Genna Wright enters her junior season on the soccer pitch tied for #3 all-time among Coupeville girls goal scorers. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Mallory Kortuem (right) is part of a rock-solid group of seniors intent on leading the Wolves back to the playoffs.
They would love to still be playing in November.
A rough late-season loss on the turf at Sultan last year denied the Coupeville High School girls soccer squad a trip to the playoffs, snapping a four-year run of postseason activity for the Wolf booters.
But now, as it heads into year two in the North Sound Conference, Coupeville wants to get back to playing extra games.
The regular season is set to end Oct. 23, but the Wolves are aiming to stay in uniform after that.
“My goal is to form a well-organized, disciplined, exciting-to-watch squad,” said CHS coach Kyle Nelson. “And, with anyone who watches us play this year seeing improvement through the course of the season.
“I would like to finish with a berth to the postseason,” he added. “So, the season will be a success if we make postseason play.”
King’s, which went 18-3 and fell in the quarterfinals of the state tourney a season ago, is the overwhelming league favorite.
“Always an excellent team,” Nelson said.
After that, it should be a brawl, with South Whidbey, Cedar Park Christian, Granite Falls, Sultan, and Coupeville vying for the other four postseason berths.
While the Wolves lost several key players to graduation, including four-year star Lindsey Roberts, the roster is still jam-packed with quality players.
Leading the way is junior forward Genna Wright, who has tallied 17 goals through her first two seasons on the CHS pitch.
That puts her in a tie with Roberts for #3 all-time among Wolf girls, chasing Mia Littlejohn (35) and Kalia Littlejohn (33) on the career scoring list.
Wright’s support crew includes four seniors who have combined to pepper the back of the net for a combined 17 goals during their prep days.
Midfielder Avalon Renninger leads that group, with six career goals, while midfielder Mallory Kortuem (4), defender Tia Wurzrainer (4) and forward Anna Dion (3) have also shown a nice touch around the net.
There’s plenty of other battle-hardened players on the roster, with senior defender Natalie Hollrigel, junior goaltender Mollie Bailey, sophomore defender Mary Milnes, and sophomore midfielder Audrianna Shaw primed for big seasons.
“We are returning quite a few starting varsity players in most positions on the field,” Nelson said. “We are also lucky enough to be bringing in a few experienced players to fill in some of our holes.
“We will be looking to incorporate some new players who look to be important to our team,” he added. “But it can take a while for both the defense and the new players to fully integrate.”
Sophomores Eryn Wood (defender) and Sophia Martin (midfielder/forward) are also expected to contribute, while freshmen Carolyn Lhamon (midfielder) and Nezi Keiper (defender) were both standout youth league players.
Coupeville kicks off its season this week, with a four-team jamboree Thursday in Oak Harbor (5 PM), followed by a home non-conference clash Saturday with Meridian (1 PM).
