The Wolverines boys soccer team played another tight game against the Vikings Tuesday, Oct. 11.

“What a fun game yesterday. I want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who came to cheer us on yesterday. We appreciate all of the island support and energy that is brought to Linde field for our home games!” Coach Brett Paul said.

Both teams came out fired up and feeling the energy from the first game in September. The first half felt quite equal, both in possession and attack with the ball. Friday Harbor first got on the board 15 minutes into the game when Alden Carli broke free of defensive pressure and released a shot to the lower left corner of Orcas’s net. The score was now 1-0.

Orcas equalized the score only six minutes later off a Friday Harbor clearance and a quick counter-attack. Less than two minutes after Orcas’s 1-1 equalizer, Owen Conde Raggett played a quick two-pass give-and-go with Alden Carli who played a through ball back to Owen Conde Raggett to make the score 2-1. At the 32-minute mark, Orcas equalized a second time off a corner kick making the score 2-2. “Four goals back and forth between both teams within just 15 minutes made for quite the emotional rollercoaster for anyone watching on the sidelines,” Brett Paul said.

In the second half, Orcas drew a foul into the Wolverine’s goal box and scored their PK, “which ultimately decided the final score of 3-2.,” Paul said, adding that Friday Harbor’s Colby Border had an incredible defensive game at the fullback position and Jasper Williamson was a strong physical presence for us in the midfield. Paul also gave kudos to Orcas’s #2 Tommy Anderson-Cleveland. “He had a great game and facilitated a lot of Orcas’s offensive play,” Paul said. “As a team, we feel really fortunate to play Orcas, a top-tier 1b/2b team in the state at the moment, twice in our regular league play. Playing against an opponent like them, at this point in the season, exposes our weak points which allow us to better prepare for the post-season and ultimately the chance for a state championship.”

According to Paul, the Wolverines are still pretty fired up about the game and eager to start making improvements.

“I won’t be surprised if we face the Vikings again once, if not twice, in playoffs and the state tournament. That’s an exciting prospect to think about now that we’ve each won a game against the other this season,” Paul said.

The team’s next home game is Friday, Oct. 21 at 4:30 on the Linde Community Fields where they take on Lynwood’s Cedar Park Christians.