Sequim Gazette staff

The Wolves almost got to the next level.

Playing as the fourth seed from the Olympic League, Sequim (9-7 overall, 29 points) lost 1-0 on May 11 at Foster High School to the Franklin-Pierce Cardinals (13-3, 39 points).  

The Cardinals’ lone strike came on a counterattack, Wolves’ coach Dave Brasher said, when Mitchell Baumer scored in traffic 19 minutes in with the ball trickling past goalkeeper Dorian Halverson, who was caught by surprise.

“It was a frustrating game,” Brasher said. “They played well and it was a game we could have won. We had a half dozen good chances.”

Sequim outshot Franklin-Pierce 12 to nine, and was without injured freshman goalie Austin Wagner and junior Nick Baird who was red-carded against North Kitsap on May 6.

“(Halverson) did really well. He made two really good saves against a corner kick header and another nice shot he pushed wide,” Brasher said.

The rest of the team mixed it up well, Brasher said, led by Eli Berg.

This season, he was uncertain how a group of freshmen would mix with the five seniors — Halverson, Donovan Lee, Mason Barrett, Kendall Perlwitz and Omar Flores — but he was pleasantly surprised.

“This whole year, in every game they never gave up,” he said. “All the games we lost were close except against North Kitsap.”

In the summer, juniors and sophomores look to join a summer league and the freshmen will play with the Storm King Select.

“I’m really excited for the off-season,” Brasher said. “I’m going to have high expectations for next year.”