Back in the game

The road to a state tournament is a long and winding one.

Sidelined for most of her senior season with a knee injury, Lake City High senior forward Alyssa Allen wasn't sure if she'd be able to help the Timberwolves on that journey.

But after a long recovery, she's back and playing again for Lake City, which opens the state 5A tournament at Meridian High on Thursday afternoon.

Allen sprained the medial collateral ligament in her right knee on the second day of tryouts Aug. 10, keeping her off the field for the first month and a half of the season.

"When I hurt it, I was thinking the worst-case scenario," Allen said. "All I was worried about was getting back on the field."

Doctors had told her that the injury might only take two or three weeks to heal.

After spending three weeks trying to rehabilitate the knee, Allen still felt pain - which still keeps her on the sidelines at times during matches.

"None of them were positive what was really going on," Allen's mother Tacey Keylon said. "They guessed an MCL sprain, but she's still got a lot of pain. Since the only thing she could do was cheer on her teammates and bring treats, that's what she did."

Allen didn't return until nine weeks into the season against Lakeland on Oct. 4.

"It was probably the hardest thing I've had to do," said Allen of sitting on the sidelines. "To go from starting and playing every minute of every match to the bench was extremely frustrating."

At one point, Allen considered leaving the team.

"When I first got back, I didn't have the ability that I did before I got hurt," Allen said. "I never thought I'd be the same."

Once she was able to get off crutches, she began going to physical therapy and weight training to strengthen her knee.

"That was the first time I'd starting doing weights," Allen said. "Once I started doing that, my knee got stronger, but I couldn't run side to side."

Lake City girls soccer coach Matt Ruchti said that her time away helped her grow both as a teammate and as a person.

"I think she learned a lot about herself through the recovery stages," Ruchti said. "Alyssa thought she'd get better, and it would be things as usual. That has not been the case. It has been a long road back."

Allen scored her first goal of the season 3 minutes, 41 seconds into the Timberwolves' 3-2 win over the Coeur d'Alene Vikings in the semifinals of the 5A Region 1 tournament, which clinched a berth to state.

"After scoring that goal, I felt like I was back to my former self," said Allen, who plans to play at North Idaho College next season. "Scoring that goal was very emotional for me."

Allen, who wears a protective brace on her right knee, added another goal before halftime in the match.

"It was more of a mental block," said Allen of playing with the injury. "I wouldn't want to try and tackle anyone. I really didn't want to risk my scholarship to NIC, but coach (Matt) Ruchti made me get over it."

"The biggest obstacle has been the mental side of recovery for her," Ruchti said. "Players become afraid after injuries. The goal she scored was the first time I think she really attempted to strike the ball with her injured leg since her return."

Just a week before regionals, Allen reinjured the knee in a collision with Lewiston goalkeeper Emily Moscrip during a 2-0 win over the Bengals on Oct. 8.

"The keeper tackled me and I was on the ground screaming and crying," Allen said.

Lake City junior forward Taylor Hoffman was sure that she'd be back following the setback against Lewiston.

"She wasn't worried about being hurt," Hoffman said. "All she was worried about was playing Coeur d'Alene in regionals."

Allen scored eight goals as a junior as the Timberwolves won the regional title with a victory at Lewiston in 2010. She was an all-5A Inland Empire League selection.

"She??s been very inspiring to us this year," Hoffman said. "It's good to have her back. Knowing how we work together helps bring out the best in me. She's pretty much the only person I can hear on the field."

Allen knew she had to remain focused once she returned from injury.

"We just need to remain patient and good things will happen," Allen said. "But I'm not a patient person."

Originally, Allen wanted to play soccer at the University of Montana, where her uncle, Tim Bush, was once a football standout for the Griz.

Bush graduated from Kellogg High in 1999 and was an All-American defensive end for the Grizzlies. Bush started his Montana career as a walk-on and later became a key part of a national championship in 2001.

"He worked harder than anyone else on the field," Allen said. "He went from a walk-on to almost playing in the NFL. With him, it came down to work ethic and that's what I learned the most from him. I want to be better than everyone else on the field. I'm really competitive and soccer is in my heart, just like football was in his."

Bush was killed in a mining accident in June of 2010 near Silverton and Allen pays tribute to Bush by writing his name and No. 91 on her soccer cleats.

"I've got a list of quotes from him that get me fired up for the matches," Allen said. "I used to point to the sky after I scored a goal because of him. It was a really sad thing that happened."

Bush's death was a factor in her decision to ultimately remain closer to Coeur d'Alene after attending a soccer camp at the University of Montana shortly after the accident.

"It was definitely hard to go to that camp," Allen said. "I'd see pictures of him on the walls from his time playing football. It was an eerie feeling, but I was happy to know that he was being remembered. But I don't have to travel far away and the closeness will help me be more mentally prepared to move away. I was probably going to go to NIC regardless because of the scholarship."

Lake City (10-4-3), which has won six of its last seven matches, opens the state tournament against Boise (13-3-1) on Thursday at Meridian High.

"We haven't done that well as a team down there," said Allen, whose team went 0-2 at state last year. "Winning would mean the world to me, especially if I'm a factor. This is my last year to make an impact and I expect the rest of my team to do the same."

Allen will join former Lake City teammates Haley Spivey and Kellee Tilson next year at NIC, coached by Dan Hogan.

"I like the way he coaches," Allen said of Hogan. "He's a little more 1-on-1 and gives you confidence as a player. The college level will be a faster pace and better than high school."

Allen played for Hogan during club soccer for the Coeur d'Alene Sting.

"Alyssa made great strides last year as a player," Ruchti said. "That's what got the attention of NIC. She has been an integral part of the program the last couple of seasons. I look forward to watching her compete at the next level."

State soccer schedules

Times PDT

Thursday

Game 1 - Skyline (9-2-2) vs. Borah (8-7-2) at Eagle High, 8 a.m.

Game 2 - Mountain View (15-1-1) vs. Lake City (9-6-2) at Rocky Mountain, 8.

Game 3 - Boise (16-1-1) vs. Eagle (10-5-3) at Eagle, 10:30.

Game 4 - Post Falls (16-0-2) vs. Centennial (8-4-5) at Eagle, 1 p.m.

Friday

Game 5 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 at Eagle High, 8 a.m. (loser out)

Game 6 - Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 at Rocky Mountain, 8. (loser out)

Game 7 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 at Eagle, 10:30.

Game 8 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 at Eagle, 1 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 at Eagle, 9 a.m. (consolation championship)

Game 10 - Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 at Eagle, noon (third-place match)

Game 11 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 at Rocky Mountain, 6 p.m. (championship)

at Brothers Field, Caldwell

Thursday

Game 1 - Burley (8-6-4) vs. Caldwell (9-9-1), 10 a.m.

Game 2 - Lakeland (11-4-3) vs. Bonneville (16-2-0), 10.

Game 3 - Skyview (17-1-1) vs. Preston, 1 p.m.

Game 4 - Blackfoot (12-2-2) vs. Minico (11-5-3), 1

Friday

Game 5 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game loser, 10 a.m.

Game 6 - Loser 3 vs. Loser 4, 10

Game 7 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 1 p.m.

Game 8 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1

Saturday

Game 9 - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 a.m. (consolation championship)

Game 10 - Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, noon (third-place match)

Game 11 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 at Middleton High, 6 p.m. (championship)

at Vallivue High, Caldwell

Game 1 - Teton (12-3-0) vs. Fruitland, 10 a.m.

Game 2 - Filer (7-7-4) vs. Bonners Ferry (7-9-1), 10

Game 3 - Payette vs. Community School (10-4-2), 1 p.m.

Game 4 - Snake River vs. Gooding (9-3-3), 1

Friday

Game 5 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10 a.m. (loser out)

Game 6 - Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 10 (loser out)

Game 7 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 1 p.m.

Game 8 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1.

Saturday

Game 9 - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 a.m. (consolation championship)

Game 10 - Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, noon (third-place match)

Game 11 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 at Syringa Middle School, noon (championship)

see SCHEDULE, B4

SCHEDULE

from B2

Thursday

Game 1 - Highland vs. Mountain View (10-3-4) at Meridian High, 8 a.m.

Game 2 - Boise (13-3-1) vs. Lake City (10-4-3) at Meridian, 8.

Game 3 - Rocky Mountain (13-1-3) vs. Meridian (13-7-1) at Rocky Mountain, 10:30.

Game 4 - Lewiston (9-5-3) vs. Timberline (11-3-3) at Meridian, 1 p.m.

Friday

Game 5 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 at Meridian High, 8 a.m. (loser out)

Game 6 - Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 at Rocky Mountain, 8 (loser out)

Game 7 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 at Meridian, 10:30

Game 8 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 at Meridian, 1 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 at Meridian, 9 a.m. (consolation championship)

Game 10 - Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, at Meridian, noon (third-place match)

Game 11 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 at Rocky Mountain, 3:30 p.m. (championship)

at Brothers Field, Caldwell

Thursday

Game 1 - Twin Falls (11-2-2) vs. Kuna (13-4-2), 10 a.m.

Game 2 - Sandpoint (5-8-5) vs. Madison (10-5-1), 10

Game 3 - Bishop Kelly (19-0-0) vs. Century, 1 p.m.

Game 4 - Hillcrest (16-0-0) vs. Wood River (13-3-2), 1

Friday

Game 5 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game loser, 10 a.m.

Game 6 - Loser 3 vs. Loser 4, 10

Game 7 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 1 p.m.

Game 8 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1

Saturday

Game 9 - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 a.m. (consolation championship)

Game 10 - Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, noon (third-place match)

Game 11 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 at Middleton High, 6 p.m. (championship)

at Vallivue High, Caldwell

Thursday

Game 1 - Community School (13-4-1) vs. Kellogg (9-2-3), 10 a.m.

Game 2 - Marsh Valley vs. McCall-Donnelly, 10

Game 3 - Weiser vs. Bliss (11-5-1), 1 p.m.

Game 4 - Timberlake (8-7-2) vs. Teton (13-1-2), 1

Friday

Game 5 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 10 a.m. (loser out)

Game 6 - Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 10. (loser out)

Game 7 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 1 p.m.

Game 8 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1

Saturday

Game 9 - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 a.m.

Game 10 - Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, noon

Game 11 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 at Syringa Middle School, 9 a.m. (championship)