Berths in the State 4A girls' and boys' soccer tournaments are on the line Thursday, Oct. 14 when Wood River High School soccer teams play on the road in the Great Basin Conference championship games.
Thursday's championship games starting at 4:30 p.m. are at Sunway Sports Complex in Twin Falls (girls) and Jerome (boys). The winning teams earn automatic berths to the State 4A tournament Oct. 21-23 at Post Falls in northern Idaho.
Coach Jenni Conrad's Wood River girls (12-2-1) will challenge the top-seeded Twin Falls Bruins (14-2-0) in the highly anticipated rematch of last year's GBC title game won by Wood River 2-0 in kicks after a 2-2 regulation tie in Hailey.
The two 4A powers have split 3-1 games this season, each team winning at home. Wood River will be seeking its 16th straight state tourney trip.
Defense should make the difference in Thursday's game and Wood River might have an edge in that area, based on comparisons to a similar stage last year. This year's Wolverines boast three more shutouts (11-8) and have allowed 11 fewer goals (8 compared to 19 in 2009).
Saturday, Wood River walloped #3-seeded Burley (6-12-0) by a 12-0 score at Sunway. Senior Tanner Dredge (26 goals season, 112 career) tallied four goals for the third time this season. Scoring two apiece were McKenna Chase (12 goals) and Kaitana Martinez (12).
Adding singles were Sloan Storey (10 goals), Halsey Pierce, Haley Montgomery and Nicole Roos. Assists went to Dredge (2), Storey (2), Martinez, Montgomery and Lucy Paisley. Wood River led 6-0 at halftime.
Coach Luis Monjaras' Wood River boys (8-6-1, 2-5-1 road) are seeking the school's second straight state trip and 19th in 25 seasons. The 2010 Wolverines are led by co-leading scorers, both seniors, Bryan Donoso (6 goals, 21 career) and Charlie Evans (6 goals, 12 career).
Wood River has a rematch for the GBC title with three-time defending league champion Jerome (14-1-3).
The Tigers won the title 5-2 last year when the GBC ran a true double elimination tournament. The two rivals have split this year, the Wolverines winning 4-1 in Hailey Aug. 31 and host Jerome 2-1 Sept. 16.
Second-seeded Wood River advanced to the title game with a 4-1 win over #-seeded Canyon Ridge of Twin Falls (4-12-2) Saturday at Sunway. Leading 3-0 at half, the Hailey boys out-shot the Riverhawks 20-4 with goals from Donoso (2), Nathan Moses and Alejandro Garcia.
Monjaras solidified his midfield by playing three in back and two up front and five in the middle. He said, "We pushed up with Harlan (Collins) and Mac (Alexander MacMillan) and covered up the midfield gaps where we've been lacking."
Garcia opened the scoring at 24:00 with his fifth goal on a pass from Donoso. A long throw-in by Collins set the stage for the Moses goal at 34 minutes. Ian Murphy's cross led to Donoso's first goal from 18 yards at 36 minutes, then Donoso finished a Moses pass at 58 minutes for the 4-1 final.
Losses by either or both of the Wood River teams Thursday would mean the Wolverines would host second-place state play-in contests Saturday, Oct. 16 on the Hailey fields, scheduled game times 12 noon.
Wood River’s Nicole Roos gets behind the Century defense during her team’s 1-0 “Senior Day” victory Oct. 2 at South Valley Sports Complex soccer field in Hailey. Photo by Willy Cook
