‘Unfinished business.’ Boise knocks off nemesis for district title. But they’re not done.
Celebrations remain rare in district soccer championship games.
The size of the 5A Southern Idaho Conference ensures both teams have already qualified for state before kickoff. So a district title gives the winner little more than bragging rights.
But not for the Boise High School girls soccer team. Not this year.
The Brave stormed the field after rallying past two-time defending state champion Rocky Mountain 2-1 on Wednesday at Mountain View, savoring the moment while they could in a season delayed and ruled by the coronavirus.
“None of us really knew if we were going to get to this point because of COVID and everything,” Boise senior midfielder Kendra McDaniel said. “Getting the chance to play a really good game against really good competition is always a great feeling. And winning that game is an even better feeling.”
Both of the perennial powers entered the district championship with perfect records. The two normally face off multiple times during the regular season, spoiling a shot for either team at perfection. But the SIC redrew its conference in the second week of September, putting Boise (11-0-0) and Rocky Mountain (12-1-0) in separate divisions they both rolled through relatively unchallenged.
Boise dominated the opportunities in the first half Wednesday, outshooting Rocky Mountain 10-3. But the Grizzlies drew first blood when Jada Torpey headed in a second-chance ball off a corner kick in the 42nd minute.
Boise kept up the pressure and scored the equalizer in the 64th minute when Logan Smith drew a penalty kick, and Madeline Colborn converted it.
Overtime appeared imminent until McDaniel, an Oregon State commit, lofted a 40-yard, diagonal pass to Smith, a Stanford commit. Goalkeeper Kasey Wardle and defender McKenna Doremus collapsed on Smith. But she emerged from the other side of a scramble unscathed and tapped in the district-title winning goal in the 78th minute.
Wednesday marked a bit of revenge for Boise. Rocky Mountain had its number the past two years, beating the Brave in each of the past two state championships.
But the real chance to even the score lies at the state tournament next week in Coeur d’Alene.
“We’ve come away with second place for two years in a row,” McDaniel said. “That’s just some kind of unfinished business for us.”
Boise will open the 5A state tournament at 12:30 p.m. Mountain Time on Oct. 22 at Lake City High. It will face the winner of Saturday’s state play-in game between Mountain View (8-5-1) and Coeur d’Alene (9-2-2).
Rocky Mountain opens against the yet-to-be-determined second-place team from East Idaho at 3 p.m. Mountain Time Oct. 22 at Lake City.
Reaching the state tournament, or even the district tournament, seemed like a faraway dream for Boise to start the season. The Boise School District sidelined its teams to start the fall season as Ada County remained in the red, the highest category of community spread.
The Brave didn’t receive clearance to start full practices until Sept. 8. They played their first game Sept. 14 and haven’t slowed down since, rolling into state with a spotless record.
Boise coach Nicole Arsenault said her team turned it up another notch as this shortened season drew to a close.
“I think during the first part of the year, we were just constantly one game to the next, not knowing whether or not we were going to even get to the point where we could play districts,” Arsenault said. “Once districts kicked in, that was their motivation to push it a little harder.”
Rocky Mountain boys soccer wins district title in shootout
Grizzlies goalkeeper Isaac Poole has proven himself a master at stopping penalty kicks. And he rescued the Rocky Mountain boys soccer team again Wednesday.
The senior captain stopped two penalty kicks in the shootout round of the 5A District Three championship game, leading the Grizzlies to a 1-1 (4-2 PKs) victory over Eagle.
Wednesday’s two stops add to the two saves he made in Monday’s shootout win over Centennial in the district semifinals. He also stopped another penalty kick during regulation Monday, giving him five penalty kick saves this week.
“He doesn’t ever show any fear and ever get rattled,” Rocky Mountain coach Bill Taylor said. “He goes into these PK shootouts with a lot of faith and confidence in his teammates, which really augments him.”
Lieven Ivanza gave Rocky Mountain (11-1-1) an early lead with his 2nd-minute goal Wednesday. But Eagle rallied to force a pair of overtimes and a shootout to decide the district’s top seed in next week’s 5A state tournament.
Both Rocky Mountain and Eagle (9-2-2) have qualified for next week’s state tournament. First-round matchups were not set as of Wednesday night.
This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 7:50 PM.
