Coupeville High School soccer team played its best game of the season, but the loss may have been the most painful.

The Wolves fell 2-1 in a shootout at Sultan Friday, March 29.

Just over 20 minutes into the match David Skinner scored for the Turks, but Coupeville responded quickly. Within a minute Jeremy Copenhaver converted the Wolves’ first goal of the season to even the match.

From there the teams battled through a scoreless second half and two sudden death overtime periods.

Coupeville coach Paul Mendes said, “Our goal put us right back in the game, and it was an intense back and forth match.”

Sultan (1-3, 2-4) out-dueled the Wolves 5-4 in shootout kicks to sneak away with the win.

Coupeville nearly won the match in the first overtime when Nathan Kircher broke through and went one-on-one with Sultan keeper Danny Arroyo. Kircher fired a shot that was stopped by “a superb save” by Arroyo, according to Mendes.

The Wolves also had a chance to win in the shootout, leading 4-3 when a miss or save would wrap up the match.

Mendes said the Sultan player “struck the ball well, and our goalkeeper Kolton Kellison got a good read on it diving to his left. He got an outstretched hand on it, but it was hit with enough power that it still managed to go trickle in.”

Although his club lost, Mendes was pleased with the effort: “We played our best game so far. Our defense held together well and we came back after conceding a goal. It was a great comeback effort, and once again this group fought hard right to the end.”

Coupeville (0-4, 0-5) faces first-place Archbishop Murphy (3-0, 4-0-1) at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at Mickey Clark Field.