Another West-Bravette showdown at state soccer
By DAVID LESNICK/The Daily Inter Lake
Here we go again … Billings West facing off with Flathead in opening-round play of the Class AA girls state soccer tournament.
This marks the fourth-straight year these two teams will go head-to-head on the first day.
The action starts today at noon at Siebel Soccer Park in Great Falls.
West is 3-0 versus Flathead in these openers.
And if that wasn*Ot enough, the Golden Bears and Bravettes managed to play twice at state last year. West won the opening-round match 2-1 on a pair of goals by Danielle Muri. Two days later in the state consolation final, West prevailed 6-5. Muri had two late goals in that match.
West upset the undefeated and top-seeded Bravettes 3-1 in the first round of state action in 2005. The Golden Bears triumphed 2-1 in the first round in 2006.
*()()The upper classmen remember,*+/- Flathead coach Scott Warnell said of the team*Os state struggles with West.
*()()They wanna take care of business.*+/-
He said his younger players, on the other hand, are just excited to be playing at state. They are not paying too much attention to the history of this matchup.
*()()We graduated nine seniors, eight starters,*+/- Warnell said.
*()()We*Ore going into this (match with West) with a whole different view.
*()()We don*Ot have anything to prove,*+/- he added.
*()()Just go in and play our game and hope for the best. They are not dwelling on what West did to us last year. I think it*Os a good thing.*+/-
Flathead*Os starting lineup for today*Os match is pretty much the same one Warnell has used all season *(TM) defenders Makayla Darrow, sr., Megan Gardner, fr., Tess Brenneman, fr., and Stephanie Brewer, so.; outside mids Amryn Ayres, sr. and Meagan Hash, sr.; center mids Chelsea Shuman, so., and Talyssa Gardner, jr.; forwards Heidi Windauer, jr., and Kassi Hebert, jr.; and goalie Karli Kusler, so.
Muri leads West in scoring *(TM) 14 goals and 11 assists. That was second best in Eastern AA this fall.
Sophomore Sarah Snoozy is next with 10 goals and two assists. That was good for sixth place in Eastern AA.
West has scored 38 goals and allowed 14.
Flathead allowed 22 goals and also scored the same number.
Windauer led the Bravettes offense with eight goals and three assists. That was good for fourth place in Western AA. Hebert is Flathead*Os second top scorer with five goals and two assists.
*()()The nice thing about our team *(TM) we spread out our scoring amongst the players,*+/- Warnell said.
*()()Our scoring can come from pretty much anywhere. As long as we can keep teams out of the net, we have a pretty good chance of winning the game.*+/-
Flathead brings a little momentum to state, having won three straight matches.
*()()We*Ove set ourselves up well to play at state,*+/- he said.
*()()We*Ore pretty healthy, don*Ot have an real significant injuries to mention, just your normal bumps and bruises throughout the year.*+/-
Warnell has been pleased with how his team has progressed.
*()()We really improved throughout the entire year,*+/- he said.
*()()We really worked on the things we needed to, to be a better team. The two big things were our passing and finishing.*+/-
The Helena High boys and Bozeman girls are reigning state champions in AA.
State Class AA Tourney
High School Soccer
at Siebel Soccer Park, Great Falls
GIRLS
First round
Today at Noon
Bozeman vs. Helena Capital
Great Falls Russell vs. Helena
Missoula Hellgate vs. Billings Senior
Flathead vs. Billings West
A6P5A6P5BOYS
First round
Today at 2:30 p.m.
Helena vs. Great Falls Russell
Helena Capital vs. Bozeman
Billings West vs. Missoula Sentinel
Billings Skyview vs. Missoula Hellgate
A6P5
Final Soccer Standings
Regular-season records only
Eastern AA
Boys
W L T
Billings West 11 0 1
Bozeman 7 3 2
Billings Skyview 6 4 2
C.M. Russell 3 6 2
Great Falls High 2 5 5
Billings Senior 2 7 3
Butte 2 8 2
Play-in matches
Bozeman 3, Butte 0
Skyview 2, Senior 1
C.M. Russell1, Great Falls High 0
Girls
W L T
Bozeman 11 1 0
Billings West 8 4 0
C.M. Russell 7 3 2
Billings Senior 7 5 0
Billings Skyview 5 6 1
Great Falls High 1 9 2
Butte 0 11 1
Play-in matches
West 7, Butte 0
C.M. Russell 1, Great Falls High 0, overtime
Senior 1, Skyview 0, shootout
Western AA
Boys
W L T
Helena High 8 3 1
Missoula Hellgate 7 3 2
Helena Capital 5 3 4
Flathead 6 4 1
Glacier 5 5 2
Missoula Sentinel 4 4 4
Missoula Big Sky 0 12 0
Play-in matches
Hellgate 7, Big Sky 0
Capital 5, Glacier 0
Sentinel 2, Kalispell 1, shootout
Girls
W L T
Missoula Hellgate 7 3 2
Helena High 6 3 3
Missoula Big Sky 6 3 3
Flathead 5 3 4
Glacier 5 5 2
Helena Capital 3 7 2
Missoula Sentinel 2 8 2
Play-in matches
Flathead 4, Glacier 3, shootout
Helena High 1, Sentinel 0
Capital 3, Big Sky 2