring in every game this season.
It also added to what is already a single-season CHS scoring record.
That goal, and several brilliant saves by Wolf goaltender Connor McCormick, who was under fire most of the night, were the highlights in a match that was largely controlled by the visitors.
The loss dropped Coupeville to 1-2 in league play, 4-6-1 overall, and, for the moment, puts them in third place in the 1A Olympic League.
Klahowya (3-0, 11-1-1) is out in front as it tries to defend its league title, with Port Townsend (2-1, 5-5-1) a game up on the Wolves with three to play.
Chimacum (0-3, 1-9) is firmly wedged in the cellar and would be odd man out in a league in which three teams will advance to the postseason this year.
Coupeville travels to Port Townsend Thursday for a crucial match-up with the RedHawks, who beat them 2-1 in their first meeting.
Win and they would move back into a tie for second-place, which is huge, as the #2 team out of the Olympic League will host its opening playoff game.
Facing off with one of the state’s premier 1A teams Tuesday, the Wolves, who were missing five varsity players, including three starters, held their own for a very solid opening 15 minutes.
While the Eagles relentlessly pushed the attack, Coupeville scrambled on defense, kept the ball away from the net as much as possible and gave McCormick a chance.
The senior net-minder made several strong saves (though he saved his best, in which he went airborne and punched a shot away, Superman-style, for the second half) and was fairly spot-on.
But, Klahowya has a team chock-full of precision shooters and they eventually broke through, netting a goal in the 15th minute.
A second shot skittered through in the 26th minute when McCormick got wedged in the middle of a scrum right in front of the net and couldn’t get free, then the Eagles tacked on two more scores right before the half.
Making a solid charge in the second half, Coupeville racked up several shots on goal, with Leyva’s goal being the one that found the back of the net, but while Klahowya’s defense bent a bit, it rarely broke.
