Glacier boys take series lead over FHS

Josh Neiman gets a goal and an assist in Wolfpack 2-0 win over Flathead

By DAVID LESNICK/The Daily Inter Lake

Advantage - Glacier.

The Wolfpack boys soccer team made it three straight over crosstown rival Flathead on Saturday with a 2-0 home victory on a warm, sunny afternoon.

Tanner Maroney scored on a perfectly placed crossing shot that slipped under the crossbar and was just out of reach of a leaping Flathead keeper Jordan Remington two minutes before the first half ended.

Glacier, 2-0 on the season, added an insurance goal at 55 minutes on a beautiful bicycle shot by Josh Neiman.

This was the fifth meeting going into the third season of two high schools in Kalispell and the Wolfpack now own the series lead, 3-2.

"I was worried they (Flathead Braves' would come out pretty intense," Glacier coach Ryan O'Rourke said.

"They did.

"Flathead was coming off a tough opener (8-0 loss at Hellgate) on Thursday," O'Rourke continued.

"We really stepped it up and matched their intensity."

Glacier, after several near misses, finally cashed on in Maroney's goal. He failed to connect from nearly the same spot earlier in the half.

"A gorgeous shot," O'Rourke said.

"His first varsity goal."

Maroney is a freshman.

Neiman, who assisted on that score, had perhaps the shot of the season with his glitzy goal in the second half inside the box.

"It's always worthy of note as they are so unusual to actually see them go in," O'Rourke said of Neiman's bicycle shot.

"That's the kind of player he is. He's scrappy. Those are the kind of goals he likes to score."

Neiman, a senior forward, is a three-year starter.

Flathead had its chances with a couple of close calls off the foot of Jerrad Merrill. Right after Maroney scored, Merrill's shot hit the crossbar. In the second half, another effort by the senior glanced off the far post.

The Braves did most of the attacking for the final 17 minutes.

"They played much more together today," Flathead coach Chris Putzler said.

"Our defense was much more organized."

Even though Putzler's team came up short, he said it almost felt like a victory on Saturday.

"I'm happy with the intensity they played with," he said.

"I felt good about that after the way we played Thursday and how things looked."

Flathead and Capital will continued with Western AA play on Friday and Saturday with home matches with Helena and Helena Capital.

Flathead 0 0 - 0

Glacier 1 1 - 2

GLACIER - Tanner Maroney (Josh Neiman), 38:00; Neiman (Ron Howell), 55:00

Shots on goal - Flathead 15, Glacier 13

Corner kicks - Flathead 4, Glacier 2

Goalie saves - Flathead 6 (Jordan Remington), Glacier 7 (Sean Peters)

Fouls - Flathead 9, Glacier 10

Cards - Flathead, yellow