Bengals celebrate seniors with dominant finale

With the chance to make senior day as memorable as possible, Lewiston’s goalkeeper got the opportunity to try to score a goal herself — and she did just that.

“I’ve never scored, so first time for everything,” Bengal senior goalie Solana Inzunza said. “It was amazing. I didn’t think it was going to go in and then it hit the back of the net.”

The Lewiston girls soccer team honored its five seniors with a 10-1 nonleague win over the McCall-Donnelly Vandals, in which four of the Bengal seniors scored Saturday afternoon at Walker Field in Lewiston.

Inzunza got the greenlight from Lewiston coach Scott Wimer to briefly join the Bengal offensive front in an effort to give each senior the chance to score.

Lewiston honors five Bengal seniors

Spirits were high for the Bengals as they added one to their school-record win total with victory No. 13. Lewiston had already clinched the 5A Inland Empire League title for a second straight year, capturing consecutive league titles for the first time in school history.

“It’s like, unreal,” Lewiston senior Asia Roberts said.

It was a special day for the Bengals and especially for seniors Claire Koppel, Eva Steele, Myla Mee, Roberts and Inzunza.

Lewiston recognized each senior with a collection of pictures and mementos.

At the end of the game, Inzunza’s family presented the Bengals with cookies, complete with purple frosting, and an inscription of each player’s number.

Beyond the accolades and records, Wimer was nearly speechless when asked what Lewiston’s senior class meant to him.

“They really mean everything to me,” Wimer said of his senior class. “It’s hard to get the words out.”

The Bengal seniors said that they are friends off the pitch and that has allowed them to adopt a “We over Me” team mindset and have so much on-field success.

“We’ve played a long time,” Steele and Roberts said nearly in unison.

“Together,” Mee added.

The five seniors have played together in club and youth soccer settings since they were each around 10 years old, Steele said.

“I think that really helped us,” Roberts said.

Goals in bunches

The Bengals opened their season with a 13-0 win at Columbia and they closed the regular season with another double-digit offensive showing, beating the visiting McCall-Donnelly Vandals 10-1.

Steele wasted little time kicking off senior day with a bang. The senior forward scored in the fourth minute off of a Jessa Hartwig assist.

Sophomore Avery Lathen scored two minutes later and Mee connected on a penalty kick in the seventh minute.

“I thought I missed it at first,” Mee said. “But then it went right in.”

Mee added two assists on the day.

Freshman Sophia Thompson pushed the Bengal lead to five in the 14th minute off of a Steele assist.

The Bengals used an 11-minute period to double their lead.

In about the 32nd minute, Roberts sent the ball flying toward the goal. McCall-Donnelly’s goalie got her hands on the ball to turn it away, but minutes later, Roberts broke through the Vandals’ line and found the back of the net to put Lewiston up 5-0.

“She seems to be so nice and polite, but she’s got this beast mode to her and when she puts a goal out in front of her, she’s gonna get it every time,” Wimer said. “That goal was that: ‘Hey, I’m gonna run the seam, I’m gonna go push through everyone and I’m gonna find the back of the net.’”

Junior Trinity Bonebrake delivered an authoritative sixth Bengal goal in the 37th minute off of a Maria Wicks assist and Lathen and junior Brynn Wimer pushed the Lewiston lead to 8-0.

Inzunza’s goal, while playing goalkeeper, left the Bengals’ net temporarily unguarded and pushed the Lewiston lead to 9-0. Junior Taylor Musser broke the Bengals into double digits in the 76th minute.

McCall’s lone shot resulted in a goal when Vandal Sophia Dickinson sent a crosser in the direction of the goal, which took a high bounce over Inzunza’s head and fell into the net.

It took a SportsCenter-worthy shot and Vandal-bounce to break the Bengals’ perfect game up to that point.

While most soccer teams have one or two feature scorers, the Bengals have had a diverse offensive cast all season.

“Every one does something awesome every game,” Scott Wimer said. “That’s what I love about this team.”

Outlook for a record-breaking Bengals squad

“Win State,” Steele said with no hesitation when asked what would be next for a record-breaking Lewiston girls soccer squad.

Her declaration was met with cheers and affirmations from her fellow seniors, who have put in the hours necessary to leave such a legacy.

Scott Wimer said the Bengals’ success is built on the hours they poured into the offseason, which included indoor practice in the winter and intense 4 p.m. summer practices during ”the hottest time of the day.”

All the blood, sweat and tears led the Bengals to a 13-3 overall record, a 9-1 mark in Inland Empire League play and a bye to open Districts.

How will the Bengals advance in the playoffs? It all starts with their mindset, Mee said.

“We before me,” Koppel said before being showered by her fellow seniors’ cheers and an emphatic “yesss Claire.”

Lewiston will host the winner of Lakeland and Post Falls at noon Saturday at Walker Field in Lewiston.

The game is another opportunity for the Bengal girls to experience a Lewiston crowd which has grown to include more than just the typical parents in attendance. Scott Wimer said more family members than usual, students and community members who don’t necessarily have kids in soccer have begun to attend Lewiston’s games, making for an energizing atmosphere.

“Our girls love when we have a crowd,” Scott Wimer said. “I heard a couple of girls on the bench looking over today and say ‘Man, I think this is the biggest crowd we’ve had.’ And I think I’ve heard that four or five times this season, so if we can continue to get the support, that really helps fuel our fire.”

McCall-Donnelly 0 1—1

Lewiston 7 3—10

Lewiston — Eva Steele (Jessa Hartwig), 4th.

Lewiston — Avery Lathen, 6th.

Lewiston — Myla Mee, 7th.

Lewiston — Sophia Thompson, 14th (Steele).

Lewiston — Asia Roberts (Hartwig), 34th.

Lewiston — Trinity Bonebrake (Maria Wicks), 37th.

Lewiston — Lathen (Bonebrake), 40th.

Lewiston — Brynn Wimer (Mee), 45th.

Lewiston — Solana Inzunza, 51st.

McCall — Sophia Dickinson, 62nd.

Lewiston — Taylor Musser (Mee), 76th.

Shots — Lewiston 35; McCall-Donnelly 1; Saves — Lewiston: 0, McCall-Donnelly: 21.