Vikings wrap up title drive
In three matches at the State 5A tournament, the Coeur d’Alene girls soccer team scored just three goals.
Thanks to a stingy defense and an outstanding performance by junior goalkeeper Amanda Wemple, those three goals were enough to win all three.
Coeur d’Alene’s magical run to the 5A state championship came to a fitting end Saturday as the Vikings blanked Boise 1-0 to claim their first state championship since 1991.
“I am so proud of this team,” Vikings coach Tarragh Carr said. “They are wonderful girls and they worked so hard to get to this point. They deserve this, and I am thankful that I got to be their coach and ride their coattails to this moment.”
The Vikings followed the same blueprint that got them to the championship match, playing solid defense, controlling the ball in the neutral zone and capitalizing on scoring chances.
This time, it was Tara Roetter who scored the winner, punching home a rebound off a partial save on Marissa Poorboy’s corner kick in the 19th minute of the first half.
Wemple and the defense took it from there, turning aside numerous Boise scoring chances down the stretch. Wemple made seven saves in the game and finished the tournament with 24 saves and one goal allowed in 260 minutes.
“Amanda and the defense were incredible,” Carr said. “They did their job in every game we played.”
The win was a fitting end to a dramatic weekend. The Vikings squeezed past Timberline in Thursday’s opening round, surviving two overtimes and a shootout thanks to 14 saves by Wemple.
On Friday, the CdA defense came through again, allowing just three shots on goal in a 1-0 win over Skyline.
While the defense was dominant, the offense did just enough. Roetter, Taryne Ela and Sadie Simon scored regulation goals and the Vikings went 5 for 5 on penalty kicks in the shootout win over Timberline.
By beating Boise in the championship match, the Vikings scored a rare victory for District 1 over District 3. The Boise-area schools have dominated state soccer for the past decade, but this weekend, it was Coeur d’Alene’s turn to shine.
“This means so much to our school,” Wemple said. “To come down here and win the championship and beat a Boise team, it’s just great. I’m so excited right now, I can’t really express it.”
There will be a celebration assembly held in the Vikings’ honor Monday morning at CdA High.