COEUR d'ALENE - The last game in Kootenai County in the storied career of Post Falls High boys soccer forward Timmy Mueller came down to an instant classic of a 5A Region 1 final, Saturday at the Irma Anderl Soccer Complex, vs. No. 1 seed and host Lake City.

One of the leading goal scorers in Idaho came through big-time, scoring the golden goal in the seventh minute of sudden-death overtime, in a 3-2 victory for the No. 2 seed Trojans (10-5-1), the defending state 5A champions.

Mueller made a quick turn, beat two Timberwolf defenders and ripped a shot from 12 yards away. The ball bounced from left to right and found the net past diving goalkeeper Tanner Horton of Lake City (9-2-4).

After he scored, Mueller ran toward midfield, pulled the bottom of his jersey up to the top of his head, and the Trojans sprawled on top of each other in celebration.

"Our midfielders are another threat," Mueller said. "So as soon as they make a run, then it left me open, too. Roberto (Esquievel) and I made some runs and then our midfield passed us balls. So instead of me, they (Lake City) were worried about four of us ... so it was a lot easier to get openings."

Mueller finished with a hat trick and now has 102 career goals. In the 24th minute, he chalked up his 100th career goal that he scored on a header, which tied the score at 1. The landmark goal was on the left side facing the net and it went over a leaping Horton's right-hand side.

Mueller downplayed his 100th career goal. His second one came in the 58th minute, which gave Post Falls a 2-1 lead. Ameen Gondo fed Mueller a long pass from midfield, then Mueller turned and scored from 15 yards away, past Horton's left-hand side.

"I was so much more excited about our team's win," Mueller said. "That (the 100th goal) is a little thing off to the side ... it (winning regionals) is exciting. I've known the potential of this team for so long. It's nice to see us come out of our shell. It gives us confidence, which we really needed."

Post Falls coach Gabe Lawson liked seeing his team earn the No. 1 seed going into the state 5A boys soccer tournament, which for the Trojans begins at 10:30 a.m. PDT at Eagle High against Timberline of Boise, the No. 3 seed out of District 3.

"It was nice to see Timmy finish off a fabulous game with a game-winner," Lawson said. "We played an incredible match. Noah Gondo played fabulous. He made a couple of key saves in the beginning of that match. It could've went south real quickly and it didn't."

Gondo made seven saves, none bigger than a point-blank, one-on-one stop in the seventh minute of Lake City forward Jack Barrett, who scored both of the Timberwolves' goals.

The Timberwolves, the No. 2 seed out of Region 1, will play against District 3 champion Boise at 8 a.m. Thursday at Rocky Mountain High in Meridian.

"We played with a lot of heart and a lot of passion," Lake City coach Chad Beadell said. "It just didn't go our way. Timmy got loose three times. Give credit to him, he put them away ... I feel bad for our seniors, it was our last time for them to play here and we wanted to win it. I thought we battled back."

In dramatic fashion, Barrett tied the score at 2 just three minutes before the end of regulation. The ball bounced to him off a corner kick, on an assist from Alec Maldonado, and Barrett shot a hard ball to his left and past Gondo's diving attempt.

Barrett also scored the game's first goal in the seventh minute, on a crossing pass from Maldonado, off of Gondo's left hand.

"It was pretty exciting getting tackled in front of everybody," Barrett said of his second goal. "I got lucky, I put it to the outside of my foot."

But the day belonged to Post Falls.

"You couldn't ask for a better ending," Lawson said. "They'd score and we'd get them right back. That is an indication of how far this team has come from where we were earlier this year. We had some defensive difficulties and we've worked very hard at fixing our back line. That's the best they've played all season."

Mueller was handed a yellow card in the 29th minute, on an accidental high kick that cut the left eyebrow of Lake City fullback Parker Noordham. Beadell said Noordham was taken to Kootenai Health in Coeur d'Alene and that his status was uncertain for the state tournament.

First half - 1, LC, Jack Barrett (Alec Maldonado). 2, PF, Timmy Mueller (Jarry Southerland), 24:00. Second half - 3, PF, Mueller (Ameen Gondo), 58:00. 4, LC, Barrett (Maldonado), 77:00. First overtime - 5, PF, Mueller (unassisted), 87:00.

Shots on goal - PF 9, LC 9.

Saves - PF, Noah Gondo 7. LC, Tanner Horton 6.