Sandpoint girls lacrosse beats Spokane Stealth, 8-5

(Photo courtesy of STEPHANIE AITKEN) Sandpoint Cutthroat’s Berkeley Cox fends off a Spokane Stealth defender in a May 4 home game.

(Photo courtesy of STEPHANIE AITKEN) Karlie Banks (front left) tries to break away from a pair of Spokane Stealth defenders in Sandpoint’s 8-5 win.

by Nancy Dooley For Bee
| May 15, 2019 1:00 AM

(Photo courtesy of STEPHANIE AITKEN) Karlie Banks (front left) tries to break away from a pair of Spokane Stealth defenders in Sandpoints 8-5 win.

The seventh/eighth grade Sandpoint Cutthroat Girls Lacrosse team kicked off its home opener with an 8-5 win over Spokane Stealth on May 4.

The team was buoyed by the play of rookie goalie Kennedy Phillips. Phillips had seven saves at the net for the young Cutthroat Lacrosse team and her adeptly played clears helped Sandpoint transition from defense to offense throughout the game.

Sandpoint got off to a fast start with a quick goal by Rowan Davis off the fast break. Davis would go on to score three additional goals throughout the afternoon; her four goals were a game-high.

Davis’s first goal was followed by a blistering corner shot by Alexis Downs. Mere minutes into the game, Sandpoint had a 2-0 lead, yet the offense didn’t stop there..

Downs saw the back of the net again off of a pass from Riley Hardy, who snagged possession off the draw. Cassidy Aiken chipped in another goal with a shot right in front of the goal.

Although Spokane answered back with a goal of their own, Sandpoint countered with an additional goal by Davis to close out the half with a 6-1 lead.

Spokane was not to be counted out.

The Stealth girls kicked off the second half with four unanswered goals that changed the momentum of the game. Spokane came within one goal of tying Sandpoint, which struggled to control Spokane’s fast breaks off the draw.

Sandpoint, however, relied on its defense to get back into the game. Defenders Karlie Banks, Bella Baker, Terra Bode and Priya Sullivan gave Sandpoint a chance by limiting Spokane scoreless after its four-goal spurt to start the second half.

Throughout Sandpoint’s second-half resurgence, Berkeley Cox and Riley Hardy made plays in the midfield by capitalizing on Spokane’s turn-overs and moving the ball back into Spokane territory. Hardy had a game-high nine ground ball scoops.

Laura Boge’s goal and one more from Davis in the final minutes of regulation time put the final touches on Sandpoint’s 8-5 win.

The Sandpoint girls lacrosse team will travel to the Spokane Laxfest in Airway Heights for multiple games from May 17-18.

Sandpoint will host the SanJam Tournament at Great Northern Field on Saturday, May 25.