Libby, Whitefish, back in state title games

By DAVID LESNICK/The Daily Inter Lake

Libby and Whitefish will give it another go, this time in Billings at the Class A state soccer championship matches on Saturday.

The Libby boys (9-4-1) will face Billings Central (12-1-1) at 1 p.m. at Wendy's Field on the campus of Rocky Mountain College.

The Whitefish girls (9-3-2) will also face Billings Central (12-0-2), but at 11 a.m. at the same location.

Libby and Whitefish were runners-up a year ago.

"We're going again," Libby coach Charlie Webster said.

"We're proud of the season we've had. We hope to bring home a state championship on Saturday."

If that happens, that would keep the trophy in Western Montana for what seems like forever. Whitefish has won the previous two state titles. Hamilton and Columbia Falls were champions prior to that.

Whitefish defeated Libby 3-1 in last year's title match.

"Second year in a row we're playing for a state title away from home," Webster said.

Libby has advanced to the final by stopping Livingston 5-4 in overtime and Bigfork 3-1.

"That was the game (Livingston) I will never forget," Webster said.

"We came from two goals down."

Central, on the other hand, advanced by beating Stevensville 1-0 and Whitefish 3-2.

This will be Central's third-straight home playoff match.

"They are highly skilled technically," Webster said of the Rams.

"They play a real strong possession game and have an excellent keeper. I think they are similar to Whitefish."

Libby lost to Whitefish twice this fall, 1-0 and 3-1.

"Whitefish is the most skilled team we have played all year," Webster said.

"I think it will be an excellent game."

Central and Libby have another common foe this fall in Belgrade. Central beat the Panthers 2-0 and Libby won 3-0.

"We're ready, we're healthy," Webster said.

"Everyone is ready to play on Saturday."

Kyle Berke and Cree Maloney hope to spark Libby offensively. Berke leads the team in goals, 14, with Maloney next with 11.

"Hard to say," Webster said when asked if this would be a low scoring or high scoring affair.

"I thought the Livingston (match) would be low scoring and it was 5-4."

Libby planned to leave for Billings today at 7:30 a.m. An hour practice was scheduled for Butte. The team hoped to arrive in Billings before 8:30 p.m.

Whitefish is also leaving today, but at 7 a.m. The Bulldogs plan to hold a workout on Wendy's Field at 4 p.m. That will be followed by a dinner at the Olive Garden.

"Enjoy each other and get a good night sleep," Whitefish coach Lini Reading said.

Whitefish will be playing in its third-straight playoff road match.

"The kids are confident with that," Reading said. "They feel like they are playing better on the road. We'd go to Timbuktu to play the game. They want it badly."

The Lady Bulldogs are in the title contest for the fourth-straight year, and for the sixth time in eight years.

Whitefish captured state championships in 2001 and 2006.

Oddly enough, Whitefish beat Central 3-1 in the 2006 final.

Last year, Belgrade topped Whitefish 2-1 in overtime in the final.

Central and Whitefish played in Whitefish on Sept. 5 with Central winning 4-0.

"We're a completely different team today than we were then," Reading said.

"We didn't give them a contest the last time."

Whitefish will be without senior captain Megan Powell for the final. The midfielder/forward broke her ankle in practice on Wednesday.

Powell also missed out on last year's final with a knee injury.

"We feel badly for her, absolutely," Reading said. "She will be invaluable to us on the sidelines - a good positive voice, another set of eyes."

Reading said senior forward/midfielder Heather Melcer, who is battling back from knee surgery this summer, could see limited duty.

"She's been working super, super hard to get back to the same level," Reading said.

Carly Lengstorf, who scored a goal for the Bulldogs in last year's title match, leads the team in scoring this season with 12 goals and five assists.

Powell was second with seven goals and two assists.

Kelsey McCluskey is next with five goals and six assists.

"We're just super excited," Reading said.

"This team has grown more together in the last couple weeks than some teams do in a season."

Libby's Starting Lineup

Forwards - Kyle Berke, sr., and Cree Maloney, so.; Midfielders - Nick Reny, jr., Cyrus Maloney, sr., Evan May, sr., James Schnackenberg, jr., Scott Harlow, sr.; Defenders - Greg Lundin, so., Dustin Morningstar, sr., Brandon Pagacz, so.; Goalie - Lewis Brossman, jr.

Whitefish's Starting Lineup

Back Four - Hayley Murphy, sr., Kelsey McCluskey, sr., Megan Apple, jr., Karissa DeMarco, so.; Center-mids - Kylee Smith, sr., Samantha Dittman, fr.; Wings - Hannah Long, sr., Teal Gayner, sr.; Up Top - Carly Lengstorf, sr., Meredith Reed, jr.; Goalie - Callie Marsh, so., or Madisen Cross, so.