Local teams land at state soccer

The Flathead Bravettes are back at the Class AA state soccer tournament after missing out last year for the first time in four seasons.

The Bravettes (7-2-3) enter today's double-elimination tournament with the second seed from the West. The team plays the third seed from the East, C.M. Russell (8-4-0), at noon today at Siebel Fields in Great Falls in the opening round.

On the boys side, fourth-seeded Glacier (3-8-1) plays Eastern AA's top-seeded Billings Senior (11-1-0) also at Siebel Fields at 2:30 p.m. today.

Winners of three of the last four games, Flathead has the top scorer from the West, senior Chelsea Shuman, who has 13 goals this season. The Bravettes netted 24 goals as a team this year and allowed 12.

CMR scored 40 goals this season, led by Lexi Pyette who scored 11. Haley Vining had six goals and six assists this year and McKenzie Weber had seven goals.

The Bravettes have placed fourth or higher at state in six of the last eight seasons. Since 2002, Flathead has finished fourth four times, third once and second once. The program came in fourth in 2007 and 2008. Flathead didn't make state last year and had a record of 3-4-5.

Overall, Flathead High has the third most state titles in state soccer history with six - five boys and one girls. Helena Capital has the most with 10 (2 boys, eight girls) and Bozeman is next with seven (six girls, one boys).

The Glacier boys are making their second state tournament appearance. In its first playoff appearance ever last year, Glacier lost in the opening round to Billings West, 3-0.

This season, the Wolfpack scored 11 goals and allowed 22. Matt Peters is the team's leading scorer with five goals.

Billings West (10-1-1) has won state the last two years on the boys side and won on the girls side last year as well.

2010 Class AA State Soccer Tournament

Today

Girls

Noon - #1W Missoula Sentinel vs. #4E Bozeman; #3W Missoula Big Sky vs. #2E Billings Senior; #1E Billings West vs. #4W Helena Capital; #3E CM Russell vs. #2W Flathead

Boys

2:30 p.m. - #1W Helena Capital vs. #4E CM Russell; #3W Missoula Big Sky vs. #2E Billings West; #1E Billings Senior vs. #4W Glacier; #3E Bozeman vs. #2W Helena.