High school soccer teams making progress

The Lady Braves soccer team gained a win in town last Thursday. Lydia Grossglass and Maicy Bowles scored goals and Josi Straathof and Annika Keith recorded key saves for a home non-conference victory over Forest Ridge Sacred Heart High of Bellevue. The La Conner girls’ soccer team (2-2) was slated to open league play at home Tuesday opposite Friday Harbor.

Boys soccer

The Braves soccer team, meanwhile, played NW2B power and defending state champion Friday Harbor on nearly equal terms at home Friday afternoon.

The Wolverines, with the wind at their back, bolted to a 2-0 halftime lead before holding on for a 2-1 victory.

Rueben Hall scored for La Conner after the break and Hadden Zimmerman almost deadlocked matters with a long shot that sailed slightly wide right in the waning moments.

La Conner was looking to square its ledger after opening with a 1-0 shutout loss at Lopez Island.

Braves’ head coach Galen McKnight lauded his entire roster afterward for having competed hard against Friday Harbor. He singled out goalkeeper Tyler Cicotte – who made several clutch saves in just his second-ever start in the net – and Kale Navarrette Higgins for outstanding play.

“It was a hard-fought match,” said McKnight. “I thought Tyler was awesome. He had lots of saves. And Kale played great, too.”

Cicotte said he wasn’t nervous facing the defending state champs.

“I got the nerves out of the way in that first game at Lopez,” he said.

Next up for the Braves, who were at Mount Vernon Christian on Monday, is Friday’s (Sept. 22) visit to Concordia Christian Academy in Tacoma.