AA boys soccer: Glacier's state trip on line at Big Sky
One and done, or one and in ... Glacier prefers the second scenario.
The Wolfpack faces Missoula Big Sky today at 3:30 p.m. at Big Sky High School in a boys Western AA play-in soccer match.
The winner advances to state - the following week in Helena - while the loser is finished for the season.
"I was hoping for a little later in the week, but I guess this is as good as any day," Glacier coach Ryan O'Rourke said of the match.
Glacier (3-5-4) wrapped up regular-season action over the weekend at home, tying Helena Capital 1-1 on Saturday while losing 2-0 to Helena High the day before.
Glacier wound up as the fifth seed. Big Sky (6-5-1) ended up as No. 4 with the right to host this match.
"I think we matchup well with Big Sky," O'Rourke said.
"I felt and the guys felt Big Sky is a team we should be able to beat."
The Eagles and Wolfpack met twice during the regular season with Big Sky winning both outings - 1-0 in Missoula and 2-1 in Kalispell.
"They are up there in terms of scoring," O'Rourke said of Big Sky in Western AA.
"But they are a team that has allowed quite a few goals as well. They are offensively strong, defensively not quite as strong in that area."
Scoring for Glacier, on the other hand, has been hit and miss.
"Scoring for us has been up and down," O'Rourke said.
"Early in the season, we were finishing opportunities better. The last few games, our finishing hasn't been where it should be. We're hoping that changes (today)."
Matt Peters leads the Wolfpack offense with seven goals. Josiah Bumgarner is next with four.
Bumgarner is the team's assist leader.
Those two players, along with goalie Sean Peters, Joe Siderius, Tanner Byle, Nate Higgins, Jake Lockwood and Tanner Maroney were involved in last year's play-in stunner. Glacier, which was seeded No. 6, knocked off No. 3 Missoula Hellgate in Missoula.
"That was a big upset there," O'Rourke said.
And O'Rourke would love to see that happen again.
"I really do feel like in the last three games we have been playing better," O'Rourke said.
"We went through a tough spell in the middle of the season where I didn't feel we were playing like we were capable of. Now we are playing more as a team, our work rate has improved and we're showing signs of getting there."
The year before the upset, Glacier was the No. 4 seed and beat No. 5 Big Sky in a play-in match to advance to state .
"With this particular team, they tend to respond better in big-game situations. I'm hoping they can perform well (today)," O'Rourke said.
Glacier is shooting for three-straight state tournament berths.
"The other thing worth mentioning about our team is we have the best keeper in the conference," O'Rourke said of senior Sean Peters, a three-year starter in the net.
"When he's playing at the level he can play, he's a very tough goal keeper to score on. He's a tall goal keeper (6-foot-2), but also very athletic. He can make the saves at the far reaches of the goal. He has been very good at stopping penalty kicks. When you get to this point of the season, it's nice to have a guy like that in the goal."
And that could be the difference between winning and losing today for Glacier.
Final Soccer Standings
Western AA
Boys
W L T
Helena High 8 1 3
Missoula Sentinel 6 1 5
Missoula Hellgate 6 1 5
Missoula Big Sky 6 5 1
Glacier 3 5 4
Helena Capital 2 6 4
Flathead 0 12 0
Girls
W L T
Helena Capital 9 1 2
Flathead 6 1 5
Missoula Sentinel 6 1 5
Helena High 4 4 4
Missoula Hellgate 4 7 1
Missoula Big Sky 2 7 3
Glacier 0 10 2