SHS claims girls IEL soccer title

COEUR d'ALENE - So when is a tie as good as a win?

When it gets you a league championship, it's always good.

Bailey Hewitt went low to the right post on a penalty kick at 62:34. Coeur d'Alene goalkeeper Christine Woeller got a piece of it, but it wasn't enough to keep Sandpoint off the board.

Thursday's 1-1 tie was enough for Sandpoint to dethrone the reigning Inland Empire League champion Vikings for their first 5A IEL title.

"At the beginning of the year, every single one of us set our goals as win league, win district and win state. So this is everything," said Hewitt. "It was their senior night and they had a lot of momentum we had to deal with and I thought we did a good job staying with it."

This is a role reversal of sorts. Last year Coeur d'Alene won the IEL title at home, then lost the 5A Region 1 championship to Sandpoint.

The one thing they can both agree on, with the Region 1 runner-up having to play a Boise-area team in Lewiston in a state play-in game, no one wants to be that team.

"We knew we were going to have to beat these guys three times and the third time is going to be the most important toward doing what we want to this year, which is go to state," Coeur d'Alene coach Tarragh Carr said. "Yeah it's a tie. Yes it's upsetting. But (the regional championship) is the one that matters because no one wants to play the play-in game.

"That one is a nightmare, you're playing one of the top teams from Boise on three days rest."

As for the game at hand, the Vikings (9-4-4, 6-0-4 IEL) and Bulldogs (11-3-4, 7-0-3) played to a 1-1 tie for the second time this season.

Coeur d'Alene senior Sadie Simon shook loose on the far post as Rachel Crawford sent a free kick in at 33:36. Sandpoint goalkeeper Kelsey Windju was blocked on the play and the ball came all the way through and it was just a simple toe poke for Simon to give Coeur d'Alene the early lead.

"Sandpoint is always tough for us. We play really even. We just need to be even more up next time we play and I'm just going to keep that on my mind, move forward and focus on the next game."

Sandpoint had a couple of chances in the first half as the Bulldogs struggled against a stellar Viking defensive effort.

Sandpoint senior Brittany Oakley had a good chance at a header in the 17th minute, but Woeller picked off her head as the two collided in front of the goal.

Ellie Engel had a breakaway, driving inside the 18, but her left-footed rocket went all the way across the mouth of the goal, wide right.

They finally had their chance when Hewitt was taken down in the box, setting up the tying goal with a little less than 20 minutes remaining.

"I knew where I was going from the beginning, low and right," Bailey said. "(Woeller's) good in the air, so I kept it low. We changed our offense up today, bringing Oakley up top, which gave us another power striker and they couldn't just focus on me. I thought that helped a lot today."

Sandpoint coach Adam Tajan knew coming in that a draw or win would clinch the title.

"You never know how your team's going to respond when they score first. But we've been talking about this matchup all week," he said.

"And when we scored, it was total relief. I thought how we built up to our opportunity with lots of knocking the ball down, swinging it around to the sides and get some crosses in. But shoot, league championship, Sandpoint vs. Coeur d'Alene, it's good."

No. 4 Post Falls (4-10-1, 3-6-1) will host No. 5 Lewiston (5-11, 2-8) on Saturday. The winner will play at No. 1 Sandpoint on Tuesday.

No. 2 Coeur d'Alene will host No. 3 Lake City (5-4-6, 3-2-5) on Tuesday and the 5A Region 1 championship will be at the site of the higest seed on Thursday.

First half - 1, Cd'A, Sadie Simon (Rachel Crawford) 33:36. Second half - 2, Spt, Bailey Hewitt (penalty kick) 62:34.

Shots on goal - Sandpoint 5, Coeur d'Alene 6.

Saves - Spt, Kelsey Windju, 5. Cd'A, Christine Woeller, Coeur d'Alene, 2.