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Cd'A Charter triumphs again

by Mark Nelke Sports Writer
| October 14, 2018 9:01 AM

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MARK NELKE/Press Goalkeeper Karissa Willis kept Timberlake in the game in the first half against Coeur d’Alene Charter with eight saves.

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MARK NELKE/Press Goalkeeper Karissa Willis kept Timberlake in the game in the first half against Coeur d’Alene Charter with eight saves.

RATHDRUM — The Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy girls soccer team did not need any luck to win Saturday morning’s 3A District 1-2 championship game.

It did help the Panthers, however, to have Lucky.

Freshman Isabella Lucky scored her first high school hat trick, and Charter pulled away with three second-half goals to beat the Timberlake Tigers 4-0 at Sunrise Rotary Fields.

“Isabella stepped up big,” Coeur d’Alene Charter coach Stacy Smith said. “She found the net when the rest of us couldn’t. She’s a very composed player.”

Both teams had already qualified for the state tournament this week at Sunway Soccer Complex in Twin Falls, by virtue of semifinal victories on Saturday.

Coeur d’Alene Charter (18-0-0), the two-time defending state champions, opens Thursday vs. Teton (11-5-0), which beat American Falls 3-2 on Saturday in a state play-in match.

Timberlake (11-5-1) will open Thursday vs. Sun Valley Community School (18-0-0), the District 4 champion.

It was the fifth straight year the two teams met for the district title, and the third straight year Coeur d’Alene Charter won.

Lucky opened the scoring in the eighth minute, tapping in a cross from Sarah Hines, who made a nice run down the right side.

“It really pushed the team along, and gave us a lot of energy to keep scoring.” Lucky said. “We had a lot of shots, and weren’t able to finish. Then we got a couple in, and our team started finishing.”

Coeur d’Alene Charter led 1-0 at halftime, and the only reason it wasn’t more like 10-0 at the half was because Timberlake goalkeeper Karissa Willis was fabulous in net, making leaping and diving saves and keeping the Tigers in the match as Charter kept up the attacking pressure throughout the half.

“She did keep us in it,” Timberlake girls coach Steve Michael said. “And that’s what’s nice, when you have that senior leadership in a goalie. She’s part of the reason we’ve been in a lot of our games in recent weeks.”

“She’s an amazing keeper,” Smith said of Willis. “She’s kept them in the game with us every single time.”

Eight minutes into the second half, the right-footed Lucky collected a cross from Eliason Cherrstrom near the top of the box, and lobbed a left-footed shot over Willis and into the net.

Hines and Lucky tallied penalty kicks in the 52nd and 61st minutes, respectively, to close out the scoring.

“It’s always an emotional game when you’re playing against your rival,” Smith said. “We knew if we could get one early, then we would have control of the game. We were frustrated with our first-half play, and lack of dominance in front of the goal. So, happy to see some go through in the second half.”

Charter beat Timberlake 6-0 and 1-0 in Intermountain League play this season.

“It’s tough, when you’re guaranteed that spot at state,” Michael said. “You want to stay injury free, so trying to balance being aggressive, being balanced, learning more about each other, and still be competitive. It’s a tough balance, but I’m OK with today’s match.”

First half — 1, Charter, Isabella Lucky (Sarah Hines), 8:00. Second half — 2, Charter, Lucky (Eliason Cherrstrom), 48:00. 3, Charter, Hines (penalty kick), 52:00. 4, Charter, Lucky (penalty kick), 61:00.

Shots on goal — TL 2, Charter 17.

Saves — TL, Karissa Willis 8; Charter, Emma Bartlett 0, Ava Shivers 1, Sandy Faulkner 1, Riley Jo Anderson 0.