Lopez Island Orcas Island  Visitor's Guide 
about usadvertising ratesarchivesart and entertainment in the San Juan Islandsstories about businesses in the San Juanscalendar of eventsclassified adscolumnists
contact usstories about environmentstories about ferrieshealth-related storiesletters to the editor Links to sites San Juan Islanders may find useful non-profitsobituaries
peoplereal estatesheriff logsportshelp support your local newsthings to dovolunteer opportunities

SPORTS


Email this page to a friend

Related Stories

SPORTS PAGE

SCHEDULE AND LINK TO STORIES


Stories from 2003-2004 Season

Wolverines dropped by University Prep 2-1;
Play for third Saturday at 10 am

Photos by Matt Pranger

Story by Ian Byington of San Juan Island Update

posted 11/19/04
Midnight struck for Friday Harbor’s Cinderella season as the Wolverines were upended 2-1 by University Prep in the State semifinals Friday afternoon (Nov. 19, 2004). The loss leaves the Wolverines playing Saturday morning for the third place trophy against the loser of the Mount Vernon Christian/St. George’s High match.

The loss was the first in 19 games for the Wolverines (18-1), marking the first time in school history a soccer team has gotten this far in the post-season. "It’s too bad," said FHHS head coach Ron Duke afterwards. "Still, it’s been a great season. We’ll see what tomorrow brings."

University Prep came out firing in the first half, swarming the Friday Harbor midfield and disrupting the normally poised Wolverine attack. The Pumas managed a 12-5 advantage in shots in the first half, and pickpocketed the highest-scoring attack in the state over and over.

FHHS lost steady freshman defender Louis Paul for the rest of the match with fifteen minutes to go in the half when he hit his nose and chin on the head of a Puma midfielder.

The Wolverine defense held, though, until Puma senior forward Kyle Montgomery dodged a tackle at the top of the penalty area, faked left, and rolled a low ball shot to far right corner of the net with only 35 seconds left in the first half for a 1-0 advantage.

Friday Harbor answered only 29 seconds into the second period, however, as sophomore midfielder Mario Nunez left two defenders behind and got off a long cross from the right to the far post, where junior forward Felipe Lopez scooped it up and in to tie the game 1-1. "They weren’t ready for that pass across the front of the goal," noted senior midfielder Carl Billington. "We sure could have used one more like that."

The teams traded possessions the rest of the way, with FHHS playing much more aggressively the rest of the game.

With 19 minutes left, UP decided the day with a breakaway by junior midfielder Jeff Zbikowski perfectly placed under diving keeper Paul Guard. The Wolverines threatened for the last 20 minutes, with a header by Nunez from Lopez just wide with fifteen to go, and a shot by senior Hank Schuman to the right low corner inches from glory with two minutes left.

"We passed much better in the second half," senior midfielder JoHannes Paul said. "We got away from the long ball and went for the short passes that we do well. It was hard to defend with their fast forwards – they kept us pretty busy. Still, it was a good game."

Coach Duke agreed."We didn’t play our game in the first half. When we settled down, it works."

The Wolverines take on the loser of the St. George’s/Mount Vernon Christian game at 10am Saturday, Nov. 20, 2004 at Curtis high in Tacoma in the third place game.

Wolverine notes: The two goals allowed by the Wolverines were the most since the first game of the season, when FHHS beat Mount Vernon Christian 3-2...Senior John Fryqvist win the "sportsmanship of the game" award winner by the WIAA...FHHS will be honored before Saturday’s match as the state’s Academic Award winner for the boys’ soccer squad’s cumulative grade point average.


FHHS Boys Soccer Reaches for the Stars at State:
Tacoma Welcomes the Wolverines

Story by Ian Byington of San Juan Island Update

Friday Harbor (18-0) takes their high-scoring show on the road this weekend, hoping to return with a first-place trophy after playing Friday and Saturday in Tacoma. (BRACKET)

The surprising Wolverines swept past Bear Creek in the quarterfinals 3-0 last Friday, earning the right to play University Prep (16-1-1) in the semifinals this Friday. UP won the Emerald Valley League this season, and beat the only team to beat them last Saturday to advance.

The state-ranked #1 Wolverines cobbled together their unbeaten streak with goal-scoring from all corners, making 90 for the season so far. The attack is supported by a defense that has allowed only six goals all season. The team leads the state in both categories by a wide margin.

One measure of University Prep's dominance of its league: It has five of the league's top seven scorers. The UP attack features quick Afi Catellani-Clark (13 goals, 3 assists during the regular season) at forward, whose speed and ball control befuddled the Seattle Academy defenders last Saturday. He's joined by league leading scorer Bart Bangert (15 goals, 5 assists), backed by a quick midfield and a sturdy defense which only allowed 11 goals during the regular season.

"We have to play the same game we've played all year, and we have to play it well," said FHHS head coach Ron Duke. "If we are aggressive on loose balls, we should be fine."

If successful Friday afternoon, on Saturday the Wolverines will face either Mount Vernon Christian for the fourth time this year (Friday Harbor won 3-2, 4-0, and 4-0) or St. George's High from eastern Washington. If the boys lose, they'll play for third place Saturday.

According to Duke, the team is happy to be there, and more. "There's a real sense of joy at practice this week. They feel like they have a good shot."

Wolverine notes: Game time for Friday's match is 2pm at Curtis High School in Tacoma. The Championship is the next day at the same place at 2pm; the third place game is at 10am, so the Wolverines will play Saturday regardless of the outcome of Friday's game.....Remarkably, Friday Harbor is close to injury-free this late in the season. Felipe Lopez's nagging ankle sprain is nearly healed, and three players are shaking off colds from the early part of the week, but everyone should be healthy for Friday....Mount Vernon Christian earned its trip to the semis with a 3-2 upset of #3 ranked Overlake last Saturday...with its scores Friday, the 2004 Wolverines have set school records for most goals scored, least goals allowed, most wins in a season, and most fun had by a FHHS soccer team.

[Ian Byington helps cover soccer for the San Juan Islander. The long time high school and middle school coach directed the FHHS girls soccer team in its early years, and also covered professional soccer for the newspapers in Portland. He currently publishes the online San Juan Update on San Juan Island, beginning its eighth year this month.]

SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2010

editor@sanjuanislander.com

About Us | Advertising Info | Contact Us | Privacy Policy