Submitted by Gene Helfman

The Friday Harbor Wolverines brought their 5-0 record to 1-4 Lopez on Saturday, Sept. 29. If anyone expected that differential to lead to an easy Friday Harbor win, they were in for a surprise.

Lopez scored first after just 10 minutes when Avery Conner executed a perfect throw in to Galen Westerveldt, who slammed the ball into the back of the Wolverines’ net. Friday Harbor tied things up ten minutes later and added another goal at the 35-minute mark. Westerveldt evened the score nine minutes later with a left foot kick over the Wolverine’s keeper’s head and just below the bar. Friday Harbor scored a minute later and was ahead 3-2 at the half.

The second half was played evenly until Friday Harbor scored 15 minutes in, but Westerveldt answered with his third goal as he headed the ball in 20 minutes later. The game ended 4-3 with Lopez pressing hard and Friday Harbor hanging back on defense.

Lopez keeper Lichen Johnson stopped just about every ball that came his way. Two of Friday Harbor’s four goals were scored after defensive miscues that led to shots that even a professional soccer player couldn’t have stopped.

The Lopez boys and girls were upbeat after the match, feeling they had played their cross-channel rivals evenly. All but one of Lopez’s losses this season have been by a single point, including a tie-game shootout against Grace Academy. Coach Justin Honeywell was generous with praise, saying confidently, “The kids played really hard and clearly did their best. We’ll get them next month on their field.”

Lopez has home matches against Mt. Vernon Christian on Oct. 9 and Orcas on Oct. 12, and at Friday Harbor Oct. 23.