Viks Dig In Against Bulldogs Win Gives Cda Edge In Nil Race

Coeur d’Alene High’s boys soccer team scored four goals Thursday. Credit some pizza and spit-wads with an assist or two.

From time to time, the Vikings gather for a team dinner the night before a big match to start the flow of competitive juices. Wednesday night it was pizza and pasta at Tomato Street.

Thursday it was dessert - a 4-1 pasting of visiting Sandpoint.

The victory vaulted the Vikings (9-1-1) past Sandpoint (8-1-2) atop the North Idaho League standings. If CdA defeats Lake City on Saturday, it will earn the league title and No. 1 seed in next week’s A-1 Region I tournament.

“We’ve been talking about (Sandpoint) all week, just getting together (for dinner) and messing around helps,” said senior forward Ryan Crandall, who scored the Vikings’ first two goals. “The last time we did it was before Sandpoint at their place and we tied 2-2. We’ll probably have to do it (Friday night) for Lake City.

“We had a spit-wad fight,” Crandall added, laughing. “That gets the intensity up.”

While the Vikings were energetic, the Bulldogs were casual.

“We didn’t mark well anywhere on the field,” Sandpoint coach Randy Thoreson said. “You can’t be 5 feet off your mark all day long and expect good results. They had way too much time to get a rhythm going. Normally our defense is in your face and tight. We just didn’t show up.”

CdA showed up enthusiastic, a signal to coach John Smith to expect good things.

“Some teams don’t need it, they can play real steady and at a good intensity all the time,” Smith said. “We need to come out fired up and stay that way. Our teams responds to that.”

Crandall was in the right spot on his goals. Kip Sharbono’s drive escaped the clutches of Sandpoint goalie Jake Luikens and bounced to Crandall at the mouth of the goal. He tapped home his first score in the 33rd minute.

The Vikings stunned Sandpoint with three goals during a 10-minute span in the second half. Similar to the first goal, Levi Link’s shot was stopped by Luikens, but Crandall was stationed perfectly for the rebound.

Less than a minute later, Cole Schwerin scored and CdA led 3-0.

Just 9 minutes later, Adam Owens put in the fourth goal.

“We kept trying to move the ball quickly on the ground the way we like to and I think it paid off,” Smith said. “The first couple goals weren’t beautiful, but it’s OK, we’ll take ‘em, especially against Sandpoint.

“The third and fourth goals came from good hard work, nice combinations and good passing. If we stick to that, it’s usually productive.”

Chase Mikklesen hit Sandpoint’s lone goal on a free kick from 25 yards late in the match.

“Usually we work it up with a lot of short passes and possession and we didn’t do that very well,” Thoreson said. “We’re better than the way we played. We’re real even with (Coeur d’Alene).”