Soccer: Coupeville rally falls short

The Coupeville boys soccer team just ran out of time as it lost 3-2 to King's at home Tuesday, March 23.

The Wolves spotted the Knights a 3-0 lead before putting on a furious rally over the final 18 minutes.

Coupeville coach Paul Mendes said, "We defended well the first 25 minutes until King's scored on a very well taken free kick that no pro goalkeeper could have stopped."

Mendes said his club had some opportunities on "some dangerous counterattacks" near the end of the half but could not convert.

After an evenly played beginning of the second half, King's struck again at the 55-minute mark.

Mendes said the "goal stunned us." The Knights quickly added another goal against the shaken Wolves to go up 3-0.

Mendes added, "We did not quit, however, and kept pressing."

The Wolves' Ben Hayes finally found the back of the net for Coupeville at the 72-minute mark and the momentum swung to the Wolves. Six minutes later Spencer Tack made it 3-2.

Mendes said, "Our second goal made the closing minutes very intense with end to end action. We threw everything we could at them. I am quite proud of our comeback effort. King's is one of the top teams in our league and we did not back down."

The match was the season opener for King's and the conference opener for both teams. Coupeville is now 0-2 for the year.

The Wolves host Granite Falls Thursday, March 25, at 6 p.m.

Contact Whidbey News Times Sports editor Jim Waller at jwaller@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-675-6611 ext. 5060.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.