They came within an eyelash and a lucky bounce of earning a berth in the Idaho State 4A girls' soccer tournament championship game for the first time ever.
But Wood River High School coaches and players will remember the 2010 season more for its "journey" than its destination, according to second-year coach Jenni Conrad.
Conrad saluted her varsity players and coaching staff Wednesday night during the season-ending team banquet at Rico's Pizza and Italian Restaurant in Ketchum.
It was "a team that was willing to take risks to reap the reward," said Conrad.
The rewards included a 14-4-1 season, a seventh straight Great Basin Conference tournament title, an undefeated 7-0-0 home record and 11 shutouts out of the 19 games. The Wolverines placed fifth at state.
Wood River, after beating previously unbeaten Hillcrest in its opening state tourney game Oct. 21 at Lake City, went down to the wire and more before dropping a thrilling 3-2 penalty-kick shootout decision to defending champion Sandpoint in the semi-final game.
This year's award for top goal scorer went to senior Tanner Dredge (29 goals, 115 career). She scored a goal or more in 49 of 77 games during her four-year varsity career. Dredge also led the Wolverines in assists with 12.
Best Defensive Player for the second consecutive year was senior Taylor Hayes.
Offensive Player of the Year was junior Sloan Storey. The new Rookie of the Year honor went to freshman Haley Montgomery. Most Improved was sophomore Maggie Williams.
Junior K.T. Martinez won the Coaches Award. Chosen by players, the Most Inspirational award went to senior goalkeeper Madison Gove.
Great Basin Conference All-League first-teamers were Gove, Hayes, Martinez and Dredge. On the GBC second team were Storey and junior back Lucy Paisley. Making GBC honorable mention was junior defender Maddie Bates.
Assist totals compiled by assistant coach John Koth were: Dredge 12, Storey 11, Montgomery 11, Martinez 9, McKenna Chase 5, Jessica Martens 5, Paisley 3, Nicole Roos 3, Erin Murphy 3, Grace Eagan 2, Riley Kilmartin 2, Gove 2, Halsey Pierce 2, Ellen Davis 2, Teagen Palmer 1 and Hayes 1.
Coach Doug Stouffer's Wolverine junior varsity finished with a 9-3 record, outscoring opponents 42-10 with seven shutouts.
The "Top Gun" and leading scorer with 14 goals was freshman forward Emilia Bingham. Second-leading scorer and co-captain was junior defender Emmalie Dion, who won the award for Most Valuable Player.
Freshman goalkeeper Laurel Gaeddert was the other co-captain, and sophomore defender Olivia Roche earned Most Improved honors.
