INCLINE VILLAGE — In a rematch of last year’s state final, Incline senior Vanessa Andrade scored two goals against defending state champion Whittell on Friday, but it wasn’t enough as the Warriors came out on top, 3-2.

“We had some really good moments and some really sketchy moments, which is when we gave up goals,” said Incline coach Tom Canino, whose Highlanders were seeded No. 3 in the tournament. “It was a battle. We had our chances.”

Whittell, which entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed, took an early lead with a goal by Samantha Forvilly in the 15th minute and extended it to 2-0 three minutes later on a goal by Angela Stetler.

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Andrade narrowed the margin to 2-1 in the final three minutes of the first half, but the Warriors again went up by two with a goal by Alison Copsy in the 54th minute.

“We were pushing pretty good at the start of the second half, but when they got that third goal it was an uphill battle from there,” Canino said.

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Andrade scored her second goal 11 minutes later to adjust the score to 3-2 while igniting the Highlanders’ large home crowd.

The hosts threatened the Warriors’ goal on multiple occasions in the final 15 minutes but could not score the equalizer.

“We’re definitely happy with the way things turned out. It was a physical game. It shows the rivalry with these two teams,” Whittell coach David Caputo said.

Whittell, seeded No. 2 in the state tournament, went on to lose to top-seeded North Tahoe, 3-1, in the state championship on Saturday. North Tahoe defeated fourth-seeded White Pine, 3-0, in the semifinal round to advance to the title game.

The Highlanders posted a final record of 11-8-4 overall and 10-1-3 in league. Although Incline fell short of its ultimate goal, the team is set up well to contend for championships in the future. The Highlanders will lose only four seniors to graduation, while the rest of the roster is made up of two juniors, six sophomores and nine freshmen.