State Soccer

A-1

When: Thursday-Saturday

Where: Simplot Sports Complex, Boise

Tourney format: The boys and girls eight-team fields are divided into two pools. Each team will play three matches. A World Cup point system will decide which teams play for *TAT trophies. Three points will be awarded for a win, one for a tie and none for a loss. The top teams in each pool will play for the state title. Teams with the next-highest points will play for third place.

Boys

Defending champ: Lake City (didn’t qualify)

Favorites: Timberline, Coeur d’Alene, Boise

Schedule: First-round matches Thursday (all at 8:30 a.m. PDT) - Group A, Sandpoint (12-3-3) vs. Skyline (12-1-3); Moscow (14-3-1) vs. Timberline (16-1-1). Group B, Coeur d’Alene (14-2-1) vs. Boise (12-4-2); Century (9-5-3) vs. Centennial (13-6).

Second-round matches Thursday (all at 1 p.m.) - Group A, Sandpoint vs. Timberline; Moscow vs. Skyline. Group B, Coeur d’Alene vs. Century; Boise vs. Centennial.

Friday, third-round matches (all at 10 a.m.) - Group A, Sandpoint vs. Moscow; Timberline vs. Skyline. Group B, Coeur d’Alene vs. Centennial; Boise vs. Century.

Saturday, trophy matches - Third place, 9 a.m.; Championship, 1 p.m.

At a glance: Last year, it was an all-North Idaho final between Lake City and Sandpoint. The teams were rich in talent and experience.

Coeur d’Alene, featuring 11 seniors, appears to be cut out of the same cloth as last year’s finalists. The Vikings’ stiffest challenge in pool play will come from traditional power Boise.

Sandpoint will have difficult matches with Timberline and Skyline.

The tournament was originally scheduled to be played at Ann Morrison Park. But officials changed the location to the Simplot Sports Complex Wednesday after deeming the fields unsatisfactory.

Girls

Defending champ: Timberline

Favorites: Timberline, Coeur d’Alene, Skyline

Schedule: First-round matches Thursday (all at 10:30 a.m. PDT) - Group A, Lake City (14-2-1) vs. Sandpoint (11-4-1); Bishop Kelly (10-3-5) vs. Pocatello (8-2-3). Group B, Coeur d’Alene (15-2-2) vs. Timberline (14-3-1); Skyline (12-0-2) vs. Eagle (10-6-2).

Second-round matches Thursday (all at 3 p.m.) - Group A, Lake City vs. Pocatello; Sandpoint vs. Bishop Kelly. Group B, Coeur d’Alene vs. Eagle; Skyline vs. Timberline.

Friday, third-round matches (all at noon) - Group A, Lake City vs. Bishop Kelly; Sandpoint vs. Pocatello. Group B, Coeur d’Alene vs. Skyline; Eagle vs. Timberline.

Saturday, trophy matches - Third place, 9 a.m.; Championship, 11.

At a glance: Lake City caught the attention of the state field with its 3-2 win over Coeur d’Alene in the A-1 Region I championship match.

The win put LC in the better of the two pools. The first-round match featuring LC and Sandpoint, last year’s state runner-up, means one of the teams will be knocked out of the state title chase early.

CdA opens against the defending champ, Timberline, which beat CdA 2-0 last year. Timberline was upset at district and had to win an elimination match to earn a state berth. The Viks are seeking revenge.

Viks senior striker Janee Andre owns the school’s 16-year career scoring and assist records. She’s scored 81 goals (20 this season) and has 27 career assists.

North Idaho could have a representative in the state title match for a second straight year.

Like the boys tournament, the girls tourney was scheduled for Ann Morrison Park. But it was moved after officials ruled that the fields at the original site were unsatisfactory.