STATE 5A BOYS SOCCER TOURNAMENT: Boise gets physical, blanks Post Falls
JASON ELLIOTT/Press Isaac Ballew of Post Falls has his attempt at a header in the penalty box deflected by Boise goalkeeper Arthur Langlet during the second half during an opening round game in the state 5A boys soccer tournament at Post Falls High on Thursday.
POST FALLS — For Post Falls, the physicality was something it hasn't seen all season long.
The final result — a Trojan 2-0 loss to the Boise Brave in the opening round of the state 5A boys soccer tournament — was something they haven't felt in their last 10 matches.
After a scoreless first half, Boise struck quickly in the second half as junior Calvin Warren scored on an assist from Sawyer Luthy in the 42nd minute to give the Brave an early 1-0 lead. Toby Caldara beat the Post Falls defense for his first goal of the tournament in the 51st minute.
"We definitely haven't seen anything like that all season," Post Falls coach Gabe Lawson said. "They're big, fast and clinical. And they pass the ball really well to. They're the first team that has played our style of soccer that we've played all year. They just muscled us off the ball and in each 50/50 challenge. They were just winning each battle, and kudos to them, they played a great game and we simply did not."
Boise outshot Post Falls 15-2 in the match, including 9-0 in the first half.
"We just knocked the ball around and started possessing," Boise coach Mike Darrow said. "We were able to find the gaps. Once we started doing that, it kind of opened the middle of the field."
Post Falls (8-3-2) faces Madison (7-6-2) in a loser-out game at Coeur d'Alene High today starting at 9 a.m.
"We've got to hit the erase button on this one," Lawson said. "There's no going back on this one and reprogram our brains to win a trophy. Because there's still a trophy in the mix."
Trojan junior goalkeeper Kael McGowan stopped all nine shots in the first half.
"He's a rock back there," Lawson said of McGowan. "He's very difficult to score on, as we saw in the first half and the second half. We tried to make some adjustments and couldn't link with our forwards. It was a little better, but without Kael in there, that game is 6-0. He kept us in the match in the first half."
"We came out flat today," McGowan said. "It took us a while to get warmed up, and even when we did that it didn't feel the same way we normally played. We fought back toward the end. We knew what we had to do, but just weren't willing to do it at the right time."
Post Falls was unable to convert on its chances in the final 10 minutes.
Post Falls beat Boise 2-1 (4-2 on penalty kicks) in a state semifinal in 2017. The Trojans won their first state title in program history in 2012 with a 3-0 win over Boise at Coeur d'Alene High.
"We were just overwhelmed again in the second half," Lawson said. "That's one of the better Boise teams I can remember playing, and we've played them quite a few times. They're quite a handful."
Post Falls senior midfielder Logan Koller — who had been out since Sept. 24 with an ankle injury — returned to the lineup on Thursday.
"We just had a hard time getting him the ball today," Lawson said. "Every time we'd find him, one of those big centerbacks was on him and closed the space. And that's what they did all day, and we didn't fast enough when we were trying to defend."
Boise (9-2-0) faces Eagle (10-2-2) in the semifinals today at 2 p.m. back at Post Falls.
First half — none. Second half — 1, Boise, Calvin Warren (Sawyer Luthy), 42:00. 2, Boise, Toby Caldara (Liam McClain), 51:00.
Shots on goal — PF 2, Boise 15.
Saves — PF, Kael McGowan 13; Boise, Arthur Langlet 2.
