Soccer | Coupeville Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Soccer’

Their (photo) game is strong!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, tagged CHS Wolves, jamboree, Kalia Littlejohn, May Rose, selfies, Soccer on September 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »

They’ve taken a photo or two before. It’s not like they’re amateurs. (Photos courtesy Kalia Littlejohn and Lisa Edlin)

Senior captain Jenn Spark (front, right) bonds with her younger teammates. (KL)

Kalia Littlejohn, such a good friend she’s always there to offer her head to Ema Smith to use as a coaster. Ashley Smith is suitably impressed. (KL)

Lauren Grove (left) and Lindsey Roberts, always being stalked by their fan clubs. (LE)

College softball slugger Madeline Roberts (left) reunites with her lil’ cousin. (LE)

Ema Smith goes to the weird side… (KL)

And then comes roaring back for one final excellent (two-person) selfie. (KL)

It’s official. Fall sports have begun.

The Coupeville High School girls’ soccer squad got things kicked off Thursday, taking part in a jamboree at Oak Harbor.

While the scores didn’t count, it did give the Wolves some real-world prep for their season opener (Tuesday, Sept. 8 at Mount Vernon Christian) and, maybe most importantly, gave the booters a chance to get comfortable in front of the camera again.

Seeing as how their photo game is already at mid-season peak, the season looks like a bright one.

Oh, and those scores?

The Wolves battled to a strong 1-1 tie with South Whidbey, a team they will play for real in a week, then were narrowly nipped 1-0 by host 3A Oak Harbor.

Sophomore Sage Renninger tallied Coupeville’s goal, hitting on a shot described by Wolf coach Troy Cowan as “a bullet from point blank range that left thread marks on the ball, it was hit so hard.”

Lauren Grove and Mckenzie Meyer shared time in goal, and the duo, who are replacing the graduated Julia Myers, both sparkled.

Cowan tabbed Meyer as the night’s MVP, but he was pleased with the play from his entire roster.

“The girls showed some real spunk and fire!!!,” he said. “Both our opponents were tough and played hard and that brought the best out of the Lady Wolves which I was pleasantly happy about.

“I saw some scrappy Wolves tonight that didn’t back down and gave it as good as they got it!!! It’s going to be a good season!”

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School or sports, Compton’s brain hard at work!!

Posted in Boys Tennis, tagged CHS Wolves, drama, Garrett Compton, Science Olympiad, Soccer, tennis on September 1, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Garrett Compton (Photo courtesy Compton)

Compton looks for an opening during last spring’s soccer season. (John Fisken photo)

Garrett Compton is a master of cerebral tennis.

The Coupeville High School senior, who is pursuing a role as a single player this season after three years as a double ace, approaches the game much as he does his school work — with great intensity.

“I started because the sport of tennis itself has always seemed to baffle me; I never understood how people could hit a ball so hard but so accurate at the same time,” Compton said. “The only way to find out was to play!”

An avid longboarder and a varsity soccer player for the Wolves, he has learned to mesh his playing style on the court with a string of partners.

“My favorite part about tennis has to be the level of teamwork required,” Compton said. “For the last three years l have played doubles and with each partner I was able to be a “second half” of a single brain, so to speak.”

With Aaron Curtin and Kyle Bodamer having graduated, CHS was left with only one returning singles player in Sebastian Davis, who is moving up a slot to anchor the team as the top gun.

Compton is in the middle of a battle to earn one of the two remaining singles slots, and is hard at work trying to fine-tune his skills.

“My strengths would have to be my forehand. I get such great topspin and power behind the ball, that even I’m surprised,” he said. “On the other hand my level of focus is a little unstable.

“If I get out of focus I lose the accuracy and power on my shots, and I can’t have that!”

Away from the courts, he is almost constantly on the move — though he admits he often disappears, sucked in by a good book.

Compton is in the CHS drama troupe, competes with the school’s Science Olympiad club and picks math as his favorite subject.

“My favorite class would have to be any sort of math with Mr. (Kyle) Nelson,” Compton said. “He’s a serious teacher, but he also knows how to make learning fun.

“Also, I’m kinda biased because he is the soccer coach…”

Along with Nelson, Wolf tennis coach Ken Stange gets a shout-out, as well as Compton’s family.

“My parents have always been a big part of who I am,” he said. “They are the ones who pushed me to try new things like tennis!

“Although without Mr. Stange and my close friends who suffered my bad shots and endless questions, I wouldn’t be nearly as good as I am today.”

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The Spark is back!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, tagged 1A Olympic League, CHS Wolves, Jenn Spark, Klahowya, Mia Littlejohn, Soccer on August 30, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Jenn Spark is back, healthy and ready to lead the Wolf booters. (John Fisken photos)

Bree Daigneault (left) will be a captain this season.

Bree Daigneault (#17) will be a captain this season.

The brightest bit of news from the first week of practice for the Coupeville High School girls’ soccer squad was the return of senior spark-plug Jenn Spark.

The defensive whiz kid with the booming clearing kick suffered a devastating MCL/ACL injury and missed most of her junior campaign, but is back to lead a young Wolf squad into a new season.

“Jennifer has been working hard and I expect great things from her and she expects great things from herself,” Wolf coach Troy Cowan said. “She will take the helm of our defense as our “sweeper.” Welcome back Cap!”

Coupeville, which went 6-7-1 and finished second in the 1A Olympic League last season, will face an uphill battle in 2015.

League rival Klahowya is the defending 1A state champ, and while it lost its top two players, McKenzie Cook and Izzy Severns, to graduation, the Eagles are still stacked.

“Tough team to deal with, lots of talented players on the pitch and a coach that is always well prepared and has a bench full of starters!,” Cowan said. “We will do our best and give them everything we have, no excuses and no backing down.”

While the Wolves lost eight players to graduation, Spark will have some familiar running mates and a strong group of promising freshmen will be fighting for immediate playing time.

Sophomore Mia Littlejohn is the top returning scorer, having netted three goals while winning Rookie of the Year honors last season.

“Mia’s versatility allowed her to play goalie to forward for CHS last year, but after an extremely successful European soccer tour, Mia’s offensive prowess will be on display full time this season!,” Cowan said. “No net will be safe this season, ciao…”

Junior Bree Daigneault and sophomore Sage Renninger (“she hasn’t missed a beat and her shot is better than ever”) join Spark and Littlejohn at the forefront, with Daigneault being named a team captain.

“I think Bree has surprised me the most. She really worked hard since last year and has transformed herself into something special,” Cowan said. “Not only is she a much more physically dominating player, but her leadership is profoundly distinctive and magnanimous.

“Bree has added quickness and ball control to her game,” he added. “She really came out of the gate on fire and hasn’t looked back.”

Two youngsters expected to make an immediate impact are freshmen Kalia Littlejohn and Lindsey Roberts.

“Kalia will be fun to watch this season, so everyone better come early because you may not want to miss the show this young striker is going to put on!,” Cowan said. “Not to be outdone, Lindsey has turned her golden track shoes in for spiked soccer cleats and we have been picking up the bodies ever since.

“This young, defensive-minded speedster with power in both legs has been anything but freshman like! Just dangerous.”

While the Wolves will miss the veterans lost to graduation, Cowan looks to the future, and sees a bright one.

“Our goals are simple; Stay positive, improve each and every half, give 100% effort, and never, ever quit!,” he said. “We are going to focus on what we can control and manage what we can’t!

“Our team strengths are our youthfulness and our high energy,” Cowan added. “We are very young and have some players with a lot of energy. We will be looking to capitalize on that energy and use it to gain momentum and turn it into our advantage.”

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We’re just here for the photo ops!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, tagged Bree Daigneault, John Fisken photos, Jovanah Foote, Kirsten Pelroy, Lindsey Roberts, Soccer on August 24, 2015| Leave a Comment »

CHS soccer players head out for a run, led by Ashley Smith (pink shorts) and Kirsten Pelroy (Coupeville Wolves shirt). (John Fisken photos)

Bree Daigneault (right), Lindsey Roberts (red shirt) and coach Troy Cowan share a moment, while Pelroy tries to launch a photo bomb in the background.

Daigneault, Jovanah Foote (Seahawks shirt), Pelroy and Roberts are old pros at this.

The biggest news seen here? The return of Jenn Spark (far right) who missed most of last year after a terrible injury.

Like I said, not their first photo shoot…

Eventually, they played some soccer. And were pretty dang good at it.

But first things first for the Coupeville High School girls’ soccer squad on Day #1 of practice for a new season.

Running? Well, yeah, eventually…

But take one team blessed with athletes who enjoy posing for the camera, and one rovin’ photo man in John Fisken, and the first day of practice was all about the photo ops.

Then CHS coach Troy Cowan got control of his team again and they went back to work, content in the knowledge that they had, once again, won the internet.

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Shooting stars sharpen skills!!

Posted in Girls Soccer, tagged CHS Wolves, clinic, Kalia Littlejohn, Lauren Grove, Sage Renninger, Soccer on August 18, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Two players share a laugh after battling for a ball during a drill. (John Fisken photos)

Sage Renninger works on her foot skills.

Having bounced outside after playing volleyball in recent years, Lauren Grove enjoys the sunshine and fresh air.

Kalia Littlejohn prepares to unleash the fury of her shootin’ foot.

Bree Daigneault is on the attack.

Lindsey Roberts looks for an opening in the defense.

Ema Smith navigates the cones during a drill.

Their foot game is strong.

With the start of a new season just around the corner, many of Coupeville High School’s female booters are taking part in a summer camp this week.

The camp, held at Fort Nugent, is running from Monday through Thursday. The first official day of high school practice is Aug. 24.

It’s the first summer camp sponsored by the North Whidbey Soccer Club, which means local players didn’t have to travel off-Island for once.

The camp, which is run by Nicholas Dziminowicz, a former D1 college player, has drawn a large response from Wolf players, who are accounting for about 70% of the attendees.

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