Sandpoint soccer doubly victorious

It was double the pleasure for the Sandpoint High School boys and girls soccer teams at the State 4A tournaments last weekend.

The Sandpoint boys captured their seventh state title this decade, and second straight, while the Sandpoint girls, after two years in the 5A classification, returned to their state championship ways, collecting their fifth this decade.

For Sandpoint boys coach Randy Thoreson, the 2009 state title transcends the previous six.

“This is the best by far,” Thoreson said. “The first one is always special because it’s the first one. The rest are always special in their own right. Last year was the most fun because we were so good. This year, there were some serious doubts that we’d get out of regionals.”

The added element that made this year significant was the injury factor. There have been other years that the Bulldogs (16-2-2) have dealt with injuries, but this season was like no other.

First, two of the Bulldogs’ returning starters – Adam Crossingham and Anders Nostahl – were injured before the season started. Nostahl was dealing with double hip flexors. Crossingham suffered a strained MCL at a summer camp.

When the season started, Anders’ twin brother, Mikka, suffered a broken foot while training with the cross country team. Then the player who replaced Mikka at outside defender, Peik Wahl, suffered a shoulder separation.

That was followed by Matt Miller, another outside defender, suffering a deep bone bruise on his foot.

The Bulldogs also lost freshman goalkeeper Eric Wehse for two weeks with a concussion.

Senior Daniel Anderson, who led the Bulldogs in scoring for a third straight season and was named the Inland Empire League’s most valuable player for a second consecutive season, played injured all season.

“He had a groin issue most of the season, but he refused to acknowledge it,” Thoreson said. “Every time I asked him about it, he said, ‘I’m fine.’ But you’d watch him and he wasn’t fine.”

Sandpoint also had to deal with what most schools in the region dealt with this year: flu.

“At times we had just nine or 10 kids at practice,” Thoreson said. “Sometimes when I’d go to practice I wouldn’t know who would be there.”

The adversity continued in the state title match. Crossingham suffered a blow to the head in the Bulldogs’ semifinal victory and Thoreson decided to keep him out of the final for precautionary reasons.

Then in the 65th minute, with the score tied against Bonneville at 1-1, Anderson picked up a second yellow card, which prompted immediate removal from the match.

So, with about 10 minutes left, Crossingham decided he needed to play.

“I had a lot of reservations,” Thoreson said. “Everything was happening kind of fast and I went with it. Adam wanted to play. He immediately made a huge impact on the team. It was inspirational.”

Sandpoint got the game-winning goal with six minutes remaining when Nostahl took a pass from junior Tanner Williams and slotted it under the goalie into the net.

“The assist from Tanner was one of the prettiest passes I’ve seen all year,” Thoreson said. “He was on the right flank. He beat one guy and spun around and beat another. Then he hit Anders who was on a dead run. The whole thing was textbook.”

Sandpoint wasn’t through dealing with adversity, though. Nostahl was given a red card for – believe it or not – excessive celebration after scoring the go-ahead goal.

The Bulldogs had to play a man down the final six minutes. Oddly, it was an appropriate way for the season to conclude.

“It was a fitting ending,” Thoreson said. “It was right in tune with the whole season. These kids figured out how to get it done the whole year. I can’t explain it. These guys just had a knack for finding a way to get it done.”

Anderson, a four-year starter, had a big role in winning three state titles.

“This one is most special for me because I had to lead more and put a lot more into it,” Anderson said. “We had to overcome a lot.”

Senior Zac Linscott, a two-year starter at midfielder, was the lone senior who didn’t have to deal with injuries. He easily played the most minutes of all Bulldogs.

“Last year, the state title came easier,” Linscott said. “After last year people expected so much more from us this year. Winning the state title this year was so much tougher than last year. We did so much better than we expected to do, considering everything we had to overcome.”

The girls didn’t have the same adversity, but their season-ending feat was just as satisfying nonetheless.

Sandpoint’s most difficult match came in the state opener, when the Bulldogs knocked off two-time defending state champ Bishop Kelly 3-2 in overtime.

“It’s the most successful team I’ve had,” said Sandpoint coach Adam Tajan, who has coached four teams to state titles.

Sandpoint went 12-0-2 against all Inland Empire League teams and 13-4-2 overall.

“I’ve never had an undefeated league team,” Tajan said.

Sandpoint’s four losses were against Washington teams – Lewis and Clark, University, Pasco and Richland.

Tajan’s four seniors – Alicia Mertz, Elli Kiselica, Jessie Dexter and Savannah Engel – were defenders. They created a virtually impenetrable wall in front of the goal.

The Bulldogs had seven shutouts.

“Defense made us click,” Tajan said. “That’s where all of our leadership was at.”

The leadership started with Mertz.

“She brought not only the leadership on the field and the ability to step up in big moments, big game situations, but she really understood the importance of team chemistry,” Tajan said. “She knew they needed to be friends for things to click. She was the straw that stirred the drink. She brought the kids together.”

Mertz enjoyed her role.

“We really connected this year,” Mertz said. “We were all like one family. All the younger girls were all saying that they wanted to win state for us four seniors. Chemistry is so important because if you don’t get along with your teammates you’re not going to have much success.”

Kiselica agreed.

“We bonded real well,” she said. “It was one of the funnest teams I’ve played with.”