Spartans play tough but lose 1-0 to Mountain Division leader.

In any game, no matter how big the field of play, it always comes down to who can grab that extra inch that makes the difference.

The Lakeside Lions were able to do that as they defeated the Bainbridge girls soccer team 1-0 Thursday to stay unbeaten.

The Spartans also lost to Holy Names 3-2 on Tuesday in Seattle.

Emi Lawson put in the only score of the game on a direct free kick in the 58th minute, putting one past a Spartan defense and goal keeper Jesse Vincent by fitting it just inside the left side of the net.

“What more can you ask (from our defense)?” head coach Scott Druker said. “She had accuracy, the right amount of speed and puts it in the right side of the net.

“It was just one of those things that (makes you say) ‘hey, it was a great shot.’”

But Bainbridge had their opportunities to score as well.

In the 13th minute, Lauren Silvers took an indirect free kick that Dina Singer just missed connecting on.

Two minutes later Kelsey Thompson couldn’t put in a header off a nice pass by Maddie Ginder, while Thompson’s rainbow shot in the 18th minute was a bit too high.

Lakeside had a clear look at the goal a few minutes later, but Ellie Crutcher’s shot bounced off the crossbar and Lawson’s attempt on the rebound was turned away by the defense.

The Spartans’ closest miss came just before the half when Lucy Donahue made a superb cross pass to Mariko Wolf who caught the Lakeside goalkeeper out of position with a header, but it bounced just inches past the right side of the goal.

“I think we had our opportunities,” Druker said. “But despite how the game goes, you still gotta put the ball in the goal so if they don’t get that goal it’s 0-0.”

In the second half, Bainbridge kept the pressure on after the Lakeside goal but couldn’t connect on anything.

Maddie Ginder had the best chance when she tried to head in a great pass from a teammate but she couldn’t get her head on it in time.

Druker felt the team played hard and he was happy with their effort.

“I thought we kept the intensity up all game and I think we focused a little bit more on teamwork more in the first half,” he said. “I thought in the second half the traps and touches weren’t working quite as well as they should be and hitting people in the open slots so it didn’t look like we had much control like in the first half.

“I thought we played a complete game,” Druker continued. “There’s just one or two minor things here and there and things would have gone our way but I was pleased with the effort.”

Against the Cougars, the Spartans went back and forth with them for the entire game.

Thompson scored in the fourth minute off an assist by Maddie Ginder.

Holy Names tied it in the 12th minute and went ahead in the 46th minute but ten minutes later Thompson scored again off an assist by Donohue.

But in the 79th minute, the Cougars scored the game winner as a player put one in after a mad scramble in front of the goal.

Druker said he hopes to get everyone back at full strength, as Ashley Waplinger sat out with an injury and Melissa Hoshizaki and Haylee Baker are working their way back from a broken leg and an appendectomy, respectively.

Bainbridge (0-3-1, 2-4-2) hosts Seattle Prep next Tuesday.

Spikers split tough games

After a hard loss to their arch-rival and former state champs in Bishop Blanchet, the Bainbridge volleyball team returned home to defeat an improved Lakeside team by the scores of 25-23, 13-25, 25-19, 25-22 and 15-12.

The Spartans struggled against their two top players in Morgan Merriman and Paloma Pineda as they helped keep the Lions in it.

In the fifth game, both teams traded the lead until Lakeside put two kills in the net to give Bainbridge a 7-5 lead.

The Lions pulled as close as 13-12 before committing another error by putting a kill out of bounds.

Kelcey Dunaway did the rest with a kill on match point for the win.

Head coach Julie Miller said they’re still working on getting everyone on the same page.

“I just don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “This is the second game in a row where we’ve had a lot of people be very, very tentative and not playing the ball and almost being scared out there.

“Kelcey can’t carry the entire team and Hillary (Grant) cannot speak for the entire team the entire game,” Miller continued. “Other people need to step up and it’s just been difficult to get everyone on the same page as talking and playing.”

Dunaway felt the team is in a “midseason dip.”

“We all play well individually but I just think it’s the team dynamic at the moment,” she said. “I think the problem with that (Lakeside) match was we’d get inside our own heads and stop talking when things got down.”

Dunaway finished with 20 kills, five blocks and eight digs.

Chelsea Bell had 30 assists, 12 digs and three aces while Grant had seven digs.

Becky Gottlieb had 15 digs and two aces.

The Spartans (3-1, 6-2) play Eastside Catholic and Holy Names on the road next week.

Golfers keep on winning

Both Bainbridge golf teams continued their strong shooting versus Metro League opponents this week.

The boys’ team defeated Ingraham 109-46 at the West Seattle Golf Course Monday, then beat Lakeside 101-80 Tuesday at Wing Point.

Kyle Hurt was the medalist on Monday, shooting a four-under 33 on the par 37 golf course for 31 Stableford points.

Kyle Leonard followed him with a even par 37 for 27 points, while Kyle Schneider followed with a one-over 38 for 26 points.

Jack Seidl shot a 39 for 25 points, while Peter Leslie and Ross Olason each shot a 41 for 23 points.

Carl Jonson shot a 42 while Andy Redmond shot a 47.

Head coach Bob Dwyer said that the golf course had aerated their greens, so temporary ones were used.

“They were smaller than Pebble Beach,” he said. “His (Hurt’s) score was amazing.”

Dwyer praised Kyle Leonard, Schneider and Seidl for their scores as well.

“(They) were able to break 40 on a course where you couldn’t figure the distance, nor the amount of roll to keep a ball on the putting surface,” he said.

Against the Lions, Sean Leonard, Kyle’s younger brother, was the medalist as he shot a 33.

Hurt posted a 37, while Jonson shot a 38 and Olason posted a 39 .

The girls golf team also defeated Lakeside 106-37.

Anna Bourland was the medalist with 30 points.

She had four pars but shot a double bogey on the ninth hole.

Melanie Trygg followed with 27 points, scoring a birdie and two pars but she also struggled with the ninth hole, putting up a triple bogey.

Ryan Nottingham had 25 points with a par and a birdie while Peyton Lunzer rounded out the scoring with 24 points.

The win helped them keep the points lead in the Metro League standings with Holy Names close behind.

The boys play O’Dea on Tuesday, while the girls play Holy Names.

Both matches are at Wing Point and they start at 3 p.m.

Swimmers earn ranking

After a loss to 4A Snoqualmie in the Dual Meet Championship Series Sept. 18, the Bainbridge swim and dive team rebounded with a 102-84 win over Port Angeles Tuesday.

Several swimmers scored first place finishes with their times.

In related news, the Spartans are ranked first in the state in 3A in the new WISCA coaches poll.

Kennedy is ranked second while Mercer Island is third.

Camas, Bellevue, Squalicum, Issaquah, Holy Names, Newport and Mt. Rainier follow in order in the rankings.

Bainbridge takes part in the Mukilteo Invite today at the King County Aquatic Center, then travel to Sequim on Tuesday.

They return home to face Sequim on Oct. 5.

Soccer team hosts friendly

The Bainbridge FC boys U18 team is hosting a team from Denmark in a scrimmage Monday at 5 p.m. at Woodward Middle School.

Players from the Velje Football Club, a team in Velje, Denmark, have been traveling around the western United States playing games against various teams.

The Danish players attend Velje Business College and are coached by Laurits Schytz, a professor of economics and soccer coach at Vejle College.

The boys U18 play in the WSYSA Premier League, which starts its season in February.

Admission to the game is free.