Girls rout Kuna for fifth crown
It’s not how you start, but how you finish that gets remembered.
That is the lesson the Sandpoint girls soccer team will bring home from the 2009 state tournament, along with the State 4A championship trophy after a 7-2 rout of Kuna in Saturday’s title match at Syringa Middle Schoolin Caldwell.
Sandpoint, which trailed Bishop Kelly 2-0 at halftime of Thursday’s first-round match before rallying for a 3-2 victory, rebounded from those 40 rocky opening minutes by outscoring its opponents 16-3 the rest of the way en route to its fifth state title and first since 2004. The Bulldogs competed at 5A in 2007 and 2008.
“I love these girls,” said senior co-captain Alicia Mertz, who scored two goals for the Bulldogs on Saturday. “We all just click really well, and we were able to get the job done.”
Junior midfielder Melinda VanDyk also scored two goals for Sandpoint, which grabbed an early 3-0 lead against Kuna (17-5-2) and never looked back. Sophomore forward Ellie Engel added a goal and two assists for the Bulldogs. Sophomore Courtney Windju and freshman Meghan Pagano rounded out the scoring with a goal apiece.
“We just came out with great energy,” Ellie Engel said. “We really wanted to win this for our four seniors.”
Those seniors – Mertz, Elli Kiselica, Jessie Dexter and Savannah Engel – were instrumental for a squad that finished 14-4-2 overall and capped its season with victories in the 4A District I and state tournaments.
“These girls had a great year,” Sandpoint coach Adam Tajan said. “This is the most successful group we’ve ever had at Sandpoint.”
•Other games: Angela Nash scored the match’s only goal off an assist from Marlee Elmer in the 47th minute as Lake City (8-5-5) defeated crosstown rival Coeur d’Alene 1-0 in the girls 5A consolation game at Meridian High. Coeur d’Alene (12-7-3) had defeated LC in penalty kicks at districts and once in the regular season. The teams tied in their other meeting. Brianna Loper notched the shutout. … Community School edged Bonners Ferry (6-7) in the girls 3A consolation game at Vallivue High. No details were available.