Hillcrest finds its groove and championship Saturday, knocking off Pocatello to finish third

MIDDLETON — The Hillcrest Knights were a 5A girls’ soccer power all year. They finished the regular season with an undefeated 15-0-1 record, never allowing more than two goals, and then claimed a district title in a similarly dominant fashion.

Obviously, they had big aspirations when they arrived at Middleton High School in search of a state championship.

But the Knights came out a flat Thursday, and had to overcome a late deficit to force extra time, where they finally did put Sandpoint away, 3-2. They came out a little flat again Friday, but this time were unable to repeat the comeback, falling to Moscow on penalty kicks.

The 5A girls’ one-seed finally found themselves on championship Saturday, besting the reigning state champion Pocatello Thunder, 3-1, to claim third place. And while some top seeds might have been disappointed to not play for the banner, Hillcrest had no reason to be, according to head coach Brian Nelson.

“I’m proud of these girls for getting the bounce-back win today, for mentally being there,” the coach said. “We had a great season — one loss, on a penalty shootout in the state semifinal game. Third-place trophy. I’m super-proud of these girls, they deserve it.”

The Knights finish the 2025 season with a 19-1-1 record and a green trophy to add to the cabinets at Hillcrest High School.

After struggling to find offensive rhythm through the first two days of the tournament, Hillcrest came out hot on day three, pushing two goals past Thunder keeper Madysen Torngren, who finished the season with a state-leading 293 saves (13.95 per game).

Things changed a bit in the second half, though, when Pocatello showed its championship grit.

The Thunder won their program’s first state banner last season, and had claimed trophies in three straight season, so they weren’t going to go away without a fight.

Junior Madison Helm got Poky on the board early in the second half, following a free kick to put the second-chance shot home. Both teams scratched and clawed for the next 20 minutes — Pocatello looking for the equalizer and Hillcrest looking for some much-needed insurance.

Nelson made his team was aware of how tough everything was going to be all weekend. They had discussed how they would face nothing but the best the state had to offer, “that every match was going to be a dogfight,” he said.

And they finally did score that insurance goal in the 73rd minute, when junior co-captain Kenlee Jarrell scored on a second-chance off a corner kick.

Hillcrest seemed to have added one more tally at the final whistle, but a fourth goal was waived off, ruled to have come after the whistle and slightly delaying the Knights’ celebration.

Nelson has been the head coach at Hillcrest for three seasons, and brings home his first trophy — after losing to Twin Falls in the consolation on penalty kicks last season and being eliminated in the district tournament the year before.

The program has taken steps forward each year under the coach, equivalent to one quantum leap forward from their one-win season of 2022.

With their loss, the Thunder were held trophy-less for the first time since 2021, when they won the consolation game against Moscow. Pocatello will lose three seniors, but will return Torngren, breakout midfielder Brynlee Pool and, hopefully according to head coach Mark Wetstein Aryanna Gonzalez, who finished sixth in the state in goals last year as a sophomore but suffered a season-ending knee injury late this season.

Hillcrest will lose seven seniors, including co-captain Harley Jarvis, but will also have some immense talent back in 2026.

“We’re looking forward to next year, but I’m sad to see these seniors go. But they deserve this, they deserve this trophy,” Nelson said.