The Mount Si boys soccer team hit a rough patch last week, falling to league favorite Mercer Island despite hitting the Islanders with everything they had.

A penalty kick in the second overtime of the contest, held Tuesday, March 31, doomed the Wildcats in a 2-1 loss.

The game was scoreless throughout the first half, but action picked up for the second. In the 58th minute, the Islanders opened the scoring with a goal from Tyler Ybarra, who reeled in a pass from teammate Dominic Cristalli and fired it home past Mount Si goalie Cody Tipton.

The Wildcats responded seconds later, as Dyson Fowler ripped one into the net past the Islander keeper, taking a feed from teammate Alex Bolves to get the opportunity. Fowler’s goal tied things at 1-1 and sent the contest into overtime for the second straight game. However, unlike the Bellevue game March 27, which ended with a Wildcat 1-0 overtime win, Mount Si ended up on the short end of things.

In the 88th minute, within the second of two five-minute overtimes following the 80-minute regulation phase for high school soccer, referees awarded Mercer’s Jed Jacobson a penalty kick after a foul was called against the Wildcats within the penalty area. Jacobson punched it in and gave the Islanders the go-ahead goal. Mount Si had one last chance, but it went for naught and the Wildcats missed out on what could have been one huge early point in the standings.

That said, Wildcat assistant coach Ben Tomlisson said he, and the other coaches, were happy with the effort.

“It was another consistent performance and everybody that came on put in 110 percent,” Tomlisson said. “The boys can take some confidence from having now played three top-ranked teams in state.”

The Wildcats went to Liberty last Friday, April 3, and fell 2-0, with Dean Byron and Cody Sorteberg scoring for the Patriots.

Mount Si is at Interlake on Friday, April 10. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Following the game, the Wildcats will welcome the players and coaches from Bishop Heber High in Malpas, U.K., who will be in the Valley next week on a cultural exchange.

Among the events scheduled during the next week for the group from Bishop Heber are trips to Mariners and Sounders games, the chance to see American education as the students from the U.K. sit in on Mount Si classes with their Wildcat hosts and a trip up to Rattlesnake Ridge.

Feature events are a game next Thursday against the Wildcats at Mount Si High School and a tournament next weekend against club teams from around the area. Thursday’s game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

Students from Bishop Heder previously visited the Valley in 2007 and were warmly received by the community.