Bulldogs earn shot at soccer title
Whitefish girls down Hamilton, 1-0 in soccer semifinal
The Daily Inter Lake
HAMILTON - So much for that earlier loss to Hamilton this season.
It doesn't matter now.
Whitefish, 9-3-2, evened the score with the Broncs, but with much more at stake this time, by pulling off a 1-0 semifinal victory in the Class A girls soccer playoffs on Saturday.
Hamilton ends its season at 12-1-1.
"We had total control of the game in the first half," Whitefish coach Lini Reading said.
"I think they were a little overconfident. When we played them earlier in the season, they beat us 4-1."
That was on Sept. 13 in Hamilton.
Whitefish broke this scoreless tie six minutes into the second half.
Natalie Gayner took possession of the ball, got sandwiched by two Hamilton defenders, fell down and quickly got back up. She managed to get the ball to Carly Lengstorf, who kicked a low-hard shot on the ground to the near-post corner from 18 yards out.
That was the only goal of the match.
"They started putting pressure on, playing better," Reading said of Hamilton after the score.
"It was a tooth-and-nail battle the remainder of the game.
"I couldn't be more proud of the girls for their fortitude today," she added.
Whitefish moves on to the championship match at Billings Central on Saturday, 1 p.m. at Wendy's Field at Rocky Mountain College. Central beat Whitefish 4-0 in Whitefish on Sept. 5.
This will mark Whitefish's third-straight playoff match on the road.
The Bulldogs will be making their fourth straight state championship appearance, and their sixth in eight years. They won it in 2001 and 2006.
Whitefish beat Central 3-1 in 2006 for the title.
Whitefish 0 1 - 1
Hamilton 0 0 - 0
Whitefish - Carly Lengstorf (Natalie Gayner), 46:00
Shots on goal - Whitefish 11, Hamilton 6
Corner kicks - Whitefish 7, Hamilton 2
Goalie saves - Whitefish 6 (Madisen Cross), Hamilton 13 (Megan Baker)
Fouls - Whitefish 8, Hamilton 5
Cards - None
Billings Central 3,
Libby 2, OT
BILLINGS - Miranda Rabold scored seven minutes into the first 10-minute overtime period, lifting Billing Central to a semifinal victory over Libby.
Neither team scored in the second 10-minute overtime.
"It was a tough one (to lose)," Libby coach Matt Warner said. "It's too bad. We didn't want the season to end just yet."
Libby, 11-2-1, led 2-0 at the half on goals by Brittany Martin and Jaime Gilden. Both came in the first 24 minutes of play.
Central, 12-0-2, scored twice in the span of a minute in the second half to tie it.
"Both teams played so hard," Warner said.
"The Libby girls played better soccer, but it didn't matter. The wind was a huge factor."
The wind was at Libby's back in the first half.
"Both keepers did a great job," Warner said. "Some great saves. (Libby goalie) Christina (Shilling) had her best game all year in the net."
Libby 2 0 0 0 - 2
Billings Central 0 2 1 0 - 3
Libby - Brittany Martin, 3:00; Jaime Gilden (Anna Valentine), 24:00.
Billings Central - Jaelene Zygmond, 45:00; Jackie Elliott (Austin Hanser), 46:00; Miranda Rabold, 87:00
Shots on goal - Libby 12, Billings Central 12
Corner kicks - Libby 5, Billings Central 7
Goalie saves - Libby 8 (Christina Shilling), Billings Central 10 (Austin Hanser)
Fouls - Libby 3, Billings Central 5
Cards - None.
Boys
Billings Central 3, Whitefish 2
BILLINGS - There will be no 3-peat for the Whitefish boys soccer team.
Billings Central knocked off the two-time defending state champion at Wendy's Field at Rocky Mountain College in semifinal play.
It was the second meeting of the season for the two teams. The first one ended in a 1-1 tie in Whitefish on Sept. 5.
The Bulldogs have played three straight semifinal matches on the road.
Whitefish ends the season with an 11-1-1 mark. It was the first loss for Whitefish in 44 matches.
"It's been a great run," Whitefish coach O'Brien Byrd said. "And this season has been a great one."
Billings Central advances to the title match.
Whitefish outshot Billings Central 12-6.
"We couldn't finish our opportunities," Byrd said.
"Their goalie made some great saves, we hit the post twice. It just wasn't our day."
Central took an early 1-0 lead on Kevin Klee's goal seven minutes into play.
Whitefish tied it at 1-1 when Travis Adams, off an assist by Marc Hotzfield, scored at 50 minutes.
Central answered a minute later when Klee scored for a 2-1 margin.
Central went in front 3-1 on a goal by Steven Sheehy at 57 minutes.
Adams then scored at 69 minutes to get Whitefish within a goal.
"It's tough to swallow," Byrd said.
"It might not seem fair, but that's life. These young men will be stronger for it in the long term. It's a character builder."
Whitefish 0 2 - 2
Billings Central 1 2 - 3
Whitefish - Travis Adams (Marc Hotzfield), 50:00; Adams, 69:00
Billings Central (12-1-1) - Kevin Klee (Steven Sheehy), 7:00; Klee (Cody Dutton), 51:00; Sheehy (Mikey Wall), 57:00
Shots on goal - Whitefish 12, Billings Central 4
Corner kicks - Whitefish 10, Billings Central 0
Goalie saves - Whitefish 3 (Joe Galbraith), Billings Central 10 (Cody Linde)
Fouls - Whitefish 3, Billings Central 1
Cards - None
Libby 3, Bigfork 1
LIBBY - Cree Maloney put Libby on top early as the Loggers dropped Bigfork to advance to the state championship match for a second-straight season.
Maloney's goals came at 17 and 20 minutes.
Bigfork closed it up just before the half ended when Philip Hermanni scored at 31 minutes.
Libby's Evan May then took the pressure off with his goal at 67 minutes. That put Libby in front 3-1.
"That third goal was a big relief," Libby coach Charlie Webster said.
This was the third meeting of the season for the two Northwestern A teams. The first match ended in a scoreless tie. Libby won the second one 2-1.
"We worked a lot on our attack all week and it payed off for us," Webster said.
"We had better scoring opportunites this time than in the two previous games."
Webster said Dustin Morningstar and Brandon Tagacz "played stellar defense today."
"They were tough today," Webster said of the Vikings.
"Home field, home fans, that helped us a lot. Getting up 2-0 was huge."
Bigfork 1 0 - 1
Libby 2 1 - 3
Bigfork - Philip Hermanni, 31:00
Libby - Cree Maloney (Kyle Berke), 17:00; Maloney (Berke), 20:00; Evan May, 67:00
Shots on goal - Bigfork 5, Libby 15
Corner kicks - Bigfork 0, Libby 8
Goalie saves - Bigfork 14 (Zac Hansen), Libby 5 (Lewis Brossman)
Fouls - Bigfork 11, Libby 16
Cards - NA