All sports are games of inches and the Oak Harbor High School soccer team found that out Tuesday, Oct. 18, as it lost 3-0 to Mountlake Terrace at Wildcat Memorial Stadium.

With the match scoreless, Oak Harbor thought it punched in a goal five minutes before the half, but the assistant referee ruled the ball was still touching the goal line and nullified the score.

Up to that moment, Oak Harbor was commanding the match, coach Jeff Laiblin said, and the goal would have added to its momentum.

Laiblin said, “Heartbreaker for us because we were in control of the game at the moment and playing some of our best soccer.”

He added, “This would have been a completely different game if that goal was allowed. It just adds to our frustration in the offensive end of the field we have been experiencing of late.”

Rather than up a point, Oak Harbor found itself down two minutes later when the Hawks (4-9-1) scored on a quick counter attack.

Laiblin said, “We pushed hard the complete second half only to come up short at the offensive end. Terrace scored two late counter-attack goals as we took more risks and pushed forward.”

Oak Harbor (0-10-3) goes to Marysville Getchell (1-8-3) Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m., and Laiblin senses a change in the Wildcats’ luck: “We are on the verge of breaking through, I can feel it.”