Those soccer gods can be cruel.

After losing its previous match in double overtime, the Coupeville High School soccer team lost 2-1 in a shootout at South Whidbey Tuesday, Oct. 9.

The two near misses are particularly painful because the Wolves are looking for their first win, and the last narrow loss came at the hands of their top rival.

Coupeville, playing solid defense, controlled much of the match with South Whidbey (4-6, 4-7-1), and the Falcons were content with lobbing what shots they could muster from long range.

The Wolves almost scored in the first 15 seconds when Madison Tisa-McPhee won a ball deep in the Falcon end, but the near miss would foreshadow what was to come.

Coupeville dominated early with strong play from the midfield of Haley Marx, Amanda d’Almeida and Ana Luvera, according to coach Dan d’Almeida.

Midway through the opening half, Makana Stone scored off a corner kick by Jen Spark. The goal snapped a five-match scoring drought.

The Wolves continued the attack. Amanda d’Almeida narrowly missed a goal off a left-footed corner kick and several other Coupeville shots almost found the net.

Ten minutes into the second half, South Whidbey split Coupeville’s two center defenders and trickled a ball by keeper McKayla Bailey to tie the score.

The near misses for Coupeville continued. Stone missed an open net and long shots by d’Almeida and Marx almost connected.

Coach d’Almeida said Marisa Etzell and Erin Rosenkranz “provided a nice spark in the second half.”

Neither team got many good looks in the two five-minute overtime periods.

In the five-person shootout, d’Almeida and Marx hit Coupeville’s first two shots but the Wolves’ third attempt was denied. The Falcons countered by hitting their first three to take the lead.

Bailey and the South Whidbey keeper both made saves on the fourth shots.

Coupeville lost when its final attempt to tie sailed over the bar.

Dan d’Almeida said he was proud of his team: “They did everything needed to win this game in regulation, but we just didn’t get the call or the luck to finish our chances. I commend the Falcons for not giving up after we scored first and battling hard to the very end.”

He added, “We may be winless but we are competing very well these past weeks, and with our stout defense and ever-improving attack, I like our chances for the rest of the season and into the playoffs.”

Coupeville (0-10, 0-12) hosts Sultan (1-9, 2-10) at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11.