As the Lowry High School boys soccer team traveled to Spring Creek on Tuesday, Oct. 26, to conclude the regular season, the Buckaroos knew exactly where it would be next week and what playoff spot had been earned.
Lowry will be the No. 2 seed from the Northern 3A East for the Northern 3A Regional Championships that will be played in Winnemucca from Nov. 4-6.
Meanwhile, Spring Creek still had playoff hopes with an upset win or tie against the Buckaroos.
Lowry beat Spring Creek 5-1 in Winnemucca on Oct. 5, in Winnemucca but it was a different story in Elko County and on the Spartans’ home field.
Lowry had to overcome a 2-1 deficit to tie Spring Creek 2-2 and end the regular season at 7-10-2 and 7-1-2 in league play. The lone loss in the Northern 3A East was to league champion Elko.
Spring Creek took an early 1-0 lead in the 16th minute, as Nathan Morrill made a shot from the edge of the box as he slid down to the ground as part of the shot.
Lowry tied the match at 1-1 in the 30th minute as Jose Avila knocked in a penalty kick after Spring Creek was called for a foul in the box.
Spring Creek’s Spencer Anderson answered in the 62nd minute to put the Spartans back up a goal.
Late in the second half, Jordan Wirthlin made the equalizing goal to give Lowry the 2-2 tie.
Lowry will take on South Tahoe in the opening round of the regional championships at 1 p.m.
Lowry and South Tahoe did not play this year, as the Vikings were out of school due to the Caldor Fire at the time the match was scheduled.
The Buckaroos lost to Douglas 2-1 and McQueen 2-1 in crossover play this year with the Northern 3A West.
The winner of Lowry/South Tahoe will play McQueen, the No. 1 seed from the West on Friday at noon.
Spring Creek will play Douglas in the other opening-round game on Thursday at 1 p.m.
The winner plays Elko on Friday at noon.
The championship match is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. at Lowry High School.
The schools in the championship game advance to the NIAA 3A State Championships at Pahrump Valley High School on Nov. 11-12.
