Bulldog boys suffer another heartbreaking shootout loss in districts
SANDPOINT — It’s hard to see any season come to an end, but when it ends in the fashion that Sandpoint’s did on the last three days of the season, it’s an even more bitter pill to swallow.
Starting with the loss of a coin flip on Saturday, and ending in a tough 2-1 shootout loss to Moscow in the loser-out game of the 4A Region 1 boys soccer championship Tuesday at Pine St. Field, it all added up to a rough end to the season.
Unfortunately, it’s an end Sandpoint head coach Adam Tajan knows all too well. Regulation ended with a 1-1 tie, and after two scoreless 10 minute overtimes, the Bulldogs fell 4-1 in a penalty kick shootout, an abrupt end to a season with high hopes for a state title.
“To be honest, it’s all too familiar a feeling. I’ve lost a handful of games in a shootout. When it goes to that, it’s anyone’s game,” said a disappointed Tajan “We were rock solid yesterday in penalty kicks at practice. We knew it wasn’t going to be a pushover. They hadn’t won a league game and we hadn’t lost, but a coin flip put us in a loser-out game.”
The No. 3 seed Bears (5-8), who were swept by both Sandpoint and No. 1 Lakeland in league play, got on the board first when Joey Cooke took a ball at midfield on a quick counter strike and dribbled straight at keeper Kyle Hertel, blasting it past a diving Hertel for a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute.
The No. 2 seed Bulldogs (11-3-3) would look to their junior leading scorer for the equalizer, and Dawson Mulder delivered with his 11th goal of the season to tie the game in the 60th minute. The junior with the blistering pace of play outraced a Bear defender to a misplayed ball, juked past him on the end line and then cut back in before punching a perfect angled shot past the keeper.
“He was a workhorse all season,” said Tajan of Mulder, who had a couple of near misses for the game winner as well. “He sells out and puts everything out on the field, in practice and games. You couldn’t ask more of a player.”
Nick Rapoport had a strong game in the midfield, and had a point blank shot in the second half that appeared headed for the goal before ricocheting off a Bears defender.
Moscow out-shot Sandpoint 7-5, and had several great scoring chances as well, with Hertel turning back shot after shot with some diving stops among his six saves.
“Nick stepped up and played well in the midfield,” said Tajan, who liked how his team responded after falling behind 1-0 in a loser-out game. “They guys battled back and showed some grit.”
In the shootout, Moscow made its first three penalty kicks, while Sandpoint had its first blocked and second sail high, before making the third one. Once Moscow’s fourth shot found the back of the net, it was over.
Since Sandpoint and Lakeland were each 2-0-2 in league play, and the goal differential was the same, the final tie-breaker was the coin flip, which proved to be a big one.