Bonners Ferry downs St. Maries for 3A District 1-2 championship
<p>St. Maries High Sean Brannigan, left, tries to keep his on track to the ball as he is leaned on by Bonners Ferry High's Hayden Wakkinen in the first half of the 3A Region 1 tournament championship game Thursday in Rathdrum.</p>
RATHDRUM — Andre Zirotti scored both goals for the Bonners Ferry Badgers as they defeated the St. Maries Lumberjacks 2-0 in the 3A District 1-2 boys soccer championship game Thursday at Hico Field to advance to the state tournament as the top seed.
Zirotti scored in the 10th minute on a header and again in the 64th on an assist from Alek Mendez.
“They got the ball on a breakaway and Andre made a good play,” St. Maries coach Chris Renaldo said. “We played well on defense, but just didn’t get it done today. We knew what they were going to do, and Bonners did it well today. They’re a good team.”
Bonners Ferry (15-3-0) opens state tourney play at the Sunway Soccer Complex in Twin Falls next Thursday at 10 a.m. PDT vs. the winner of a Saturday play-in game.
Judd Sempel had eight saves for St. Maries (7-8-3), which travels to Lewiston on Saturday to play Weiser in a state play-in game at 2 p.m.
“Judd always does a good job for us in goal,” Renaldo said. “He made some plays for us to keep us in the game today.”
First half — 1, BF, Andre Zirotti (unassisted), 10:00. Second half — 2, BF, Zirotti (Alek Mendez), 64:00.
Shots on goal — SM 3, BF 11.
Saves — SM, Judd Sempel 8. BF, Mat Evans 2.