Shootout wins, times two, for Coeur d'Alene

- 5A BOYS

EAGLE — By the time Saturday rolled around, the Coeur d’Alene Vikings were pretty well-versed in the process of a shootout.

After all, the Vikings had been through the drill in the first round on Thursday.

Then again on Friday.

Then, in its third shootout in three days, Coeur d’Alene outlasted Borah of Boise, the top seed from District 3, 6-5 on penalty kicks to claim the state 5A consolation championship with a 2-1 win at Eagle High on Saturday.

Coeur d’Alene fell to Madison 5-3 on penalty kicks in the opener, then beat Mountain View 3-2 on PKs to advance to Saturday’s match.

“After the disappointment of the first day, we tried to make the best of the next two,” Coeur d’Alene coach Braden Ridgewell said. “To be honest, I don’t think we would have wanted to play anyone else but Borah. In our minds, we had to treat it like a state championship match, and it really was the best competition that we’d seen all three days. The mental toughness is inspirational to see. A lot of these seniors, to be able to see the progress they’ve made and believing in each other and coaches has been great. It’s definitely a sad and bittersweet ending. Nobody likes going into a shootout, especially three in a row, but they knew what they were doing today.”

Coeur d’Alene’s Alex Reyes and Borah’s Brandon Donat scored in regulation. After two scoreless overtime periods, Coeur d’Alene’s Noah Cobb, Cameron Dance, Cooper Proctor, Reyes, Gavin McLuskie each scored in the shootout. Michael Schlothauer gave Coeur d’Alene an advantage in the eighth round, then Proctor saved a shot to give the Vikings the win. It is Coeur d’Alene’s first trophy at state since finishing runner-up in 2016.

“Cooper just had to dive a little to the right,” Ridgewell said. “It was a low shot, and he guessed correctly. There’s no other keeper I’d rather have in net, and he saved four PKs this weekend. When we got that fourth-place trophy, it went directly to him. He was beyond impressive and defintely one of our MVPs for sure.”

Borah, which beat Lake City in the first round, finished 11-5-4.

Coeur d’Alene — Goals: Alex Reyes 1. Shootout goals: Cooper Proctor 1, Noah Cobb 1, Cameron Dance 1, Reyes 1, Michael Schlothauer 1, Gavin McLuskie 1. Saves: Cooper Proctor 5.

Borah — Goals: Brandon Donat 1. Shootout goals: Luke Palsulich 1, Donat 1, Dom Ishimwe 1, Leo Mullin 1, Kaie O’Shea 1. Saves: Eli Marler 4.

Lake City forfeits

third-place match

EAGLE — The Timberwolves opted to forfeit the third-place match to Madison (12-9-0) due to an athletic code violation within the program, according to athletic director Jim Winger.

Lake City, which defeated Borah of Boise 2-1 in the first round, then lost 5-0 to Skyview of Nampa in the semifinals, finished 9-5-3.

- 5A GIRLS

Coeur d’Alene 1

Eagle 0, PK

MERIDIAN — You wouldn’t think a shootout in the third match of the season, a nonleague match to boot, might pay off for a team, but it did for Coeur d’Alene, with a trophy on the line Saturday at Meridian High.

Mya Rietze scored in the 10th round of a shootout, Lily Foster made a save to give the Vikings a 1-0 win — 7-6 on penalty kicks — against the Mustangs in the consolation championship match.

“We were in a shootout against Lewis and Clark and won 3-2,” Coeur d’Alene coach Andy Vredenburg said. “Mya had a great job and Lily made a great save to win us the match.”

Coeur d’Alene finishes 7-5-5 in its first trip to state since 2015. It is Coeur d’Alene’s first trophy since 2014, also winning the consolation title.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the girls,” Vredenburg said. “They grinded, especially when the momentum was with Eagle. I couldn’t be prouder of the girls. I talked to the girls before the match, and our goal was to bring home a trophy. Our girls were really positive the entire time and was was really cool to also see them get rewarded with the sportsmanship award. The girls never gave up in the tournament. Even in that first day, allowing three goals in three minutes, they just fought, no matter what. It was really cool to watch.”

Eagle finishes 10-7-2.

Coeur d’Alene — Goals: none. Shootout goals: Sophia Allen 1, Kelley Allen Lara 1, Tierra Lambert 1, Myah Rietze 1, Julie Stith 1, Jordan Roth 1, Holly Hudson 1. Saves: Lily Foster 5.

Eagle — Goals: none. Shootout goals: Kayla Wallace 1, Sophie Drown 1, Baylie Ganien 1, Allyse Bergdott 1, Kearney Hoggan 1, McKenzie Smith 1. Saves: Bailey Blanchett 6.