MIDDLETON – During the 79th minute, Sandpoint junior Marlee McCrum faked left, turned the ball right, created some space and scored to help No. 4 Sandpoint capture the 4A girls soccer state title, 2-1 over No. 2 Bishop Kelly on Saturday at Middleton High School.

“As soon as I scored that goal, I was left in shock knowing that the state title was in our grasp,” McCrum said.

Thanks to the late goal from McCrum, and the assist from Hannah Harvey, the Bulldogs (11-5-3) now have a total of nine girls soccer state titles under their belt.

It was Sandpoint’s first state title since 2019, when the Bulldogs also beat BK, their longtime nemesis.

However, it wouldn’t have been possible without the first goal of the game, which came from Aliya Strock.

During the 23rd minute, there was a scramble in front of the net and somehow Strock was able to get her foot on the ball and send it inside the left post to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 advantage. Sandpoint was able to maintain that lead until late in the second half.

During the 70th minute, Bishop Kelly’s Sophie Schmautz scored on a cross from Kate Jaques to tie the game 1-1. Nine minutes later, McCrum scored the go-ahead goal to put Sandpoint in front, but the end didn’t come without a last-minute scare.

During the 80th minute, a Bishop Kelly attacker made her way past four Sandpoint defenders. It was a one-and-one between the attacker and goalkeeper Lilliana Brinkmeier. Brinkmeier dove right and made a tremendous save, keeping the Knights from sending the game into overtime. The ball eventually made its way back out to midfield, and the Bulldogs breathed a sigh of relief as the clock ticked down, realizing they were about to be state champions.

“This team came together as a unified group for this whole post-season,” said Sandpoint coach Conor Baranski, who won his fourth title. “We talk a lot about (putting the) team before self as one of our core values, and this team's success is 100 percent down to their willingness to set aside ego and play for their teammates. They just beat the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the state on back-to-back days, and they did it through grit, determination, and perseverance. We had players playing through injuries, playing through exhaustion, playing every minute of every game. We also had an entire group of players that absolutely contributed to our success by cheering from the sideline. To beat Bishop Kelly, and to draw even with them on total state titles is huge. They have multiple players going to play in college, and our team handled them in a way that I'm guessing Bishop Kelly hadn't seen before. These players will remember this for the rest of their lives. They deserve all the praise they're going to get in the coming days. I'm so proud of them, and feel honored to have coached them.”

1st half – 1, Spt, Aliya Strock (unassisted), 23:00. 2nd half – 2, BK, Sophie Schmautz (Kate Jaques), 70:00. 3, Spt, Marlee McCrum (Hannah Harvey), 79:00.

Shots on goal – Spt 15, BK 13.

Saves – Spt, Lilliana Brinkmeier 14. BK, Brooke Hutchinson 13.