Teamwork carries CdA

Tarragh Carr knew the opportunity would come.

Her Coeur d’Alene High girls soccer team had dominated the ball most of the Inland Empire League match against visiting Lakeland, including hitting a goal post or two on a gorgeous Thursday afternoon.

Making things just a tad more difficult was a funky defense the Vikings were facing: a 4-5.

The opportunity finally came with 16 minutes remaining when junior forward Kaylee Nowoj slipped between Lakeland defenders, taking a pass from sophomore Sadie Simon. Nowoj lifted the shot into the left corner of the net, just past outstretched Lakeland goalie Amanda North.

That goal stood up as league-leading Coeur d’Alene topped Lakeland 1-0.

“They were patient,” Carr said of her players. “We were playing against a 4-5-1. They (the Hawks) didn’t come here to win the game, they came here not to lose to us. To break that (defense) down, you have to be patient, you need to work together. They did that.”

The win raised CdA’s record to 8-2-0 in league, 10-4-1 overall. Lakeland dropped to 6-4-0, 8-4-1.

After Lakeland fell 3-1 to CdA earlier in the season, it was apparent what the Hawks absolved to do. They were content to wait for an opportunity.

And a golden one presented itself with just more than 7 minutes remaining. Senior forward Natalie Nichols squeezed through CdA’s defense and fired a shot that hit the far post and caromed away.

“We had another girl coming on the back side and she just couldn’t get her foot on the ball,” Lakeland coach Mario Maddy said. “The game was going to be decided by a break, and they got the break. We just didn’t quite get the breaks that we needed at the end of the game.”

CdA’s eight seniors were playing their final regular-season match at home. The emotion of the match never fazed them, though.

“I’ve got to give it to our seniors – they’re all about business,” Carr said. “They’re here to get the job done. That was nice to see.”

In the middle of a lot of the action was senior midfielder Tara Roetter. She controlled every ball that came her way.

“I was really proud of our defense,” Roetter said. “We were playing a different formation (three defenders), so it was harder for them. It was a whole team effort.”

“Tara had an unbelievable game, as did our back three (Megan O’Rourke, Courtney Walker and Jessica Smalley),” Carr said. “Not only were the defenders making all the long defensive runs, but they were running the entire back line.”

Maddy, meanwhile, wasn’t disappointed in the least.

“I’m extremely pleased. We played our best and hardest game that we’ve played all year,” Maddy said. “And (CdA) is probably the best team we’ve played all year. They’re a great team.”