The Lopez Lobos went down sliding and fighting, falling 7-0 to the Bear Creek team from Kirkland, on a day with frog-choking rain.

The Lopez soccer team forged through the mud with unabated zeal. Sebastian Lasbo dove up to his hip in a sliding save on the sideline to keep the ball in play; Arlen Coiley took at least five missile-like goal attempts to his chest in extreme trapping; defensive back Moira Crawford sent balls rocketing away from the Lopez keeper and Tahoma Wrubleski, Charlie O’Neil and Emmett Lawrence both kept up the offensive pressure with skilled footwork, gutsy passing and playing man-on or a zone game as the situation called. But the Lopez team did get anxious and players were pulled off assignments and zones in order to help a teammate out, and this led to a breakdown in a well-designed passing game.

Coach Richard Tetu said, “We played very strong, all of our players, and some with injuries that they did not tell me of until half the game was over. I think we became disheartened when the referee recalled a call on a goal kick in our favor that went to a corner kick. Bear Creek had already scored on us at that point and when we lost that opportunity morale slipped just a bit.” Despite the weather, all the Lobos went at the ball with gusto. Brooke Schober had several excellent tussles for the ball, Nate Drahn and Jordan Haber kept up a good back and forth between back and mid-field, feeding the ball over and over again to the Lobo offensive players, and Matthew Haber used his strong leg on several attempts at the Bear Creek goal from surprising distances. But Bear Creek, armed with a whole bench of subs and a huge roster, kept up the pressure on the Lopez defense and despite their great heart, Lopez fell in the end 7-0.

Coach Tetu said, “Our team won sportsmanship award for the week and that makes me very proud. We didn’t win on Thursday, but I am so proud of all these young people. Jordan Haber does so much and is so self-effacing as Team Captain. Tahoma Wrubleski made the all-star team in our league, and Jordan Haber and Sebastian Lasbo received honorable mention. All of my players will always be shining stars to me.”