Girls state soccer: Rivalry rematch is set. But it comes in 5A semifinals this year
Five Treasure Valley teams advanced to the semifinals of the Idaho girls soccer state tournament Thursday with victories. But all eyes Friday will turn to a rivalry rematch in the semifinals.
Three-time defending state champ Rocky Mountain (19-1-0) will host perennial power Boise (15-3-1) for a spot in the 5A state championship game. Rocky Mountain has beaten Boise in each of the past three state finals, making Friday’s matchup a bit earlier than many expected. But it was a matchup everyone knew was coming at some point.
“I don’t know that I’ve heard of two schools with more of a rivalry than Boise and Rocky have for girls soccer,” Boise sophomore Sammy Smith said. “But I think we’re a different team this year. We’re just going to play to our strengths and hopefully come away with the win.”
Other local teams marching on to the semifinals include Bishop Kelly and Vallivue in 4A, and Fruitland in 3A.
5A GIRLS SOCCER STATE TOURNAMENT
Boise 2, Eagle 1: Allie Bruce, Sammy Smith and Logan Smith stand as three of the state’s best cross country runners. But all three skipped the 5A district meet Thursday to lead the Brave back to the state soccer semifinals for the fourth straight year.
Stanford commit Logan Smith set up two first-half goals for Allie Bruce (14th minute) and younger sister Sammy Smith (32nd minute), two goals that proved to be just enough to dispatch the Mustangs (12-8-2).
While the trio battle for supremacy week after week as cross country runners, they showcased the chemistry on the soccer field Thursday that makes Boise an explosive offensive force.
“There’s a ton of mutual respect between the three of them, which allows them to push each other to be their best version of themselves, regardless of whether it’s soccer or cross country,” Boise coach Nicole Arsenault said. “It’s pretty fun to see, because if you see them off on the sideline, it’s an entirely different thing. They’re goofing off and fooling around and trying to nutmeg each other.
“But when they’re on the field, they’re out for redemption.”
All three will still compete at next week’s state cross country meet. But this week, the trio remains focused on redemption on the soccer field. Boise has finished with the runner-up trophy three years in a row, falling to Rocky Mountain in the finals each time.
The two will meet again at 3 p.m. Friday at Rocky Mountain in the semifinals.
“It’s just really exciting,” Bruce said. “I’m really ready for it. I know this team is, and we really want to win.”
Boise dominated the chances Thursday, out shooting the Mustangs 27-7. But Eagle threatened in the second half when Allyse Bergdolt one-timed a 25-yard goal off a pass from Grace Nelson off a free kick, suddenly tilting the field in the Mustangs’ favor.
Boise recovered and continued to pepper Eagle goalkeeper Casey Southard, who made 10 saves to keep the Mustangs in the game. But Boise never lost its cool or its shape as she denied opportunity after opportunity.
“It shows that we all have a lot of character,” Sammy Smith said. “When things kind of get unlucky on some shots in the box, we’re all just going to keep working and continuing to press.”
Sammy Smith missed last week’s district soccer tournament as she trained with the U-17 U.S. Women’s National Team ahead of the 2022 World Cup. The Brave qualified for state without her. But her return boosts Boise’s chances of finally knocking off Rocky Mountain and collecting that elusive state title.
Rocky Mountain 3, Centennial 1: The Grizzlies found themselves in unfamiliar territory Thursday, trailing 1-0 at halftime. But Rocky Mountain rallied with three-second half goals to march on to the semifinals and another matchup with Boise.
Rocky Mountain wasted little time started the rallying, getting on the scoreboard in the 47th minute when Portland commit Violet Rademacher tapped in a chested-on ball from Tryne Tamminga.
Tamminga then headed on a pass that Nadia Kincaid finished in the 52nd minute for the lead. And Hailey Murphy added an insurance goal on a second ball off a corner kick in the 85th minute.
“We really just started calming down and playing our game,” Rademacher said of the second-half outburst. “I always feel that we’re more of a second-half team. We started off pretty slow in the first half, and it got a lot better throughout.
“Our intensity got so much higher. We all started talking and communicating more. And we just started finding feet and playing Rocky soccer.”
Underdog Centennial (11-8-1) took a surprising halftime lead after Asia Lawyer and Rocky Mountain goalkeeper Ellie Stoll collided in the 18th minute, leaving Mia Sirokman to punch the ball into an empty net.
But Rocky Mountain coach Donal Kaehler said he didn’t deliver any inspiring halftime speech or make any major changes. He just gave the Grizzlies time to relax, and they did the rest.
He added he doesn’t expect much to change with Boise looming between the Grizzlies and another trip to the finals.
“The games like Boise, they’re up for it,” Kaehler said. “Some of them play on the same club team. They know each other really well. There’s a rivalry. It’s very physical and fierce on the field. But afterwards, you’ll see the same girls who are on the same club team, and they’ll be laughing with each other, win or lose, which I think is healthy.”
Centennial drops into the consolation bracket, where it faces Eagle at 11 a.m. Friday at Rocky Mountain.
Lake City 3, Timberline 2: Timberline rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to tie the game at halftime. But Lake City’s (15-2-0) Georgia Whitehead restored the lead in the 55th minute, and the North Idaho champ hung on to advance to the semifinals.
Whitehead split the center backs and beat Timberline goalkeeper Audrey Taylor to a long clearance outside the 18-yard box. After another dribble and with two defenders breathing down her neck, Whitehead tapped the ball into an open net for the deciding goal.
Timberline’s London Carter and Afton Rasco scored in the 27th and 31st minutes, respectively, to dig the Wolves out of a 2-0 hole. But Timberline only mustered one shot on goal in the second half.
Timberline (13-5-1) drops into the consolation bracket, where it faces Thunder Ridge (9-7-3) in a consolation game at 9 a.m. Friday at Rocky Mountain.
Highland 5, Thunder Ridge 0: After battling to a 0-0 draw at halftime, the top-seeded Rams (17-0-0) erupted for five goals in the second half to extend their perfect season.
Halle Richards scored twice. Kayzee Vaughan, Abby Satterfield and Saydree Ball also scored.
4A GIRLS SOCCER STATE TOURNAMENT
Bishop Kelly 2, Pocatello 0: Goalkeeper Jacoba Luteyn made 11 saves to lead the Knights (15-4-1) to the semifinals for the 11th time in 12 years.
Izzy Reyes put Bishop Kelly on the board off an assist from Maggie Novosel after a scoreless first half. Novosel then added an insurance goal thanks to a Kenna DeMasters assist.
No. 4 Bishop Kelly advances to face top-seeded Twin Falls (18-1-0) in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. at Brothers Park in Caldwell. Twin Falls ended Bishop Kelly’s semifinal streak last year when both teams were undefeated and met in the first round.
Vallivue 3, Canyon Ridge 0: The sixth-seeded Falcons upset third-seeded Canyon Ridge to advance to the state semifinals for the first time since 2017.
Leading scorer Lizbeth Soto converted a penalty kick and had an assist. And Alondra Osuna and Olivia Hale also scored for Vallivue (14-5-1), which faces Skyline (14-0-2) in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Brothers Park.
3A GIRLS SOCCER STATE TOURNAMENT
Fruitland 8, Timberlake 1: The top-seeded Grizzlies (17-0-1) cruised to their first state semifinal since 2009 behind another stellar performance from junior Abbi Roubidoux.
Roubidoux poured in four goals and added an assist, boosting her season total to 71 goals in 18 games. Faith George provided two goals and two assists. And Ashtyn Frazier also scored twice.
Fruitland faces Sugar-Salem (13-4-2) for a spot in the 3A championship at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Vallivue High.
This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 7:01 PM.
