The good news: The Oak Harbor High School soccer team overcame a crushing 4-3 overtime loss to visiting Lynnwood Thursday, Sept. 22, to win 2-0 at South Whidbey Saturday.

The bad news: The loss was a conference match and the win was not.

In the Lynnwood (2-1-1, 3-3-1) match, Oak Harbor’s Gillian Crossley scored in the first half as the two teams entered the break in a 1-1 tie. Caylie Etherington and Lydia Peplinski each scored for the Wildcats in the second half to send the match to overtime.  Peplinski’s goal came off a corner kick by Kyra McConaghy.

“The girls played a great game,” coach Mike Lonborg said. He liked how his team “kept fighting back” after several questionable calls. “They showed a ton of heart.”

Individually, Mikhaela Cortez was a standout, he said.

“(She) played a great game. She has been a great asset running the defensive line.”

Oak Harbor won at South Whidbey (2-5-1) even though the Wildcats were missing four varsity players, including three starters.

“Tough game,” Lonborg said. “The girls were not used to the grass and it messed up the speed of play and the speed of the passing.”

Lenika Aguilar scored on a penalty kick in the first half, and then Etherington put the match away with a late goal from long range.

Oak Harbor (0-4, 2-6) plays Meadowdale (1-3, 1-7) at Edmonds Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27.