Ayden Wyman and the Coupeville co-ed soccer squad nailed down its first win Friday night. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
It was Friday Night Lights, but with a European twist.
The “working media” in the press box were thrilled with their complimentary hot dog and Coke, the student section was loud ‘n proud, and everyone in Wolf Nation went home happy.
Riding goals from Cole White and Ezra Boilek, plus standout defensive work from goaltender Hurlee Bronec and his back line, the Coupeville High School booters romped to a 2-0 win while playing in prime time.
The victory, a non-conference triumph over conference foe Providence Classical Christian, lifts the Wolves to 1-1 on the still-young season.
It’s also the first varsity win for any CHS squad this school year, as Cow Town teams have opened with tough schedules featuring mostly larger schools.
With Wolf football on the road in Sultan, soccer got a chance to be front and center Friday, with plenty of other Coupeville athletes leaning over the grandstand railing, screaming their approval.
Spikers Katie Marti, Madison McMillan, and Co. had their cheer game on point, and the crowd support sent a charge through the team playing down below.
“Thanks to EVERYONE who came,” said Wolf coach Robert Wood. “Coupeville’s 12th Man showed up and it was wonderful!”
Wolf coaches Robert Wood and Kimberly Kisch keep an eye on the action.
Whether it was Ayden Wyman aggressively hip checking a male rival, or Wolf defenders like birthday boy Preston Epp, Hank Milnes, and Andrew Williams refusing to bend or break, the hometown pitch warriors were on point.
Maybe none more so than Bronec, playing in just his second game in goal after bouncing over from the gridiron.
Unleashing both fists, the lanky netminder batted away several shots, including two on one play as he danced in the pale moonlight with an unlucky PCC sharpshooter.
Bronec got even more electric as the game unfolded, saving some of his best highlight reel plays for the closing moments.
Preserving his shutout, he went to the ground to snuff out shots, while also climbing an invisible staircase to knock away a vicious free kick which came in screaming and went back out with a whimper.
He got plenty of help, as Bronec’s bruisers crashed the back line hard all night, with Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim, Dane Hadsall, Bryley Gilbert, and Matthew Ward keeping PCC bottled up.
Cael Wilson, his spirit as fiery as his hair, was everywhere, sprinting up one side of the pitch and down the other, tracking down any visitor who tried to make a break for freedom.
On the offensive side, Coupeville peppered the PCC goalie, breaking through about 10 minutes before halftime, when White popped a penalty kick into the left corner of the net for his fifth career goal.
The freebie was a nice makeup for earlier, when Wolf scoring ace Nick Guay got plastered from behind, landing face first in the soft green grass while the refs stared at the pretty sunset and swallowed their whistles.
It didn’t matter however, as Coupeville punched in a second goal less than three minutes into the second half — Boilek slamming a shot from deep on the right side for his first-ever Wolf score — to effectively seal the deal.
That set off the student section, which rocked the rail and hollered long into the night, not finishing until after the Wolf booters came over, post-game, to hail their classmates.
As they departed, CHS coaches Wood and Kimberly Kisch were marinating in the moment while already looking ahead.
The Wolves hit the road next Tuesday to play Grace Academy, before returning to Coupeville for four of their next five games.
“Still working out formations and positions,” Wood said. “But tonight shows, one, what they are capable of, and two, what happens when you play for each other.
“Very pleased … but it’s in the past and we are focused now on building tonight’s success for Tuesday.”
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