How do you deal with 50-knot wind gusts during a playoff soccer game?

Depends which way the wind is blowing.

“If the wind’s at your back, you want to kick the ball hard,” explained Falcons Coach Paul Arand.

“If it’s in your face, you want to keep the ball on the ground,” he added.

Easy to say, but it was tough going for both sides during South Whidbey’s 2-0 loss to Archbishop Murphy (16-3) at Bulldog Stadium in Mount Vernon on Saturday.

The girls ended the year at 7-7 in the Cascade Conference and 11-9 overall. ATM moves on to the next playoff round.

Falcons sophomore Christine Johnson recalled it was hard to even stand sometimes.

“When I threw it in the ball would pause in mid-air and there was no way to tell which way it would go. I never did get used to that,” she said.

“My whole body was really tired by the time I got home that night,” Johnson added.

At one point the wind caught the ball and goalie Amelia Cave had to jump up and grab it. Just before the break, someone’s jacket whipped across the field until it was grabbed by a referee.

In the stands, loyal South Whidbey soccer fans huddled under blankets and head-warmers, doing their best to get their yells heard above the wind.

The first goal from Wildcat Andrea Gaitan came 10 minutes into the game on a header.

In the second period, Emma Nelson took advantage of some confusion at the net to slam one in past Cave.

“That’s how ATM does it,” Arand said. “They’re fast and physical; even factoring the wind they always move at high speed. That being said, I think we played a solid game, one of the year’s best.

“And they didn’t move the ball better than us. But, they were able to take quality shots and eventually scored,” he said.

Both coach and players were disappointed with the loss, but realistic. The team lost eight seniors last year. This year, lead scorer Karissa Thomas was lost to injuries. Arand knew from the start it would be a building year.

“We tested new players and brought up several from JV — Megan Larmore, Laura Barrow, Shannon Craig, Julia Iversen, Anna Lennon — who played extremely well,” he said.

Grace Itaya ended up high-scorer for the season with 20 goals and seven assists. Kelsey Kimmel added seven goals, Annie Doran contributed four.

Johnson said she can hardly wait for next season. “This was my first time on varsity and it felt like being part of a family. And great fun all around.”

Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or sports@southwhidbeyrecord.com.