Never give up, never give in and keep hustling!

Those words were the motto for the Coupeville girls soccer team in Tuesday’s match against the undefeated and league-leading Cedarcrest Red Wolves.

The gritty ladies from Coupeville actually out-played the mighty Red Wolves in the second half but were trailing 9-0, and that was how the match ended.

Cedarcrest peppered Coupeville goal keeper Olivia Anderson with 21 shots in the first half, finding the net nine times.

In the second 40 minutes, Ashley Manker took over in the goal crease and the freshman turned back 12 shots to hold Cedarcrest scoreless.

“It’s a great feeling just playing in the game,” Manker, who was nearly at a loss for words, said at the conclusion of the match.

The Red Wolves dominated the match in the first half, forcing Coupeville into a defensive mode of play.

“We did really well in the second half, we were passing the ball and playing good defense,” coach Kim Sherman said. “They have a good team and have beaten everybody this season.”

With Manker in the net, the Lady Wolves were energized and had a couple of scoring opportunities against Cedarcrest goal keeper Amanda Johnson.

“We were trying to get a goal so we wouldn’t get shut out, but we kept them from getting one. That was good,” senior sweeper Kim Kisch said.

Sherman said the girls are concentrating on their individual accomplishments and working to improve every time they play a match.

“They know they’re playing teams that have all-star players on their rosters and play year-round. Teams that play travel soccer all year and spend a lot of time and a lot of money,” Sherman said. “They know what we’re up against and we try to focus on our own individual strengths and try to prepare. We’re getting better and the girls never gave up and didn’t let the first half score get their spirits down.”

Coupeville hosts Granite Falls in another Cascade League match at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10.