Sandpoint second
In order to find the last time the Bishop Kelly girls’ soccer team has lost a match, one would have to look clear back to the opening round of the state tournament in 2009. In that game, the Knights fell 3-2 in overtime to the Sandpoint Bulldogs.
After running the table up through the Idaho State 4A semifinals this season, the only team standing between the Knights and a state title was once again Sandpoint. But this time around, BK sophomore Celia Harrington’s goal lifted the Knights (24-0) to a 3-2 edge in the shootout, giving them a state title and the victory after a scoreless regulation and overtime Saturday at Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene.
The title was BK’s fourth in five years.
For the second straight day, the Bulldogs (7-7-3) were faced with a shootout, but unlike Friday’s match against Wood River – which ended with the Bulldogs winning the shootout – they ended up on the wrong side of a 3-2 result.
“It just speaks to the determination and the will of these girls as there hasn’t been a game in the second half of the season where they stopped playing,” said Sandpoint coach Julie Pitre, referring to the Bulldogs’ three overtime games in the state tournament.
“If any team could win a game in overtime it was ours, but it just didn’t go our way.”
Through regulation and both overtime periods, neither team gained much of an advantage, as they finished with 22 shots on goal apiece.
But in the ensuing shoot- out, Sandpoint had its second attempt blocked and its third and fourth attempts miss wide of the goal, while the Knights managed to bury three goals against Sandpoint keeper Hannah Griesemer, who finished with 15 saves in the match.
“(Griesemer) was solid here today, I was very impressed with her play,” Pitre said. “She came up with about four huge saves for us today. … When you get a save from your keeper (in the shootout) it’s big, and Hannah did that for us today. She dislocated her finger on the second kick and pushed through it.”
On the kick that dislocated Griesemer’s finger, the ball found the net, giving BK a 2-1 advantage. After two straight saves by Griesemer, though, Harrington snuck the ball inside the right post for her team’s third goal.
“We talked at the beginning of the game about winning at all costs,” BK coach Curtis Eisenberger said. “And in overtime we were just saying 1-0, 1-0 but it went to a shootout. … When it comes down to a shootout it’s an unfortunate way to end a game, but it was exciting to watch.”
Idaho State 3A: Samantha Simmons and Kayla Bowers each notched a pair of goals, and Timberlake (8-3-1) blanked Sugar-Salem 4-0 in the third-place match of the state tournament in Twin Falls. Keeper Malin Bergenholm finished with three saves to earn the shutout in the Tigers’ final match.
Boys soccer
Idaho State 5A: Admir and Mehmed Selimovic each scored goals and Derek Carver tallied 10 saves as Mt. View held off Lake City (10-6-3) 4-3 to earn third place at the state tournament in Idaho Falls. Tanner Horton finished with 25 saves for the Timberwolves in the loss. … Erik Anderson finished with two goals and an assist, leading Boise to a 3-2 victory over Coeur d’Alene (13-5-2) in the consolation championship.
Idaho State 4A: Andrew Bender had two goals and an assist and Kyle Peterson added a third goal as Moscow (9-9-1) topped Middleton 3-0 in the third-place match of the state tournament in Post Falls.
Idaho State 3A: Jose Ruelas, Eder Macias and Carlos Sarabia each scored goals and Wendell defeated Bonners Ferry (17-4) 3-1 to win the Class 3A state championship in Twin Falls. Aaron Moe scored the lone goal of the match for the Badgers, who took second.