COEUR d’ALENE — The battle for the 5A Inland Empire League boys soccer title and the top seed in the Region I tournament came down to a goal scored by a speedy turn-and-run play by a Lake City senior midfielder on Thursday at Coeur d’Alene High.

Travis Swallow took a pass from fellow senior Kyler John that was on target, then Swallow turned his defender around and briskly dribbled the ball toward Coeur d’Alene goalkeeper Shawn McKeeken. From 6 yards out, in the 67th minute, he scored on the far post from right to left, with his defender draped right behind him, leaving McKeeken diving for a ball that was placed nearly perfectly into the net for a 2-1 win.

Swallow’s score gave Lake City the No. 1 seed heading into the tournament that begins on Saturday. The T-Wolves (6-6-1, 4-2 IEL) host No. 4 seed Lewiston at 2 p.m. at the Irma Anderl Soccer Complex.

With the loss, the Vikings’ undefeated record was snapped at 6-1-5 (3-1-2). At 2 p.m., No. 2 seed Coeur d’Alene will host No. 3 seed Post Falls (5-2-5, 2-2-2). The winner of those games will play at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the championship game, at the higher seed’s home field. The winner advances to state, which will be held Oct. 20-22 at Post Falls, Lake City and Coeur d’Alene. The No. 2 seed will head to a state play-in game next Saturday at Payette High, against a fifth-place school from the Boise area.

“I just got around him and scored the goal,” Swallow said. “I got a good ball from Kyler, trapped it and turned him (the defender).”

Lake City kept the pressure up after Swallow’s score, allowing only one real chance by Coeur d’Alene. In the 78th minute, a free kick from forward Austin Garitone found midfielder Greg DeVerna, whose header sailed high over the net.

“Our whole game plan is always (featuring) a lot of passing,” first-year Lake City coach Alan Rich said. “We played good, controlled soccer. We always try to spread our goals around. We had some good spells of possession. We didn’t defend as well as we can in the first half, so we fixed that at halftime. I’m proud of our guys to put it all together. It went back and forth and CHS is a good team. Clearly, they’re a great opponent, so we’re happy with the win.”

Garitone, Cd’A’s top scoring threat in the game who was double-teamed quite often, scored the game’s first goal in the 37th minute, on a header on the left-hand side facing the net. He put in a rainbow of a free kick just past midfield by defender Dempsey Brewer. With 16 seconds left in the first half, Lake City striker Greyden Lee knocked a ball home off the left-hand post to tie the game at 1, on a touch pass by Swallow off another free kick.

“From our standpoint, we gave them both goals,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jeff Lake said. “They were both on set plays off fouls. At the end of the day, we’re disappointed with the result, but we’re more disappointed with how we gave up goals. In the back of my mind, it would’ve been 3-0 at half, we gave up a goal with 16 seconds left, it was a bad goal and it was from not clearing the ball and a silly foul and not going up and getting the ball in the end.”

First half — 1, Cd’A, Austin Garitone (Dempsey Brewer), 36:11. 2, LC, Greyden Lee (Travis Swallow), 39:44. Second half — 3, Swallow (unassisted), 66:14.

Shots on goal — LC 11, Cd’A 4.

Saves — LC, Chase Norris 3, Cd’A, Shawn McKeeken 9.