Coeur d’Alene Charter defeats Timberlake for State 3A soccer championship

TWIN FALLS, Idaho - Coeur d’Alene Charter dominated its two matches with Timberlake during the regular season, only to see the Tigers get the more timely head-to-head win at districts.

In the 3A girls soccer championship game Saturday, the shoe went back on the other foot.

Mary Nicklay’s 56th-minute header separated the two teams, giving Coeur d’Alene Charter its first girls soccer championship with a 1-0 victory.

Content to sit back and play counterattacking soccer, the Panthers fashioned few chances but pounced on their best one. Katie Barker’s corner kick found an unmarked Nicklay six yards from goal, and she made no mistake with a well-placed header.

“She made a perfect cross, and it just got through everyone right to me,” said Nicklay.

It was the fourth time the teams played this season. Coeur d’Alene Charter won three of those games and outscored Timberlake 8-1.

On Saturday, though, the Tigers were largely the aggressors. They enjoyed long stretches of possession, but couldn’t consistently turn that advantage into quality scoring chances.

Their best chance came from the penalty spot in the 66th minute. Allison Kirby stepped up to take a penalty kick, but her placement was just off and the shot rattled the crossbar and the Panthers cleared.

That spurred a 10-minute stretch where Timberlake created four good scoring opportunities, but none found the back of the net.

“We had chances, but we couldn’t make the most of them,” said Timberlake coach Steve Michael. “But we have never played for a state championship before. … The girls should be proud.”

It didn’t take long after the game was over for the spectre of a 2015 rematch to arise. Timberlake loses just five seniors from this year’s squad, Coeur d’Alene Charter only three.

3A

Community School topped Bonners Ferry 2-0 in the consolation championship match in Twin Falls.