Girls soccer team drops games 3-2, 9-0

By ROBERT JAMES

Managing Editor

For the Bonners Ferry High School girls soccer team, the past week featured two very different ways of losing games: a blowout loss and a heartbreaker against a team the Badgers should beat.

Saturday against Orofino, Bonners Ferry gave up a goal in the first 30 seconds of the game and struggled against the Maniacs' attack, dropping a 3-2 game and losing out on a chance to claim the Intermountain League regular season title.

"I know in my heart we have the talent to take Orofino," coach John Lindberg said. "We had our opportunities to win."

Once the Maniacs scored in the first minute of the game, it changed the entire look of the game, Lindberg said.

"When you're not focused and not ready, and you give up a goal that quickly, everyone notices, even the referees," he said.

Orofino stretched the lead to 2-0 in the 16th minute of the game before Bonners Ferry scored. Jennifer Putnam knocked home a goal off an assist from Anya Krmpotich.

Orofino pushed the lead to 3-1 at the 33:00 minute mark. Bonners Ferry answered with a goal from Kendra Johnson off an assist from Putnam. That ended the scoring, however and the Maniacs escaped with a 3-2 win.

Before dropping that heartbreaker to Orofino, Bonners Ferry traveled to Whitefish, Montana and lost 9-0 to that powerful team.

It was not an altogether unexpected outcome, Lindberg explained.

"They are very, very good," he said. "They are an excellent program with excellent facilities."

He said he told the girls to go out and play the best that they could.

"They knew without me saying anything that they would be in for a tough game," Lindberg said.

The Badgers are now tuning up for districts Friday at Post Falls. The team might get another chance against Orofino, Lindberg said. No matter who Bonners Ferry plays, Lindberg thinks his team can advance to the state tournament.

"I think we have a very good chance," he said. "We need those 11 ladies out there to be totally focused."

The district tournament champion will advance to the state tournament next week in Meridian.