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Posts Tagged ‘Derek Leyva’

Turn your eyes to the playoffs

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , on April 23, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Freshman Xavier Murdy played strongly Tuesday in Coupeville soccer’s regular-season finale. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

In small bursts, there were positives.

For one thing, the Coupeville High School boys soccer squad got to play on its own field Tuesday, something which hasn’t happened in more than a full month.

After five straight road games, and then a scheduled home game which turned into a win by forfeit, when Cedar Park Christian declined to travel, it was about time.

Or at least that’s probably what the folks running the concession stand were thinking.

With hot dogs and candy being doled out, and the stands fairly full thanks to it being a rivalry game, that was positive.

The final result on the scoreboard, with visiting South Whidbey romping to an 8-1 victory, and maybe, possibly, running the score up a bit at the end, was less positive.

But, even with the loss, Coupeville, which wraps league play at 3-5, is sitting in a decent place.

The Wolves, 5-8 overall, are the #3 seed from the North Sound Conference heading into the district playoffs, which means they get to host a postseason game.

And truly host it this time.

While playing in District 3, Coupeville’s “home” playoff games were held at Oak Harbor’s stadium, because of that district’s insistence on all soccer playoff games being held on turf fields.

Back in District 1 this year, the Wolves don’t face the same restriction.

That means Monday, Apr. 29, they’re slated to host Cedar Park in a loser-out playoff game on the grass at Coupeville’s Mickey Clark Field.

Kickoff is 6 PM and, because it’s a playoff game, admission will be charged.

Win against CPC and Coupeville advances to play at least two more playoff games, with a solid shot at advancing to bi-districts.

Tuesday night, the scrappy Wolves didn’t play all that badly, but they did run into a bit of a buzz-saw in a Falcon squad which is 7-0 in league, 11-1 overall.

“We had plenty of good minutes, just not a good game,” said Coupeville coach Kyle Nelson. “Give South Whidbey their due, though, they’re a good, tough team.”

The Falcons scored early and often, finding holes in the Wolf defense and rattling home five unanswered goals in the first half.

After the break, the Wolves played aggressively, with Derek Leyva lofting in his 12th goal of the season, before narrowly missing on another score the very next time down the field.

Coupeville, which was playing without several starters, including goaltender Dewitt Cole, was the more physical team and bounced a few bodies around in the late going.

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Soccer sadness in Sultan

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , on April 16, 2019| Leave a Comment »

After a tough 4-3 loss Tuesday at Sultan, Alex Jimenez and his CHS soccer teammates will have to fight to earn a home playoff game. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Kyle Nelson is not especially fond of making road trips to Sultan.

The Coupeville High School soccer coach has made the trek twice this school year, and both times things ended badly.

During the fall, Nelson’s girls’ squad fell 1-0 in a game which proved to be fatal to the Wolves bid for a playoff spot.

Tuesday night, it was time for the Wolf boys to head to Sultan, and, despite a late rally, they fell short on the same artificial turf field, dropping a 4-3 heartbreaker.

While this defeat won’t keep the Coupeville boys from playing in the postseason — they’ve already clinched a playoff berth — it still stings.

The biggest reason is a win would have solidified the Wolves hold on the #3 seed from the North Sound Conference.

Instead, at 2-4 in league play, 4-7 overall, CHS slips a half-game back of Sultan (2-3, 3-8).

South Whidbey (5-0, 9-1) and King’s (5-1, 6-2-1) are battling for the conference crown, while Cedar Park Christian (0-6, 0-8) sits mired in the cellar of what became a five-team league after Granite Falls was unable to field a squad this season.

The #3 NSC team gets a home district playoff opener against the #5 NSC team, while the #4 squad has to travel to play the #3 Northwest Conference squad.

Both games are loser-out affairs, but, if you win your first game, you advance to the double-elimination portion of the bracket.

Coupeville, which played five straight on the road, culminating in Tuesday’s loss, closes the regular season at home with games Apr. 19 against CPC and Apr. 23 vs. South Whidbey.

Sultan faces South Whidbey (Apr. 19), King’s (Apr. 23), and CPC (Apr. 25) for its stretch run.

While the Wolves have lost four straight, the Turks are coming on strongly, winning three straight after losing their first eight. One of those defeats, a 2-0 loss, came at Coupeville earlier in the season.

Tuesday night Sultan jumped all over the Wolves in the early going, building a 3-0 lead before the halftime break.

Aram Leyva got one goal back for Coupeville, mashing “a well-taken penalty kick” for his 10th goal of the season.

The Turks responded with the equalizer early in the second half, stretching the lead back out to 4-1, before Derek Leyva stormed the net, rattling home a pair of scores to make things tight.

The back-to-back goals gives Derek Leyva 11 on the season, and 35 for his CHS career, pulling him closer to cousin Abraham Leyva’s school career record of 45 goals.

With the clock ticking down, the Wolves pushed the attack, desperate to knot things back up and force overtime, but it wasn’t to be.

“Unfortunately there seems to be a Sultan curse on me,” Nelson said. “We had a few other great attempts at goals in the closing minutes to make for an exciting game, but ultimately we paid for our slow start.”

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One family, one big milestone

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , , on March 18, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Abraham Leyva scored 45 goals in three seasons while playing for the Coupeville High School boys soccer program. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

After tossing in four scores Saturday at Nooksack, Derek Leyva has 30 career goals.

Aram Leyva has five goals through four games as a junior, and 24 career tallies.

They’re one swing of the foot away from history.

The Leyva clan — Abraham, who graduated in 2016, and current juniors Aram and Derek — are the best goal-scorers Coupeville High School boys soccer has ever had.

And now, as Aram and Derek prepare to play King’s at home Tuesday night (6:00 PM) in their league opener, the family is just a single score shy of its 100th goal.

Abraham exited with a school-record 45 goals, having played for the Wolves from 2014-2016.

His cousin, Derek, made his debut on the CHS pitch in 2018, and is coming up fast behind Abraham, having rattled the net for 30 goals.

Not to be forgotten, Aram, who is Abraham’s younger brother, has peppered in 24 scores between 2017 and the two goals he scored Saturday at Nooksack.

That puts the Leyva’s 1-2-3 on the CHS career scoring chart, with William Nelson (20 goals) and Ethan Spark (17), who both graduated in 2018, rounding out the top five.

Combined, the Leyva trio have 99 goals, and should only go higher with Derek and Aram still having at least nine more games to play during the current season.

Over the years, the three snipers have combined to score at least one goal against 20 schools, with Chimacum, Forks, Port Townsend, Nooksack Valley, and Vashon Island their favorite targets.

As the family races towards that 100th goal, here’s a look at how the three booters have piled up their stats.

 

Abraham:

2014 (sophomore) – 11 goals
2015 (junior) – 14
2016 (senior) – 20

 

Most goals in one game:

(4) – twice against Chimacum, once against Forks

 

Hat tricks (three or more goals in one game):

(5) – three times against Chimacum, twice against Forks

 

Playoff goals:

(1) – against Charles Wright Academy

 

Goals vs. schools:

Chimacum (13)
Forks (9)
Friday Harbor (4)
Granite Falls (4)
Cascade Christian (3)
Charles Wright Academy (2)
King’s (2)
Bellevue Christian (1)
Klahowya (1)
Lakewood (1)
Port Townsend (1)
Sequim (1)
South Whidbey (1)
Sultan (1)
Vashon Island (1)

 

Derek:

2018 (sophomore) – 24 goals
2019 (junior) – 6 and counting

 

Most goals in one game:

(4) – once against Chimacum, once against Nooksack Valley

 

Hat tricks (three or more goals in one game):

(4) – Once against Chimacum, Nooksack Valley, Port Townsend, and Vashon Island

 

Playoff goals:

(3) – all against Vashon Island

 

Goals vs. schools:

Chimacum (6)
Port Townsend (6)
Nooksack Valley (4)
Vashon Island (3)
Klahowya (2)
North Mason (2)
Olympic (2)
Sequim (2)
Forks (1)
Mount Baker (1)
Port Angeles (1)

 

Aram:

2017 (freshman) – 6 goals
2018 (sophomore) – 13
2018 (junior) – 5 and counting

 

Most goals in one game:

(3) – twice against Chimacum

 

Hat tricks (three goals in one game):

(2) – twice against Chimacum

 

Playoff goals:

(2) – one score against Bellevue Christian, one against Vashon Island

 

Goals vs. schools:

Chimacum (13)
Nooksack Valley (2)
North Mason (2)
Port Townsend (2)
Bellevue Christian (1)
Forks (1)
Klahowya (1)
Olympic (1)
Vashon Island (1)

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Wolves chomp Pioneers

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , , on March 16, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville freshman Miles Davidson made his debut in goal Saturday, teaming with Dewitt Cole and Michael Langille to stifle Nooksack Valley in a 9-1 win. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Derek Leyva (left), celebrating with Alex Jimenez, knocked in four goals, giving him 30 for his prep career.

For a moment, it seemed like it would be a nail-biter.

But it was a very short moment.

Breaking an early tie at Nooksack Valley Saturday, the Coupeville High School boys soccer squad rained down eight straight goals and romped to a 9-1 win.

The non-conference victory evens the early-season record at 2-2, as the Wolves prepare to head into league play.

CHS plays its next four games against North Sound Conference foes, with the first two bouts on its home turf.

The Wolves host King’s (1-1-1) Tuesday, Mar. 19, before Sultan (0-2) arrives on Whidbey Friday, Mar. 22.

Saturday’s game was Coupeville’s second-straight road game against a team from the 1A/2A/3A Northwest Conference, and this one went a lot better.

After falling 4-0 to Meridian two days before, the Wolves peppered Nooksack’s goalie from all angles, filling up the back of the net.

Up 5-1 at the half, with the only Pioneer goal coming off of a “power shot to the opposite corner from the attack line,” Coupeville’s back line was playing large and in charge.

“Defense had a great first half,” said CHS assistant coach Robert Wood. “(Wolf goaltender) Dewitt (Cole) made a superb effort diving and got a finger on it, but it was just one of those shots.”

The Wolves stayed on the attack after the break, smacking home another four goals and sending Coupeville head coach Kyle Nelson to the bus with a big smile on his face.

“The one goal we conceded was early in the game,” he said. “No looking back from there.”

Coupeville’s cousin connection sparked the offensive explosion, with Derek Leyva rattling the net for a season-best four goals, while Aram Leyva popped in a pair of scores.

The duo have combined for 11 goals through four games, with Derek back in front 6-5 in the scoring chase.

His final score of the afternoon was the 30th of his short career, after he scored a school single-season record 24 in his debut as a sophomore last year.

Saturday’s explosion pulls him within 15 of his other cousin, Abraham Leyva, who holds the CHS career mark of 45 goals.

Sage Downes added his third goal of the season, while also collecting three assists, and Chris Cernick and James Wood rounded out the scoring with a goal apiece.

Derek Leyva racked up two assists, while Sam Wynn added another sweet set-up which resulted in a teammate scoring.

The Wolf coaching staff was appropriately pumped after the big road win.

“Finally playing as a team the way game demands,” Robert Wood said. “Really good showing by everyone.”

After working with the team’s goaltenders, the assistant coach was especially pleased to see the team’s backups, Miles Davidson and Micheal Langille, get quality time in net, giving Cole a chance to rest on the sideline.

The young duo swapped 10-minute sessions in the net, both holding Nooksack scoreless.

Davidson took a kick to the face, but the scrappy Wolf lived to tell about it.

“They both put practice sessions directly into game experience,” Robert Wood said. “Superb effort and focus and application from both.”

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Booters hit a bump in the road

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , on March 14, 2019| Leave a Comment »

James Wood and Coupeville High School soccer are wading through a tough non-conference schedule. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

You take your bumps and bruises, and, hopefully use them as learning lessons.

The Coupeville High School boys soccer squad, still a work in progress, dropped its second-straight non-league game Thursday, falling 4-0 at Meridian.

Both losses for the Wolves, now 1-2 on the season, have come against tough 1A/2A/3A Northwest Conference foes.

And the run through that league isn’t quite done yet, as Coupeville travels Saturday to Nooksack Valley

But having a non-league schedule full of big-timers can be a help, as the Wolves want to be sharp when they begin North Sound Conference play.

“We’re still putting the pieces together early in the season,” CHS coach Kyle Nelson said. “We are showing some improvement; trying to get ready for league play next week.”

After the Nooksack game, Coupeville plays eight of its next nine games against league foes.

First up is King’s Mar. 19, then Sultan Mar. 22, with both games on Coupeville’s field.

While the Wolves were shut-out for the first time this season, after racking up 10 goals across their first two contests, Nelson was pleased with how his team responded under duress.

Meridian jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the half, but the Coupeville defense stiffened after the break and the team as a whole gave “a better effort in the second half.”

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