The Coupeville High School soccer team was short on players but not short on effort in a 5-0 loss at Cedarcrest Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Coach Troy Cowan called the contest “frustrating” because his club was shorthanded.

“The 12 available players gave me everything they had,” Cowan said. “We lost three starters to injuries and three additional players were lost from being ineligible for academic reasons.”

The Wolves played Cedarcrest (6-2, 6-4) tough the first half, trailing only 1-0 at the break.

“Ultimately the numbers game caught up with us,” Cowan said. “I was proud of the 12 who matched a talented team’s energy and intensity for as long as they possibly could, but not many teams could have withstood the onrush that we faced.”

Cowan lauded the play of Makana Stone, Tori Wellman and May Rose.

He said Stone “continues to play hard and impress”; Wellman found another gear last night and shut down the right side of the field and played some impressive defense”; and Rose “played awesome,” provided “constant pressure” and “was flying all over the field.”

Cowan said, “We will keep working hard and get ready for the next match. These girls are fighters and there is zero quit in them.”

Cowan also singled out the support of the fans who traveled to Cedarcrest to back the Wolves on the road.

Coupeville (1-7, 1-8) takes on Granite Falls (3-5, 3-6-1) at Mickey Clark Field at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10.