Home sweet home. Hillcrest is headed to the state tournament
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IDAHO FALLS – The Hillcrest girls soccer team hasn’t had a field to call their own until this season.
That probably didn’t matter much, because the program has struggled of late, finishing 1-8-1 in conference just two years ago, 4-14-4 overall in 2021 and 4-7-3 in 2020. Last year the Knights were competitive, but it was Skyline and Idaho Falls earning berths to the state tournament.
You get the picture. No real home. No real homefield advantage.
But that recent history was overshadowed Thursday night as Hillcrest defeated Skyline 2-1 to win the 5A District 6 tournament. The win earns the Knights a berth in the state tournament for the first time in over a decade, coach Brian Nelson said after the postgame hoisting of the trophy and plenty of team photos were taken.
“We haven’t won the district tournament for over 12 years,” Nelson said. “It’s been a long time ……that we’ve been on the map, so to speak.”
The journey to the postseason was no fluke. With the win, the Knights are 16-2-0. They were 9-1 in conference, with the one loss coming against Skyline back on Sept. 11.
That loss was at Ravsten Stadium, but Hillcrest’s new on-campus Westmark Stadium provided some magic on Thursday.
Senior Reese Titland got the Knights on the board in the 32nd minute. That lead lasted into the second half before Skyline tied it up on a corner kick in the 67th minute.
The Hillcrest lineup is relatively young, with just three seniors. The underclassmen, many of whom saw playing time last year, have added valuable experience during the team’s run.
“These girls just give it their heart every single day and it shows,” Nelson noted.
This year’s motto?
Our field.
Our fortress
Our year.
“The girls from the very beginning had just one focus and that is they wanted to make it to state,” Nelson said.
Hillcrest actually lost in the district championship game last season and lost to Skyline in a play-in game.
The players, especially the younger ones, remember that feeling, Nelson said.
Maybe not coincidentally, it was Brinley Nelson, a sophomore, who connected with the eventual game-winning goal in the 74th minute.
Skyline (14-3-1) pushed for the equalizer, but Hillcrest was able to hold on. Once the final buzzer sounded, the celebration started.
“I give all the credit to these girls,” Nelson said. “They believed in themselves and they accomplished something great that hasn’t happened for a long time for Hillcrest.”
Skyline will play Idaho Falls on Saturday at 10 a.m. for the district’s second seed to the state tournament.
Did we mention homefield advantage?
The girls 5A state tournament is Oct. 24-26 at Hillcrest.