Bulldogs shut out by Lake City, suffer first loss

SANDPOINT — It just wasn't the Bulldogs night.

After falling 2-1 to Sandpoint girls soccer last Friday, Lake City dominated play Thursday at War Memorial Field to capture a 2-0 Inland Empire League win over the Bulldogs (2-1, 1-1 IEL) and even the season series.

"I don't think there were a lot of positives out of that game," head coach Conor Baranski said. "We got out-tactic-ed, we got outworked ... It could've been worse."

Sandpoint only mustered four shots in the game and struggled getting any meaningful attack all match. It was the Bulldogs third game in a week to start the season and Baranski admitted fatigue impacted the team.

"I think fitness played a role," he said. "I think some of our players are so unfit that they can't be effective right now."

Senior goalkeeper Hattie Larson kept the Bulldogs in the game with her 14 saves. But on a Lake City corner in the 66th minute, Larson collided with a swarm of players in the box while trying to make a save and dislocated her finger. She left the game with the injury.

The Timberwolves (2-1, 2-0 IEL) were awarded a penalty kick on the play and sophomore Kelsey Cessna stepped in at goalie. Lake City's Lily Tweedy buried the ball in the top left corner to give the team a 2-0 lead.

Kameryn Nadeja then played the rest of the match in net for Sandpoint.

"We beat them last week out of pure grit and determination," Baranski said, "and I knew then that it wasn't our tactics that got it. We have a lot of players in new positions, we have a lot of players that are new to the system we want to play and we didn't get punished for it last game. We got punished for it this game."

Lake City scored its first goal of the game in the 16th minute when a deflected cross found the foot of Taytum Curtis who fired a shot into the net past a diving Larson.

The Timberwolves had 17 shots on goal in the game.

Baranski was pleased with the performance of junior midfielder Piper Frank and Cessna, who played defender, forward and goalie all in one game.

Baranski said Cessna does everything she's asked to do and more.

"Nobody can question how hard Kelsey Cessna wants to win," he said. "This is a sophomore just leading by example."

Baranski said he isn't upset with the team's play because it's early in the season and every player is still trying to find their role.

"Besides the video that we can hopefully learn from, that's kind of a throwaway game for us," he said.

The Bulldogs will face Coeur d'Alene at 4 p.m. next Thursday at War Memorial Field.

First half — 1, LC, Taytum Curtis (Kali McKellips), 16:00. Second half — 2, LC, Lily Tweedy PK, 67:00.

Shots — Sandpoint 4, Lake City 17.

Saves — Sandpoint, Hattie Larson, 14, Kameryn Nadeja, 1; LC, Hailey Jo Parks, 0.