SANDPOINT — It wasn’t easy and it sure wasn’t pretty but in the end Sandpoint girls soccer pulled out a 2-1 victory over league rival Lakeland on Tuesday night at Pine Street Field.

The Bulldogs dominated possession and were the more aggressive team throughout but it didn’t show on the scoreboard.

Sandpoint head coach Conor Baranski said his team didn’t play their best but showed a lot of perseverance.

“Every day is a different day, but we beat that team 9-0 last time,” Baranski said. “To their credit, Lakeland improved a lot in their organization defensively and they made it very difficult to score on them ... I’m a little frustrated that the problems I saw were very solvable problems.”

Sandpoint struck first in the 22nd minute when a long pass from sophomore defender Emma Thielbahr found the foot of junior forward Jordie Breeden in the penalty box. Breeden got the ball and snuck past the Lakeland goalie before firing a shot that went off a Hawks defender and into goal.

Sandpoint clung to that 1-0 lead until the 50th minute when Lakeland midfielder Sammi Penick received the ball just outside the Bulldogs penalty box. Penick got a hard touch on the ball and a Sandpoint defender sent the ball toward junior goalkeeper Hattie Larson.

Larson came out to play it and is it rolled toward her she misplayed it and the ball got behind her.

Larson scrambled back and attempted to clear it but it was too late as she kicked it into the back of her own net for an own goal.

“That was a serious of unfortunate events,” Baranski said. “It wasn’t like a bad decision by anybody. Actually the only bad decision was our center back should not play the ball to our goalkeeper there.”

With the score tied 1-1, the Bulldogs continued to attack as they searched for the game winning goal. But Sandpoint wasn’t able to get anything inside the Hawks penalty box so Baranski made a change. He moved sophomore Emma Thielbahr from center back to forward and right away she made her presence felt.

Thielbahr drove the ball toward the Lakeland goal on several occasions as she used her physicality to frustrate the Hawks defenders. At one point during the 74th minute, Thielbahr was heading into the Lakeland penalty box when she was knocked down by a Hawks defender while attempting to get on the end of a cross by one of her teammates. The ref didn’t feel the same way and said there was no foul on the play.

The intensity continued to ramp up as Sandpoint looked to avoid tying a team they blew out 9-0 on the road earlier this season.

Finally, the Bulldogs were able to find the back of the net in the 77th minute when freshman Kelsey Cessna found sophomore Piper Frank, who buried the shot to seal the match for Sandpoint.

Baranski said moving Thielbahr to forward changed the match and he didn’t question it because he knows she can play nearly every position on the field.

“Emma Thielbahr was immense in that I think she nearly single handedly raised the level of our teams intensity,” he said.

The Bulldogs (7-3, 3-0 IEL) will get a full week off before they host Post Falls 4 p.m. next Tuesday at Pine Street Field.

First half — 1, Sandpoint, Jordie Breeden (Emma Thielbahr), 22:00.

Second half — 1, Lakeland, Hattie Larson own goal, 50:00. 2, Sandpoint, Piper Frank (Kelsey Cessna), 77:00.

Shots on goal — Sandpoint, 14, Lakeland 1.

Saves — Sandpoint, Hattie Larson 1, Lakeland, Annalise Davidson, 12.