STATE HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER TOURNAMENTS: Kovatch sends Lake City girls to state 6A consolation title

• 6A GIRLS

SANDPOINT — After going 0-2 at state in 2023, Lake City coach Matt Ruchti knew he had something to work with, but the work wasn’t yet completed. 

On Saturday, the Timberwolves took another step forward. 

Sophomore midfielder Kathryn Kovatch scored for sixth-seeded Lake City in a 1-0 win over fifth-seeded Bishop Kelly of Boise in the state 6A consolation championship at War Memorial Field on Saturday. 

“Last year, we went to state and had a youngish, but old team and lost 1-0, 1-0,” said Ruchti, in his 22nd season as coach. “We knew that we’ve got to keep building with the younger kids. Today, I looked on the field at one point and we had one senior, two juniors, seven sophomores and a freshman. We talked about those players stepping up in the moment would keep that moment.”

Lake City, at state for the 16th straight year, finished 14-4-2. 

Lake City fell to Owyhee 2-1 on Thursday, then beat Highland 6-5 on penalty kicks on Friday to advance. 

“It’s a very competitive group right now and we had a belief we could be successful,” Ruchti said. “We didn’t play great against Owyhee. We’ve played Highland a few times over the years, and that might have been the best team we’ve faced. But we played better soccer than we’ve played in the last two games.” 

Bishop Kelly, a 5A school which played up a division in boys and girls soccer this season, finished 15-4-3. 

• 4A BOYS

Sun Valley Comm. School 2 

Bonners Ferry 1 

POST FALLS — The fifth-seeded Cutthroat Trout defeated the sixth-seeded Badgers in the state 4A consolation championship match at The Fields. 

Bonners Ferry, which finished runner-up in the District 1-2 tournament, finished 14-7-1. 

    JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY Lake City girls get their hands on the trophy after beating Bishop Kelly to win the state 6A girls soccer consolation championship Saturday morning at War Memorial Field in Sandpoint.