SANDPOINT — It was a miracle in itself that junior Rae Olsen was on the field for the Sandpoint Bulldogs in their win-or-go-home state play-in game against Idaho Falls on Saturday. 

Olsen has been battling a shoulder injury, Sandpoint head coach Alan Brinkmeier said, but gritted it out for her team, and the Bulldogs are certainly glad she did. Olsen scored Sandpoint’s first goal in the second half to even the game at 1-1, before she fired a cross into the box that found the foot of Jordyn Tomco in the second half of overtime.  

Tomco promptly sent the ball into the back of the net to seal a 2-1 comeback victory and send the Bulldogs to the 5A State Tournament. 

“We’ve been working on that all season, getting around in the corner and squaring it up to give our players a chance to finish it,” Brinkmeier said of Olsen’s cross. “To see that be the winner, something we’ve worked on all season, it’s unimaginable.” 

Sandpoint struggled to begin their state play-in game, with Idaho Falls outright dominating the entire first half. Idaho Falls got on the board first after 20 minutes of constant pressure with junior Kaia Orgill narrowly beating Sandpoint’s goalkeeper Izzy Stark with a shot into the right side of the goal. 

Stark took a few big hits in the first half of what became a very physical game but came through in the closing moments of the game to help her team extend their season. 

“She battled all the way through that first half of just pain and then kept her composure and calmness. I think that’s what you need on that backline, composure from your goalkeeper,” Brinkmeier said. “I was impressed that she could come back from the district damages to keep her going.” 

Following Orgill’s goal, Idaho Falls kept their foot on the gas until halftime as Sandpoint struggled to break through their back line. Brinkmeier met with his team at half to remind them that the next 40 minutes were their season and that they needed to come together as a team to keep their season alive. 

Brinkmeier’s words were clearly heard as Sandpoint started the second half on the attack, looking like a completely different team than their first-half selves. It was only three minutes out of the break until Olsen found the back of the net on a deflection goal to equalize the game at 1-1. 

“When they stepped onto the field, you could just tell that they wanted it,” Brinkmeier said. “For Rae to get the deflection goal, she’s been on a scoring drought for a while, so it’s great to see... from back to front our team battled.” 

Both teams clicked into desperation mode searching for a goal but couldn’t find one in the rest of regulation or the first half of overtime. Sandpoint came out swinging in the second overtime before Tomco’s golden goal sealed their victory. 

The Bulldogs will play Hillcrest in the first round of the 5A State Tournament, hosted in Ponderay at The Field of Dreams, on Thursday at 9:30 a.m.  

Sandpoint 0 1 1 — 2 

Idaho Falls 1 0 0 — 1 

First half — IFT, Kaia Orgill (unassisted), 20:00. Second half — SPT, Rae Olsen (Harper Overland), 43:00. Overtime — SPT, Jordyn Tomco (Olsen), 93:00. 

Shots on goal — Sandpoint 6, Idaho Falls 6 

Saves — Sandpoint, Izzy Stark 5. Idaho Falls, 4. 

    Sandpoint's senior goalkeeper Izzy Stark makes a leaping save to preserve a tie game and force overtime against Idaho Falls on Saturday at War Memorial Field.