BOARDMAN - Sometimes, a loss can be the next best thing to a win, particularly if it's a better loss than the last time.

The WP Tigers could not prevail in their second matchup against Riverside in Board­man, but they performed much better than earlier in the season faced with the best team they'll play all season, assistant coach Jay Potts said about Friday's 3-1 loss against the Pirates.

"It was a fun game to watch and be a part of," Potts said. "Riverside is the best team we'll see all year. We held our own."

The Pirates scored first in the 28th min­ute, giving the home team a lead before the half. Two minutes into the second half, Ivan Figueroa tied the game on an unassisted strike. Riverside came right back with the tie-breaker in the 48th minute, followed in the 70th minute with a third goal to put the game away 3-1.

"That was a huge improvement for us," Potts said about the Waitsburg Prescott squad which lost to Boardman 8-0 in the opening week of the season, when many of its starters were still awaiting eligibility.

"We figured we wouldn't give up eight goals and we didn't," Potts said. "We'd like to have won, but 3-1 is good. Riverside is really good. We won't see a team that good again."

Christian Caro "was busy," Potts said, racking up 22 saves, many of which were from hard Pirate strikes on goal.

The team, which now has Carlos San­doval back as center back, is played more assertively in their games against the Pirates, moving on both sides of the field to generate scoring opportunities, Potts observed.

It's uncertain if WP will host Riverside Christian from Yakima on Wednesday as scheduled, but the game against St. George on Friday is set in stone and the Tigers are looking forward to the chance to be victo­rious over their toughest opponent in the league, Potts said. WP lost to the Dragons earlier in the season.

"We're really gearing up for Friday," he said. "We know we can beat them."