Super Shootout
Bravettes win sudden-death thriller over Billings West in girls state soccer
The Daily Inter Lake
GREAT FALLS - After more than 100 minutes of back-and-forth soccer action, Flathead freshman Brittany Earnest hit the game-winning goal in a sudden-death shootout to defeat Billings West 2-1 in the first round of the girls Class AA state soccer tournament on Thursday.
Flathead scored late in the second half of regulation to tie the game at 1-1, and neither team could muster a goal throughout two 10-minute overtime periods and a best of five shootout at Siebel Soccer Park.
The only option left was a sudden-death shootout. After seven kicks with no results, Flathead coach Scott Warnell turned to Earnest.
"She's been a good player for us all year," Warnell said. "When it got to the penalty kicks, we looked to her to come off the bench and I just gave her the green light."
Warnell said Earnest's goal was her first of the season. For Flathead, it came not a second too soon.
All in all, Flathead goalie Karli Kusler corralled 17 major saves in the lengthy match.
The Bravettes exorcised a three-year losing streak to the Golden Bears, who have defeated Flathead in the state opener each year until Thursday.
"The team as a whole, we were down with eight minutes to go in the game, they didn't put their heads down," Warnell said. "They kept plugging away and ended up coming back … It says a lot about our team. It shows that our team can handle the pressure of the big game."
Down 1-0 in the waning minutes of the second half, Flathead's Chelsea Shuman sailed a free kick into the back of the net. After that, the Bravettes defense fended off the aggressive attack of the Golden Bears through regulation and two overtime periods.
"Our defense really stepped up," Warnell said. "(West) put a lot of pressure on us all game. Our defense just kept them from getting any really good looks on goal. Probably one of their best games all season."
The Bravettes face Billings Senior this morning at 9:30 in the semifinal match.
Flathead was the lone Western AA girls team to win on opening day. Defending champ Bozeman blanked Helena Capital 2-0.
In boys play, the victors were Helena High, Helena Capital, Billings West and Billings Skyview.
Class AA
Boys
Thursday's results
Helena High 3, CMR 1
Helena Capital 1, Bozeman 0
Billings West 3, Missoula Sentinel 1
Billings Skyview 1, Missoula Hellgate 0
Today's matches
Semifinals
11:30 a.m., Helena High (9-3-1) vs. Helena Capital (7-3-4)
11:30 a.m., Billings West (12-0-1) vs. Billings Skyview (8-4-2)
Loser-out
11:30 a.m., CMR (4-7-3) vs. Bozeman (8-4-2)
11:30 a.m., Missoula Sentinel (5-5-4) vs. Missoula Hellgate (8-4-2)
Class AA
Siebel Soccer Park
Girls
Thursday's results
C.M. Russell 2, Helena High 1, OT
Bozeman 2, Helena Capital 0
Flathead 2, Billings West 1, shootout
Billings Senior 1, Missoula Hellgate 0
Today's matches
Semifinals
9:30 a.m., CMR (9-3-2) vs. Bozeman (12-1-0)
9:30 a.m., Billings Senior (9-5-0) vs. Flathead (7-3-4)
Loser-out
9:30 a.m., Missoula Hellgate (7-4-2) vs. Billings West (9-5-0)
9:30 a.m
Girls
Opening Round Matches
Billings West 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1
Flathead 0 1 0 0 0 1 - 2
Billings West - Danielle Muri, 72:00
Flathead - Chelsea Shuman (free kick), 76:00, Brittany Earnest (penalty kick shootout)
Shots on goal - Billings West 18, Flathead 12
Saves - Billings West 11 (Kaylee Kimmet 9, Christi Mciver 2), Flathead 17 (Karli Kusler)
Corner kicks - Billings West 7, Flathead 5
Fouls - Billings West 11, Flathead 12
Cards - None
CMR 2, Helena 1 (ot)
Helena 0 1 0 0 - 1
C.M. Russell 0 1 1 0 - 2 Helena, Meghan Upham, 50:00
CMR - Shelby Koth (Nicole Hickey), 76:00; Hockey, 86:00
Goal saves - CMR, Misty Berdeaux 3. Helena, Poe Hildreth 4.
Billings Senior 2, Missoula Hellgate 1
Billings Senior 1 1 - 2
Missoula Hellgate 1 0 - 1
Hellgate, Kate Liddle-Broberg, 10:00
Senior, Jaucelyn Richter, 12:00; Richter, 46:00
Goalie saves - NA.
Bozeman 2, Helena Capital 0
Capital 0 0 - 0
Bozeman 1 1 - 2
Bozeman - Britta Hjalmarsson, 7:00; Lauren Hickok, 58:00
Goalie saves - NA.
Boys
Helena High 3, CMR 1
C.M. Russell 1 0 - 1
Helena 2 1 - 3
CMR - Sabin Vaira (Mauro Whiteman), 2:00
Helena - Stewart Miller (Haley Klarich), 5:00; Jake Staley, 16:00; Garrett Mitchell (Linus Titze), 74:00
Goalie saves - CMR, Dustin Gillaspie 7 saves. Helena, Riley Sheldon 6 saves.
Billings Skyview 1, Missoula Hellgate 0
Hellgate 0 0 - 0
Skyview 1 0 - 1
Skyview - Dalton Smith, 39:00
Goalie saves - NA.
Helena Capital 1, Bozeman 0
Bozeman 0 0 - 0
Helena Capital 0 1 - 1
Capital - Jackson Wilkins, 58:00
Goalie saves - NA.
Billings West 3, Missoula Sentinel 1
Sentinel 0 1 - 1
Billings West 1 2 - 3
West - Jack Pueringer, 21:00; Justin Enger, 59:00; Enger, 78:00
Sentinel - Name NA, 69:00
Goalie saves - NA