Flathead girls tie Glacier in crosstown soccer
The top scorer in Class AA took on the best defense in the West and they both managed to come away successful in the first crosstown girls soccer match of the season at Glacier High on Thursday.
Flathead senior Chelsea Shuman scored her league-best ninth goal with a shot among a melee of players in front of Glacier's goalie to tie it at 1-all at the start of the second half.
Shading his face underneath the sun, Flathead coach Scott Warnell yelled out to the Bravettes to keep the momentum going, but Glacier goalie Patty Hughes and the Wolfpack defense fended off everything after that and for the second rivalry game in a row Flathead and Glacier tied after 80 minutes of spirited play.
"I thought it was everything I expected," Glacier coach Paul Holmgren said. "It was a crosstown game, both teams came out ready to play. It was a very hard fought game and physical. Flathead moved the ball very well but I thought our defense played another stellar game."
Flathead (3-1-3) came into the match in second place in Western AA and leading the crosstown series with five wins in seven games. Sixth-place Glacier (1-4-2) has been working towards catching up in the series, winning last year's opener, and it showed again on Thursday from the first kicks.
Glacier senior Katy May netted a goal in the opening minute off a pass from Abretia Crandell to give Hughes and Co. a 1-0 advantage to work with.
"It's always a fun game," Hughes said of the crosstown contest. "It's competitive and you get out there and get after it ... I think we played really physical and came out strong right off the bat. We were really pumped for it, so that always helps."
Flathead, on the other hand, let a sudden defensive slip lead to a one-goal hole.
"We started way too slow," Warnell said. "We had a breakdown in the first minute, after that we picked it up and got our heads back in the game. In the second half I really think we controlled the game."
Throughout the first half, Flathead tried to equal the Wolfpack on the offensive end and it was a no-go against Glacier's stingy defense, which has allowed a Western AA-best eight goals this season.
But as history would predict, Shuman would play a part in the scoring at some point, and she did.
In the third minute of the second half, the all-state forward kept her composure in the middle of a mix of players and shot off a pass from teammate Brittany Earnest for the game-tying goal.
"She was definitely in the right place at the right time," Warnell said.
The goal was Shuman's fifth-straight crosstown goal dating back to Oct. 18, 2008.
"At half we just discussed going out and playing our hearts out and giving it our all no matter what the score was at the end of the game," said Shuman, who has verbally committed to play soccer at Montana State-Billings next year. "It was a fun, intense game to go and play a crosstown. It's definitely really exciting to get out and have the whole town looking at how the soccer game's going to go. So it's good to come out with at least a tie and get it done."
Both Flathead and Glacier head to Helena on Saturday. This season's final crosstown matchup is Oct. 14.
Flathead 0 1 - 1
Glacier 1 0 - 1
G - Katy May (Abretia Crandell), 1:00
F - Chelsea Shuman (Brittany Earnest), 43:00
Shots on goal - Flathead 18, Glacier 16; Goalie saves - Flathead 4 (Karli Kusler), Glacier 6 (Patty Hughes); Fouls - Flathead 6, Glacier 4; Cards - None.