WHS girls keep their cool, blank Laurel
The Daily Inter Lake
WHITEFISH - The Whitefish High School girls soccer team kept its cool through a tense first half Saturday before erupting to beat Laurel 4-0 in an opening round Class A playoff game.
The Lady Bulldogs pressured Laurel during the first 40 minutes, but were locked in a scoreless tie at halftime. The second half started much like the first, but Kelsey McCluskey scored on Hannah Long's assist in the 57th minute and Whitefish took the lead for good.
McCluskey made it 2-0 seven minutes later on Carmel Johnston's assist and Sarah Clark and Jen Joern iced the game with goals in the 68th and 80th minutes. Long assisted Clark's goal and Joern scored off a Kari Rounds pass.
"I felt like what gave us the ability to finally put it away was composure," said Whitefish coach Lini Reading.
Whitefish remained calm and focused despite playing without one of its senior leaders. Alex White underwent an emergency appendectomy Friday night, but left the hospital in time to watch Saturday's game from the sideline.
Reading said she sensed the Lady Bulldogs were especially determined to win and keep their season alive so they could play with White again if she's able to return to action.
Sarah Clark was spectacular in her first game at stopper and Reading said she was Whitefish's unofficial player of the game.
"Sarah controlled the middle just incredibly," Reading said.
Clark's goal came on a long, majestic shot from the right side of the pitch. Clark said Whitefish is playing with three athletes in the middle now, making it much easier to control the middle and distribute the ball.
McCluskey is just a sophomore, but she played with the poise of a longtime veteran.
"I think she's an amazing player and she gives it everything and has the skills and the head for it and she's getting it done," said Clark of McCluskey.
The Lady Bulldogs beat Laurel 3-0 when the teams played last month, but Saturday's game was far more competitive than their first meeting.
"That was the best Laurel team I've ever seen," Reading said.
But Whitefish was also in peak form, allowing just five shots on target while firing 15 of its own.
"I think it's the best whole game we've played, even though we had trouble putting the ball in the net," Reading said.
Whitefish goalkeeper Kirstin NallyMadigan made sure none of Laurel's shots found the net. Her clutch play was no surprise to Reading.
"What I can say about Kirstin is, I have more confidence in her in a big game than I do in an easy game," Reading said.
Sixth-year Laurel coach Aloma Jess sang NallyMadigan's praises as well.
"We had scoring opportunities, but their goalie is excellent," Jess said. "Kudos to her because she was where she needed to be all the time.
Jess said her players performed like she hoped they would, at least in the first half.
"They were playing like they should, getting to the ball first like we practice," Jess said. "Their heart was really into it.
"Whitefish outran us in the second half and that's the bottom line."
The win means Whitefish visits Belgrade in a state semifinal match. The game will either be Friday or Saturday at a time yet to be determined.
It will be the Lady Bulldogs' first clash with the Panthers since Belgrade edged Whitefish 1-0 in the state championship game last year.
Laurel 0 0 - 0
Whitefish 0 4 - 4
Whitefish - Kelsey McCluskey (Hannah Long), 57:00; McCluskey (Carmel Johnston), 64:00; Sarah Clark (Long), 68:00; Jen Joern (Kari Rounds), 80:00
Shots on goal - Laurel 5, Whitefish 15
Corner kicks - Laurel 0, Whitefish 6
Goalie saves - Laurel 11 (Jacque Walters), Whitefish 5 (Kirstin NallyMadigan)
Total fouls - Laurel 4, Whitefish 4
Yellow cards - Laurel 1, Whitefish 1