Bulldogs blank Bruins in 4A state opener

COEUR d’ ALENE — Sometimes the biggest plays of the game don’t make it onto the stat sheet or box score, and such was the case in Sandpoint’s 2-0 blanking of Twin Falls on Thursday in the 4A girls state soccer tournament at rain-soaked Lake City High School.

Led by three separate game-changing defensive gems, and a pair of clutch goals by juniors Riley Couch and Nan Kiebert, the Bulldogs (7-8-2) once again showed that you can’t judge a team by its record at state, shutting down the Bruins (14-5) and their high-scoring offense.

Less than five minutes into the game, senior defender Heidi Skinner made a huge tackle to save what appeared to be a sure goal, after goalie Paige Dumars came out high and the Twin Falls player slid around her, dribbling into an open net but unable to pull the trigger as Skinner got to the ball just in time.

The second big defensive play also came early in the game, as Dumars once again came out to the top of the box but could not stop the Twin Falls shot, which was rolling slowly into an open net before junior Madi Schoening raced to catch the ball and kick it just wide of the net, saving another would-be goal. Schoening banged her knee on the post in the process, which made a scary sound, but luckily was uninjured and remained in the game.

“We (defense) got split, and I had to chase after it and nailed the pole,” described Schoening, a shutdown defender who felt her team played a solid opener. “We kept a lot of composure in the box, and came together as a unit.”

Riley Couch got the Bulldogs on the board in the 10th minute, when Rachel Meyer fed a pass into the middle of the box and Couch stung a left-footed shot past the keeper. The Bulldogs’ continued to control possession early, and struck again in the 22nd minute, when Schoening blasted a shot from 25 yards out, the Twin Falls goalie had it bounce off her chest right to Kiebert, who was crashing the net and kneed the ball just inside the post for the insurance goal.

The final key play came in the second half, as Twin Falls moved up players to try and equalize. Once again a Bruins player was wide open in front of an open goal, but Ariss was able to close and make a slide tackle, knocking the ball away at the last possible second to prevent yet another goal.

Part of the Bulldogs’ gameplan was to have Dumars, who has exceptional speed for a goalie, come out high to try and snuff out the Bruins’ attack, which scored in double digits six times on the season.

“Our plan was to have Paige push out, and to do that, we need to have her covered,” said Bulldogs head coach Conor Baranski, who felt his team rose to the occasion and handled the nerves that can flare up at state. “We came out super confident. I didn’t want them to be intimidated by the atmosphere, and they weren’t.”

Sandpoint faces Middleton (13-6), a 2-1 winner over Century on Thursday, in the semis today, at 11:30 a.m. at Lake City High School.

First half — 1, Spt, Riley Couch (Rachel Meyer), 10:00. 2, Spt, Nan Kiebert (Madi Schoening), 22:00. Second half — None.

Shots on goal — TF 10, Spt 11.

Saves — TF 7; Spt, Paige Dumars, 9.