3A DISTRICT 1-2 BOYS SOCCER TOURNAMENT: Timberlake boys lose on PKs

COEUR d'ALENE - For a school that fielded a boys soccer team this fall for the first time in school history, the second-seeded Timberlake Tigers can do one thing despite losing to the top-seeded Bonners Ferry Badgers 2-1 on penalty kicks in the championship game of the 3A District 1-2 tournament on Thursday.

Hold their heads high.

The Tigers, which fell in their first penalty kick shootout in team history, played the Badgers airtight on defense at Community United Methodist Church.

Bonners Ferry forward Christian Kromm put a ball to his right and past Timberlake goalkeeper Shawn Kirby for the clinching fourth goal of the 4-2 shootout, sending his teammates sprawling on top of him in celebration.

"We knew it'd be a coin toss as to who was going to win this thing," Timberlake coach Bert Bentley said. "Since the last time we played, we worked on PKs and we worked on them. We fully anticipated that this was going to happen and it was just two great teams. Somebody had to win and we wish them good luck and hopefully we can catch them at the end there."

Timberlake (9-3-2) will play against the second-place team from District 3 in a state tournament play-in match on Saturday in Lewiston at 3 p.m.

Kromm, a junior and exchange student from Berlin, Germany, said the game-ending goal in a penalty kick shootout was a first for him.

"Before the shot, my heart was like, 'Boom-boom-boom,'" Kromm said. "At the end, it was like 'Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom! The worst thing was when everybody jumped on me, I couldn't breathe."

Two players before Kromm's score, Trevor Pew of Bonners Ferry saw his kick initially stopped by a diving Kirby, but the ball trickled into the lower right side of the net for a 3-2 lead.

Tigers freshman Noah Harris tapped a soft kick that was harmlessly knocked away by Badgers goalkeeper Caleb Blackmore, which preserved their lead and set up Kromm's heroics.

Timberlake sophomore forward Cody Bentley, the coach's son who has scored a team-leading 35 goals this season, scored easily low and to his left to lead off the shootout. Collin Stone of Bonners Ferry (11-5-1) tied the shootout, then Vance Kistler, who is also the placekicker for the football team, drilled a hard kick that banged off the crossbar.

Elijah Price scored, then Steven Simpson scored near the lower right-hand post to tie the shootout at 2.

Bonners Ferry opens the state tournament against the winner of today's District 4 second-place match between Wendell and Gooding at the Sunway Soccer Complex in Twin Falls next Thursday.

"We haven't been in PKs in forever," Bonners Ferry coach Ed Moe said. "We practice them a little bit. We played 20 extra minutes, that's a lot, then we played PKs. I haven't been in PKs ever in my six years coaching here."

Timberlake junior midfielder Thomas Hauck started the scoring from 5 yards away from the goal in the 44th minute. Hauck headed a ball after it bounced up in the air, then the ball bounced once past Blackmore and in for the 1-0 lead.

"I saw the ball and we needed a goal in order to win," Hauck said. "That's the best way to lose - we both played our hearts out and that's all you can ask for."

Bonners Ferry tied the game six minutes later on a goal by Tucker Dirks, after he kicked a ball off of the hands of Kirby, who tried to pick it up but couldn't beat Dirks to the ball.

Timberlake's overall offensive strategy was trying to feed long passes to Bentley, but two or three defenders ran with him at nearly every turn. Bentley had two shots on goal and missed a few feet wide three more times.

"Obviously, the long ball to Cody has to happen," coach Bentley said. "They did a much better job of defending against that this time."

Timberlake lost at Bonners Ferry 4-0 during the regular season, then played the Badgers to a 1-all tie at home.

Moe said he knows his team could have its hands full with Timberlake during the next few seasons.

"They played so hard," Moe said. "It's great that they're in our league now. It's fantastic ... they play hard and they'll get better and better."

First half - None. Second half - 1, TL, Thomas Hauck (unassisted), 44:00. 2, BF, Tucker Dirks (unassisted), 50:00. First overtime - none. Second overtime - none.

Shots on goal - TL 8, BF 10.

Saves - TL, Shawn Kirby, 5; BF, Caleb Blackmore, 4.