Bulldog boys win 2OT thriller
CALDWELL — In a wild game that featured a whopping six goals in a frenetic 25 minute span of the second half, a golden goal by Tanner Williams in the second overtime proved to be the one that mattered most, propelling the Bulldogs past Skyview 5-4 in the first round of the 4A state soccer playoffs at Brothers Park in Caldwell.
The reigning 4A state champion Bulldogs (14-2-2) got all they could handle from Nampa power Skyview (17-2-0), as the two teams went toe-to-toe for nearly 100 minutes of what Sandpoint coach Randy Thoreson termed “extremely hard-fought soccer.”
Daniel Anderson scored the game’s first goal on a penalty kick, before Skyview nailed the equalizer and the first half ended tied at 1-1. The second half would feature considerably more pyrotechnics.
Adam Crossingham scored off an assist from Tanner Williams in the 45th minute, before Skyview’s Jason Vasquez answered one minute later with the first of his three second half goals to make it 2-2. Crossingham’s second goal of the game tied things up at 3-3, before Vasquez scored his final goal in the 62nd minute to give his team a 4-3 lead.
Jansen Rinck scored his first goal of the season off an assist from Zac Linscott for the crucial equalizer, tying the game at 4-4 and ending a prolific goal-scoring stretch of play in the 70th minute, as the teams would head into overtime.
Tanner Williams scored his 13th goal of the season off an assist by Peik Wahl eight minutes into the second 10 minute overtime, giving Williams a golden goal and preventing the Bulldogs from going into a shoot-out to decide the winner.
“It was a great game. Two good soccer teams ended up playing each other in the first round, which is pretty stupid, but that’s the way it goes,” said Thoreson after the game, which was very physical with players from both teams cramping up. “Crossingham had an outstanding game and everyone played well. We need to get a few things organized in the back four, I don’t like letting in that many goals.”
The Bulldogs face Hillcrest (10-7-2), a 4-1 winner over Wood River, today at 1 p.m. in the second round.
First half — 1, Spt, Daniel Anderson (penalty kick), 11:16. 2, Skyview, 32:00. Second half — 3, Spt, Adam Crossingham (Tanner Williams), 45:00. 4, Sky, Jason Vasquez, 46:00. 5, Sky, Vasquez, 51:00. 6, Spt, Crossingham (Zac Linscott), 60:00. 7, Sky, Vasquez, 62:00. 8, Jansen Rinck (Linscott), 70:00. Overtime — None. Second overtime — 9, Spt, Williams (Peik Wahl), 8:00.