Braves repeat as AA champs
The Daily Inter Lake
HELENA - Bozeman's final attempt of the shootout bounced off Jordan Vaughan's feet and Flathead's celebration began.
The Flathead High School boys soccer team beat the Hawks 1-0 in a shootout Saturday, capturing its second-consecutive Class AA state title.
Vaughan, Flathead's junior goalkeeper, saved three of Bozeman's four shootout shots and the Braves won the shootout, 3-1. Brendan Passmore, Luke Fischer and Connor Cavigli scored for Flathead while Zane Wanner scored for Bozeman.
It was a thrilling ending to an epic contest, which was too even to be decided in 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime. The teams spent the afternoon trading body shots in a physical battle, but neither Bozeman nor Flathead could muster a knockout goal.
"It was a good game and (the Hawks) really came out hard and pressured," Vaughan said. "They had a lot of good opportunities and both teams were close to scoring a couple of times, it's just nobody got lucky and got it in."
Both sides said it was a shame to decide a state championship with a shootout, but Vaughan carried his remarkable goalkeeping over from regulation and overtime play.
"I was just kind of focused and I felt good," Vaughan said. "It's always tough winning in a shootout because it's so lucky. I mean, both teams played so good and to have it come down to that is tough, but you have to end it sometime.
"The whole game, it was nerve-wracking. Our defense played well and we were able to shut them out. It's a little scary, but during the shootout, I felt good. I didn't feel nervous really."
Brendan Passmore and Cody May were among Flathead's defenders who routinely stopped Bozeman's pressure from culminating in goals.
Flathead coach Eric Sawtelle was an assistant last year when the Braves clinched the state championship on the same field. But being there before didn't make Saturday's victory any less special.
"It feels incredible," Sawtelle said. "It hasn't quite yet hit me, but it feels incredible. These boys - they've worked so hard all season. I can't tell you how happy I am for them and all of us. It's been a great year."
Flathead finished its season with a 13-2 record - the same as Bozeman - but more importantly, it went 3-0 in its most crucial games of the season at the tournament.
"I'm incredibly proud," Sawtelle said. "I mean, for how much they've worked in these games the last couple of days; we came out bruised, tired. They hung in there - every player out on the field gave it everything they had, every step of the way. We weren't connecting the passes like we would like to, we weren't distributing the ball like we'd like to, but we hung in there and gave it everything we got and I'm just incredibly proud of them - these boys deserve it."
The Hawks unleashed 20 shots compared to Flathead's nine, but Vaughan made 12 saves and both teams missed several shots off and over the frame.
"I thought we played excellently today," said Bozeman coach Aaron Sears. "At the start of the game, Flathead really came out strong, I was worried. Our guys responded and went on to dominate the next 80 minutes of the game, including overtime. The ball was in Flathead's end for most of the game - their keeper was player of the game, without a doubt."
Sears said the shootout wasn't indicative of the game as a whole, but it was fitting in that Vaughan stymied the Hawks as he had for 100 minutes. Sears added that Bozeman kept knocking on the door, but didn't have enough time to knock it down.
"What drama," Sears said. "It must have been an amazing game to watch as a neutral. It was pretty agonizing as a coach."
According to Sears, the Hawks played their best soccer of the tournament against the Braves, who beat them in the tournament's first round last year.
"I think they deserved more, but you've got to finish your chances when you're playing well and if you don't, this is what can happen," Sears said. "But full credit to Flathead, they played very hard and never stopped fighting and, again, their goalkeeper was magnificent."
Sawtelle agreed with Sears that Vaughan was the player of the game.
"Absolutely," Sawtelle said. "He was amazing, he played incredible."
But it was a well-rounded effort for a Flathead team with only five seniors: Jeff Asa, May, Eric Narduzzi, Brian Hagen and Andrew Gill.
"A lot has to be said for these young players out there, that they really stepped up to fill some huge shoes, not only throughout the season, but through this tournament," Sawtelle said.
Sawtelle was most pleased with Flathead's ability to keep its composure in an intense and emotional match. The teams combined for 34 fouls and four yellow cards.
"We didn't talk back to the referee once," Sawtelle said. "Every play happened, we just let it go and moved on to the next play and I'm so proud of the way that we moved on through that throughout the season because that wasn't the case earlier on. We had some emotional issues."
Sawtelle said Bozeman did a wonderful job of disrupting Flathead's offensive game plan.
"I've got to hand it to Bozeman, they came out and played well, put a tremendous amount of pressure on us, had us on our heels for a fair amount of the game," Sawtelle said. "I expected them to come out playing very physically against us, applying a lot of pressure and that's exactly what they did. I expected us to be able to get more of a passing rhythm going earlier on and we just struggled a bit because of their intensity."
Vaughan accepted Flathead's championship trophy on behalf of his team, but said the Braves' accomplishment hadn't sunk in yet. He also plans to stay busy in the offseason.
"I'm still kind of dazed, but ski season starts soon, so that's what I've got to look forward to," Vaughan said.
The Braves will have their entire lives to look back.
Bozeman 0 0 0 0 (1) - 0
Flathead 0 0 0 0 (3) - 1
Shots on goal - Bozeman 20, Flathead 9
Corner kicks - Bozeman 3, Flathead 5
Goalie saves - Bozeman 4 (Zac Lubin), Flathead 12 (Jordan Vaughan)
Total fouls - Bozeman 14, Flathead 20
Yellow cards - Bozeman 3, Flathhead 1