Kicking in the postseason
<p>Whitefish freshman Anna Peterson (9) and Libby sophomore Kasie Berget (5) battle for possession of the ball during the first half of their playoff game on Tuesday afternoon in Whitefish. Whitefish won the match up 8-0.</p>
BIGFORK — Wyatt Fisher’s 56th-minute goal lifted the Bigfork boys soccer team to a 1-0 win over Libby in Tuesday’s Class A state tournament play-in game at Carlyle Johnson Park.
Bigfork’s Kyle Thomson sent his corner kick toward the back post and Fisher rose up and headed it in for his first goal of the season.
“It was a great header,” Bigfork coach Keith Koslosky said. “His fist-pump told me he was pretty overjoyed about the whole thing.
“I can’t remember the last time we scored off a corner to win a game. I don’t believe we’ve scored off a set piece this year.”
Libby had a chance to even the score a few minutes later on a counter attack, but Bigfork defender Kegan Driver was there to bail out the Vikings.
“Kegan saved our bacon,” Koslosky said.
“It was a total team game for us, particularly in the second half.”
Koslosky said his back line of Fisher, Driver and Stephen Lyon did a good job of limiting Libby’s chances, while defensive midfielders Matt Killian and Anthony Fopp had stellar performances.
“We really did set the pace and the tone in the second half,” he said. “After we scored (Libby) moved another player up front and they came on as time was waning, but we held solid.”
Koslosky also said Seth Roessmann played his best game of the season, Bryce MacCallum did a tremendous job running on the wing and Austin Gordon sparked the offense off the bench.
Neither team created many scoring chances in the first half.
“The first half was rather lackluster,” Koslosky said. “Three shots by each of the teams, nothing really threatening. Some good movement off the ball, but we didn’t really take advantage of what was available for us. We came out in the second half and we pretty much controlled the pace from the get-go, but had trouble finishing.”
Bigfork (7-5-1), the second seed from Northern A, hosts Stevensville (7-4-1), the second seed from Southern A, at 2:30 p.m. in a first-round state tournament game on Saturday.
Libby 0 0 — 0
Bigfork 0 1 — 1
B - Wyatt Fisher (assist Kyle Thomson), 56:00
Shots - Libby 6, Bigfork 17. Corners Libby 8, Bigfork 9. Saves - Libby 6 (Austin Nagel), Bigfork 3 (Dillon Hilling). Fouls Libby 9, Bigfork 3. Cards - none.
Girls
Whitefish 8, Libby 0
WHITEFISH — The Whitefish girls soccer team steamrolled Libby in the Class A state tournament play-in game at Smith Fields.
The Bulldogs took a while to get rolling, but Callie Ling broke the ice in the 34th minute and Megan Danczyk and Christina Holtvelt followed with goals to make it 3-0 at the half.
Danczyk added two more goals after halftime as Whitefish cruised to a victory.
Janessa Courtney and Jessica Baldonado also netted goals in the second half. Holtvelt concluded the scoring on a free kick in the 64th minute.
Whitefish goalkeeper Piper Greenwood was only forced to make one save and the Bulldogs outshot Libby 43-3.
“Hats off to Libby,” Whitefish coach Wendy Farrens said. “It was a hard-fought game there at the beginning. It was exciting. A nice win for our team. I’m looking forward to Saturday.”
Whitefish (10-3-1), the second seed from Northern A, hosts Corvallis (6-5-1), the second seed from Southern A, at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Libby 0 0 — 0
Whitefish 3 5 — 8
W - Callie Ling (assist Jessica Baldonado), 33:20
W - Megan Danczyk, 36:35
W - Christina Holtvedt (Madison Grady), 40:00
W - Danczyk (Baldonado), 42:20
W - Baldonado (Becca Holdhusen), 44:12
W - Janessa Courtney (Ling), 49:55
W - Danczyk (Addie Elm), 56:40
W - Holtvedt, free kick, 63:44
Shots — Libby 3, Whitefish 43. Saves — Libby 20 (Danni Hawthorne, Rebecca Kyriss), Whitefish 1 (Piper Greenwood). Corner kicks — Libby 1, Whitefish 5. Fouls — Libby 1, Whitefish 1. Cards — none.