LC shoots into state

Neither team likes to see a well-played soccer match decided by a penalty kick.
Lake City, however, which defeated Coeur d’Alene 1-0 with a penalty kick in the 5A Region I girls championship game Thursday, disliked it a little less – particularly since LC lost that way in last year’s championship.
The Timberwolves (10-7-3) advance to the state tournament, Thursday through Oct. 29 at the Capital Soccer Complex in Boise.
Coeur d’Alene (13-4-1) travels to Lewiston to take on defending state champion Eagle in a play-in match Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Eagle defeated Bishop Kelly 2-0 in the District III fifth-place match Wednesday to earn its spot in the play-in.
Thursday’s match between cross-town rivals pitted the top-seeded Vikings against No. 2 LC, a team Coeur d’Alene had beaten once and tied once during the regular season.
It became apparent early on that the Timberwolves’ game plan was to pack their defense and then take offensive chances only when they arose.
LC got one of those chances in the 10th minute, when Vikings goalkeeper Jennica Lowell came off her line for a kick and let the ball get past her. Sophomore forward Emma Hawn sped past and controlled the ball in front of an empty net but was unable to shoot before Lowell had recovered.
In the 39th minute, the referee ruled LC freshman Kaitlyn McDonald was pulled down from behind on a breakaway down the center of the field just inside the penalty box.
T-Wolves coach Matt Ruchti chose Ciara Kremer to take the penalty kick. The sophomore, who Ruchti said was the first one to step up for the task, didn’t disappoint, left-footing a low bullet into the back of the net just right of a falling Lowell.
“I always like kicking the PKs,” said the left-footed Kremer, admitting to feeling butterflies in her stomach before the shot. “I just connected and put it away.
“I’ve been working on it in practice, so I was pretty confident – you never like it to be decided by a penalty kick, but we’ll take it.”
The Vikings, who possessed the ball in the CdA end for almost the entire second half, were not without opportunities.
The best came in the 75th minute, when freshman forward Sadie Simon found herself alone in front of an empty goal after LC goalkeeper Nichole Powers mishandled a ball that trickled to her right.
Simon hesitated a split second before firing, allowing Timberwolves senior Elizabeth Young to dart in and deflect the shot, which was right on target.
The Vikings had another decent shot on the ensuing corner, but Young again stepped in for the deflection, and time ran out moments later.
Not surprisingly, Ruchti gave most of the credit to what he called the “huge” play of his defense, which allowed the Vikings just six shots on goal.
“I think we have one of the best defensive players in the league, who just came back two games ago – Joanna Clark,” Ruchti said. “And we have two other seniors, so there’s a lot of experience there.
“Those girls are finally stepping up and coming together.”
CHS coach Tarragh Carr, whose team allowed LC only seven shots, reflected on the match and looked forward to Saturday.
“I just mentioned to the girls that sometimes things happen for a reason and we have another chance at it – we’ll just have to go down another path to do it,” said Carr, whose criticisms of the game’s officiating were numerous. “It was a tough game, and it was a tough loss, and to lose it on a penalty that was an unclear penalty makes it even worse . It’s not a nice way to win, and it’s not a great way to lose, either.
“One thing that is for sure is that these girls deserve to go to state.”
A pair of red cards were handed out in the final minute, which both coaches said was allowed to get out of hand by the referee.
For what that official deemed “violent contact,” neither CdA senior Tawni Griffitts nor LC sophomore Ali Houghton will be eligible to play in their teams’ next matches.