Thunder Strikes Twice: Two overtime thrillers, two 30-yard goals,Pocatello girls soccer’s road to a state title

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Two games, two overtime winners and two goals from nearly the same distance. That's how the Pocatello Thunder girls soccer team finished its run to a state championship.

But before Pocatello could celebrate its title, the Thunder had to get past a familiar opponent that had beaten them twice during the regular season.

Hillcrest entered its matchup with Pocatello having won both previous meetings between the teams. This time, the Thunder weren't going to let another opportunity slip away.

In overtime, Brinlee Pool stepped up for a free kick from approximately 31 yards out. She had scored from similar distances earlier in the season and decided to take her chances.

"I've made shots like that in the regular season before. And so I had confidence that I could make it, and I just decided to shoot it and it went in," she said.

The ball traveled toward the net for what felt like an eternity.

"It was honestly like the longest six seconds in my life," Pool said. "It was just moving in slow motion."

The shot found the back of the net, giving Pocatello an overtime victory over Hillcrest and sending the Thunder into the state championship game against Twin Falls.

For Brynlee, finally defeating Hillcrest brought its own sense of accomplishment.

"Beating Hillcrest was almost as much as a state championship game, just because we, all of us wanted that win so badly," she said.

The following day, Pocatello found itself in another overtime battle, this time with a state championship on the line.

As the second overtime period wound down, Cameron Tatom knew the Thunder were running out of opportunities.

"We have 15 seconds left and I was just hoping, like, you know, something good would happen," Tatum said.

She sent the ball forward to Aryanna Gonzalez, who turned toward the goal with space in front of her.

Gonzalez had already scored earlier in the game on a shot from approximately 20 to 25 yards out. With the clock winding down, she decided to try another long-range attempt.

"I actually was looking at the clock the whole time," Gonzalez said.

Her shot sailed into the net, giving Pocatello the golden-goal victory in double overtime and the state championship.

With eight seconds showing on the clock, the Thunder rushed onto the field to celebrate.

Tatom, who had delivered the pass, sprinted from the back of the field to join her teammates.

"By that time, we're all together in a huddle, just screaming and yelling and crying, and it was just awesome," Tatom said.

For Gonzalez, the championship-winning goal didn't fully sink in until a conversation with an assistant coach after the game. The two had spoken the night before about her ability to make a difference.

"He was like, look at you. Like you made a change in the game. He's like, I'm so proud of you," Gonzalez recalled.

The Thunder's path to the championship had been challenging well before those final two overtime victories.

Pocatello had to battle through district competition, including a penalty-kick victory over Idaho Falls and another game against Jerome, just to reach the state tournament.

Several players credited those earlier challenges with preparing them for the pressure they faced at state.

The championship was also the final high school soccer game for several Pocatello seniors, many of whom had played together for years.

For one of those seniors, Peyton Jones, the excitement of winning came with the realization that her high school career was over.

"I'm glad that it ended this way," Jones said. "It really did mean a lot to me being like my senior year."

The Thunder returned home with a state championship trophy after a tournament run that included two dramatic overtime victories.

And for the players who experienced both winning goals, those final seconds are moments they'll remember long after their high school careers have ended.