POST FALLS — It wasn’t pretty, not by a long shot.

More like a sloppy mess.

But enough about the constant rain that drenched the field at Post Falls High for the state 5A boys soccer tournament opening round match between the Boise Braves and Lake City Timberwolves on Thursday afternoon.

Boise junior forward Kaden Baratcart scored a pair of first-half goals as the Braves beat the Timberwolves 4-1.

Lake City (8-8-1) will face Hillcrest High (11-5-1) of Idaho Falls in a loser-out match today at 9 a.m. at Coeur d’Alene High. Hillcrest lost 2-0 to Rocky Mountain (12-3-3), which faces Boise (14-3-1) in the second semifinal match today at 2 p.m. at Post Falls High.

Lake City senior midfielder Travis Swallow scored in the 16th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1 after Boise scored two quick goals, the second after the ball squirted out of the Lake City keeper’s hands and put back in the goal.

“His goal really got us going,” first-year Lake City coach Alan Rich said of Swallow. “It was 2-1 when he scored and we had plenty of energy and opportunities after that, but we just didn’t finish our chances.”

Lake City beat Boise 2-1 in the opening round in 2015 on the way to a third-place finish.

“Last year, we lost to Lake City in the first round, so that was in the back of our minds as well,” said Boise coach Mike Darrow, who has led Boise to four state 5A titles, the last in 2013. “Hopefully we can finish a little better than the last time we were up here.”

In 2012, Boise lost to Post Falls in the state title game.

Baratcart opened the scoring in the 10th minute, followed five minutes later by Nicholas O’Connor. Baratcart’s second goal of the first half in the 31st minute gave Boise a 3-1 lead at halftime.

“That’s the way we play,” Darrow said. “Those two are going to be pivotal for our success for the rest of the weekend. They really drive the train for us.”

“I don’t think either team was any more less or more prepared than the other,” Rich said. “We’ve been to state just as many times as they have. We just need to clean some things up on our defensive end and not give them so many easy opportunities.”

The match was played in a constant rain that increased throughout the match, creating puddles throughout the field. But Rich said the conditions didn’t affect the outcome.

“Both teams had a wet ball,” Rich said. “I’ll never use the weather as an excuse because both teams played in it. It wasn’t the best conditions, but it was the same for both teams.”

First half — 1, Boise, Kaden Baratcart (unassisted), 10:00. 2, Boise, Nicholas O’Connor (unassisted), 15:00. 3, LC, Travis Swallow (unassisted), 16:00. 4, Boise, Baratcart (unassisted), 31:00. Second half — 5, Boise, Matt Ivanoff (unassisted), 62:00.

Shots on goal — LC 9, Boise 14.

Saves — LC, Aidan Hassell 6, Chase Norris 7; Boise, Jarod Hembree 5.