Bravettes fall in AA soccer playoffs
There was hope.
Just a glimmer of it, but enough for the Flathead Bravette soccer team to ratchet up the offensive pressure a little bit more on Missoula Sentinel at Kidsport.
Jelisa Guy nailed a penalty kick at 70 minutes and scored again eight minutes later on a free kick as the third-seeded Bravettes were finally within reach, trailing just 4-3.
But time was on Sentinel's side in this one and that score held up to give the sixth-seeded Missoula Sentinel Spartans an upset Class AA playoff victory on a gray, damp Friday afternoon.
"That's the way it's been," said Missoula Sentinel coach Julio Morales.
"A character building season."
Sentinel, 3-6-4, advanced to Friday's match by virtue of a 2-0 play-in victory Tuesday over Butte in Missoula. That gave the Spartans a bit of momentum heading into Friday's game.
"We got a little confidence," said Morales from that one.
"For us this year, it was a little momentum."
Sentinel now moves on to the Class AA state tournament, which begins Thursday in Kalispell.
Danielle McQuinn paced the Spartans with a hat trick, her first goal the only one of the opening half. That came at 26:12 and was assisted by Meg Hocking.
Flathead, 7-4-2, tied the match at 1-all four minutes into the second half on a shot by Sarah Griffith.
Guy beat a defender along the sideline for the ball, dribbled past another and drilled a shot at the goal. Sentinel keeper Grace Harris failed to control it and Griffith blasted the loose ball into the net.
But that didn't carry over to the rest of the game.
The Spartans' Kirstie MacMillen scored on a penalty kick a minute later and Sentinel had the lead for good, 2-1.
McQuinn added two more goals, giving Sentinel a 4-1 advantage with 16 minutes remaining.
"It's always hard to come from behind," said Flathead coach Scott Warnell.
"We pretty much dominated the first half, didn't get good shots on goal. I thought we were playing real well. They have a good goalie."
Harris finished the match with 15 saves. Flathead keeper Alyssa Younkin had 10.
"They played their hearts out," said Warnell.
"It just didn't come out the way we wanted it to. Sentinel played well."
Flathead beat Sentinel last month during the regular season. It that outing, Guy's penalty kick was the difference in a 1-0 victory.
"This turned out to be a high scoring game," said Morales.
"Both teams wanting it. It was do or die."
Morales said the Spartans tried to keep an eye on Guy, "but we knew that was tough to do over 80 minutes."
Guy finished the season with 15 goals.
SPARTANS 4, BRAVETTES 3
Missoula Sentinel 1 3 - 4
Flathead 0 3 - 3
Missoula Sentinel - Danielle McQuinn (Meg Hocking), 26:12; Kirstie MacMillen, penalty kick, 45:00; McQuinn (Cory Costa), 54:00; McQuinn (Costa), 64:00.
Flathead - Sarah Griffith (Jelisa Guy), 44:00; Guy, penalty kick, 70:00; Guy, 78:00.
Fouls - Sentinel 10, Flathead 10, Cards - Sentinel, one yellow; Shots - Sentinel 10, Flathead 19; Corner kicks - Sentinel 7, Flathead 6; Goalie saves - Sentinel 15 (Grace Harris), Flathead 10 (Alyssa Younkin).