Glacier girls stop Sentinel

Advance to Class AA state soccer tournament

The Daily Inter Lake

MISSOULA - The Wolfpack wasted no time making it to state.

The Glacier High School girls' soccer team beat Missoula Sentinel 2-1 Thursday in a Western AA playoff game, clinching a berth in next week's Class AA state tournament in Helena.

Maddey Frey put the Wolfpack up 1-0 in the 21st minute, and a 34th-minute Sentinel own goal provided the winning margin.

Glacier played the first half with the wind at its back, taking a 2-0 lead into the break before Allie Smith put Sentinel on the board.

"Whoever got to the ball first was going to win, and (our) girls took it to them," Glacier coach Paul Holmgren said.

"That second half it was tough trying to get the ball moving up the field. It was hard to run against (the wind); it was hard to kick the ball against it."

Glacier goalkeeper Kayle Byle made 17 saves to offset Sentinel's 20-7 shot advantage.

The Wolfpack (3-9-1) collected just two regular season victories, but steadily improved before winning when it mattered most.

"It's a tremendous feeling," Holmgren said. "Our goal was to get to state. We weren't going to worry about the season, just learn as the year went on."

Glacier 2 0 - 2

Sentinel 0 1 - 1

GLACIER - Maddey Frey, 21:00; own goal, 34:00

SENTINEL - Allie Smith (direct kick), 71:00

Shots on goal - Gla. 7, Sent. 20

Corner kicks - Gla. 1, Sent. 9

Goalie saves - Gla. 17 (Kayla Byle), Sent. 5 (Emily Mason)

Fouls - Gla. 9, Sent. 5; Cards - None

Bruins top Glacier boys

The Daily Inter Lake

HELENA - The Bruins' second-half surge was too much Thursday as the Helena Capital High School boys' soccer team blanked Glacier 6-0 in a Western AA playoff game.

Capital scored five goals in the second half, earning a berth in next week's Class AA state tournament in Helena. The Wolfpack (1-12) saw its inaugural season come to a close.

Glacier coach Ryan O'Rourke said the Wolfpack played well in the first half, and nearly tied the game in the 41st minute, but two quick Capital goals made it 3-0 three minutes into the second half.

Glacier stopper Seth Bumgarner played an outstanding match.

"He was really plugging up the middle, playing intelligently and tackling hard," O'Rourke said.

Glacier 0 0 - 0

Capital 1 5 - 6

CAPITAL - Jackson Wilkins (Tommy Clinch), 13:00; Devin Chaney (Nic Shaw, Dallin Harris), 41:00; Kellen Martin (Chaney), 43:00; Clinch (Chaney), 50:00; Mykel O'Malley (Mike Eidum), 62:00; Chaney (Shaw) 76:00.

Shots on goal - Gla. 6, Cap. 17

Corner kicks - Gla. 0, Cap. 9

Goalie saves - Gla. 6 (Kasey Haugan), Cap. 3 (Grant Benkelman)

Fouls - Gla. 8, Cap. 8

Cards - None