Five minutes was all it took.
According to Coach Fran Einterz, five minutes ticked off the game clock was all South Whidbey needed to lose. It wasn’t the sort of admission a coach, or his team, likes to make.
On Tuesday the Falcon boys lost their second soccer game against Sultan, falling 5-2 on the Turks’ home field.
After losing its March 24 home opener 2-1 to the same squad, South Whidbey was looking to even the score this time around. But, said Einterz, who analyzed a videotape of the game for an hour later that evening, no amount of preparation could’ve made up for what he said were five minutes of bad luck.
During those minutes, the last five of the first half, the Turks scored three goals. Making things worse, during the bombardment a Turk striker closing in on the South Whidbey net accidentally kicked senior Joe Gunn in the head after the Falcon goalkeeper went down for a save.
The injury knocked Gunn out for a few seconds, but prevented him from returning to the game.
Einterz said Gunn’s gutsy showdown with the oncoming striker typified the efforts of the team.
“There’s not one ounce of quit in this group.” he said.
Gunn will likely play this weekend despite the injury.
With Gunn out of the game for the second half, senior goalkeeper LJ Godsey stepped in for what Einterz said was the senior’s best game of the season. He shut out the undefeated Turks in the second half.
“He was just peppered with shots,” Einterz said.
After watching his team play and lose to the Turks twice this season, he said Sultan — once considered the lowliest team in the North Cascades Conference — definitely has a chance to win the NCC this year.
“We just didn’t have enough to come back,” said Einterz.
Senior striker Adam Jaffe and junior defender Sam Rowley nailed the Falcons’ two goals of the game.
For the team’s next game, Einterz said he will try to patch together a lineup, as a few of his players are out with injuries. Senior defender Abe Smith-Groening is still out with an ankle injury from earlier this season, while another player suffered a broken toenail during the Sultan match.
South Whidbey drops to 3-4 in the North Cascades League and Sultan advances to 8-0 overall.
The Falcons next play at home Saturday against Mount Baker on Waterman Field. The varsity team will play at noon.
