COEUR d'ALENE - As expected, the No. 1 seed Lake City High boys soccer team beat a Lewiston team it was clearly superior to Tuesday, in the semifinals of the 5A Region 1 tournament at the Irma Anderl Soccer Complex.

But even a 3-0 win that qualified the Timberwolves to the state 5A boys soccer tournament wasn't quite good enough for coach Chad Beadell. Not even considering the fact Lake City outshot the Bengals, 7-1, and controlled the ball nearly the entire game. And not even when the Timberwolves extended their unbeaten streak to seven games. Lake City's last loss was a 4-1 defeat on Sept. 24 at 4A Sandpoint.

"We still didn't play good enough," Beadell said. "We knew what was on the line. We had a lot of opportunities earlier in the game, we missed a couple of them.

In the second half, we got a little bit complacent. I thought we were dribbling too much ... but a win is a win and now we know what we're doing now."

Lake City advanced to the state tournament next week at Eagle High or at Rocky Mountain High in Meridian.

At noon on Saturday at the Irma Anderl Soccer Complex, the Timberwolves host No. 2 seed Post Falls, a 2-1 winner on Tuesday over No. 3 seed Coeur d'Alene, in the Region 1 final. Saturday's winner earns the No. 1 seed to state from Region 1, and the loser picks up the second seed.

The Timberwolves (9-1-4) played like their collective soccer lives were on the line, dominating possession against the No. 4 seed Bengals (5-11), ending Lewiston's season.

It was literally win or go home for both teams.

Lake City junior midfielder Kade Murphree scored two goals in the first half to take command of the game. His first goal came off of a rebound in the eighth minute, on an unassisted play as the ball bounced around between players from both sides off of a corner kick.

Murphree struck again on a one-timer just 11 minutes later, on an assist by Alec Maldonado.

"I knew what we had to do today," Murphree said. "I went for everything."

In the 56th minute, Maldonado had another assist, as he found Garrett Flolo. Lewiston goalkeeper Brock Rodacker missed while going for a save and Flolo headed the ball into a wide-open net.

"The ball went my way," Maldonado said. "I saw Kade open and I just flipped it back to him and he put it in."

So dominant was Lake City's defense that the only serious challenge to goalkeeper Tanner Horton was a one-on-one opportunity in the 78th minute by senior midfielder Jared Stewart, which Horton made a diving save on the shot.

"Lake City's a great team," Bengals coach David Kronemann said. "We knew this year they'd be the team to beat ... everyone is potentially a college player. I think they can go far (in state). Hopefully they do well down there (in Caldwell) and bring the trophy back to the north, just like Post Falls did last year."

First half - 1, LC, Kade Murphree (unassisted), 8:00. 2, LC, Murphree (Alec Maldonado), 19:00. Second half - 3, LC, Garrett Flolo (Maldonado), 56:00.

Shots on goal - Lew 1, LC 7.

Saves - Lew, Brock Rodacker 4. LC, Tanner Horton 1.