Bengals fall to Sandpoint in district championship game

The Lewiston Bengals gave up three goals in a 10-minute span in the 5A Inland Empire League district championship game against the Sandpoint Bulldogs in a 3-0 girls soccer loss Wednesday at Walker Field.

“A lot of times in soccer, there’s a momentum switch,” Lewiston coach Scott Wimer said. “Once they hit their first one, I think that helped them, you know, it kind of just all kind of came bang, bang, bang.”

Lewiston (14-4) will have another chance to make it to the state tournament Saturday in a play-in game. The Bengals will host a to-be-determined opponent from the South Idaho Conference at 3 p.m. at the new P1FCU Sports Complex.

It took more than 55 minutes of play for the first goal to cross the net on the damp, slightly slippery grass of Walker Field after morning showers on a day that truly felt like fall had arrived. It was 61 degrees at kickoff and felt considerably colder than that by the end of the game.

The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Lewiston and was the first loss to Sandpoint (9-5-2) after the Bengals outscored the Bulldogs 6-1 in the previous two meetings. It is the first time Sandpoint defeated Lewiston since 2021.

The Bulldogs return to the state tournament to attempt to defend their state title.

First half stalemate

Both teams battled for momentum throughout the first half with very little action happening inside the goal area for either team.

Lewiston had several chances in the middle of the first half. After a Sandpoint turnover, the Bengals looked to create a breakaway opportunity, but Lizzy Roy was called offside.

Several minutes later, Lewiston forced a pair of corner kicks. The first was headed out of bounds by a Bulldog defender and the second was cleared away without a shot on net.

Sandpoint had its best chance in the 32nd minute as multiple Bulldogs worked inside the goal area with the ball ricocheting off several players. The Bengal defense stayed strong and was finally able to get enough of the ball to knock it out of bounds and force a corner kick. Sandpoint was unable to do anything with the kick as it was struck too hard and sent through the box.

“We knew that Sandpoint has been playing some really tough competition, getting ready for this game,” Wimer said. “They increased their one-touch passing and they were trying to pick apart our middle, which they were doing a fairly decent job.”

There was a lot of physical play near the center line as both teams refused to give an inch. Sandpoint sophomore Jordyn Tomco was given a yellow card when she knocked down Lewiston senior Asia Roberts, who had created a 1-on-1 battle. The Bengals were unable to take advantage of the free kick.

“The good thing is we had a lot of opportunities today. Just our opportunities weren’t connecting with the back of the net, they were just missing,” Wimer said. “A lot of stray kicks that could have been better placed. And at the end of the day, they deserve the win.”

Late in the first half, Lewiston had its best opportunity to score. Junior Trinity Bonebrake got behind the defense on a nice clearing pass, but Sandpoint keeper Lilliana Brinkmeier made a diving save. Two minutes later, Roy placed a perfect crosser to freshman Madison Bruce who got underneath the shot attempt and sailed it over the net.

Equipment malfunction

With the game still scoreless into the second half, Sandpoint got behind the defense and had the first scoring chance of the period. The ball got too far away from a Bulldog and Lewiston senior goalie Solana Inzunza dove for the rolling sphere to end the threat.

After Inzunza cleared the ball she appeared to have a severe limp and was unable to bend her right leg. Luckily it was not an injury, but a knee brace that got caught in the soft grass and bent out of place.

The senior was taken out of the game to attempt to fix the problem, but with the game needing to resume it was up to junior Taylor Musser to defend the goal in her absence.

Five minutes into Musser’s duty at the net, she showed zero hesitation in moving forward to smother a loose ball after an errant attempt at a cross by Sandpoint’s Marlee McCrum went off the mark.

Inzunza subbed back into the game in the 55th minute after missing nine minutes of action. The Lewiston training staff worked quickly to remove the brace and bend it back into a spot that would allow the goalie to have mobility in the knee. To make sure that the issue did not occur again, the trainors wrapped both ends of the brace to make sure nothing else could get caught and bent.

Bulldog’s fury of goals

Inzunza was immediately tested two minutes after she returned to action. Sandpoint’s Bayah Ratigan put a shot on goal deflected away. Unfortunately for Lewiston, it went to Hope Barnes who was able to head it into the net.

“We were having trouble covering everyone,” Wimer said. “So we made some adjustments to the second half. Those adjustments weren’t probably the adjustments we should have made.”

The Bengals had another free kick opportunity three minutes after Sandpoint got on the board, but Myla Mee missed the left corner of the goal by two feet.

The Bulldogs quickly moved down the field and Barnes took a running shot from just outside the goal area that was just out of the reach of a jumping Inzunza.

Five minutes later, Ava Glahe diced through the Lewiston defense and placed a shot perfectly into the bottom left corner to make it a three-goal advantage for Sandpoint.

Lewiston will have a chance to bounce back and earn the eighth and final state tournament berth in a play-in game Saturday at the new P1FCU Sports Complex. The Bengals will play a District 3 opponent that has not been determined.

“I don’t think that there’s really any words that you can say after a loss like this that can make (the team) get back in the mindset. They have to get into their own mindset,” Wimer said. “This is something that they’re gonna have to do. I’ve guided them throughout the season at the very end of the day, it’s gonna be on them.”

Sandpoint 0 3—3

Lewiston 0 0—0

Sandpoint — Hope Barnes, 57th.

Sandpoint — Barnes, 61st.

Sandpoint — Ava Glahe, 66th.

Shots — Sandpoint 8; Lewiston 12.

Saves — Sandpoint: Lilliana Brinkmeier 8; Lewiston: Solana Inzunza 3, Taylor Musser 2.