Bulldogs and 5A champ Timberwolves play to tie

SANDPOINT — Two of the better girls soccer teams in Idaho squared off in an early-season friendly, and when the dust had settled from the fast paced affair, Sandpoint and Lake City left the pitch with a 4-4 tie in nonleague girls soccer action Tuesday at Pine St. Field.

The Bulldogs (1-0-1) came out with some fire, dominating possession and taking a 2-0 lead after Casey Shaha scored a pair of goals six minutes apart, the second a pretty goal after she gathered a nice through ball from her sister Claire and blasted in a high, bending shot.

Courtney Cydell cut the lead to 2-1 after blasting a ball that re-directed off a Sandpoint defender and past the keeper, but the Bulldogs took their second two goal lead of the game after Riley Walkington was fouled right in front of the goal, leading to a penalty kick from Hadley Marshall and a 3-1 lead.

“They’re the 5A defending state champs, and we were up two goals. I told my players we should be disappointed, that we should have won,” lamented Bulldog head coach Conor Baranski, noting two of the T-Wolves goals came by way of deflection and essentially an own goal. “We had two breakaways that we missed and created better chances. Kudos to Lake City for fighting back.”

The Timberwolves (0-0-1) turned things around in the second half, when Hannah Clark scored the first of her two consecutive goals to equalize the game at 3-3 with 30 minutes left.

Shelby Mohler answered with her first varsity goal to give the Bulldogs another lead, but Cydell would tally her second goal of the game to tie things at 4-4 in the 72nd minute, as the Timberwolves created several strong chances late and finally capitalized.

Defender Bridget Rieken might have made the save of the game, dropping back into the net for a kick save when it appeared Sandpoint had beaten the keeper with a shot in the last few minutes of the game.

“Sandpoint is always one of the most well coached teams we come across all year. Conor does a great job, and they will challenge for the 4A,” claimed Lake City head coach Matt Ruchti. “It was a tale of two halves. We’re still trying to figure out what our identity will be. I was disappointed in the first half, and proud of the second half.”

Sandpoint is at Lewiston on Saturday against their third straight 5A opponent.

First half — 1, Spt, Casey Shaha (Riley Walkington), 7:00. 2, Spt, Casey Shaha (Claire Shaha), 13:00. 3, LC, Courtney Cydell (unassisted), 35:00. 4, Spt, Hadley Marshall (penalty kick), 38:00. Second half — 5, LC, Hannah Clark (Annika Wilson), 45:00. 6, LC, Clark (unassisted), 50:00. 7, Spt, Shelby Mohler (Emi Lynch), 64:00. 8, LC, Cydell (unassisted), 72:00.

Shots on goal — Spt 14, LC 12.

Saves — Spt, Shea Kilpatrick, 7; LC, Marley Lambert, 5, and Capi Halladay, 5.