AA soccer: Crosstown clash with playoffs on the line
For the second straight year, Flathead and Glacier’s girls soccer teams will meet in a play-in game to determine who will represent Kalispell at the Class AA state tournament.
Flathead (6-5-1) prevailed 2-0 in last year’s playoff game, and won both of this year’s regular season matchups, but Glacier coach Brenden Byrd said his team is eager to end that streak.
“It motivates my girls very much,” Byrd said. “I think the biggest thing is the mental aspect. The players have to get over the fact that they’re playing some of their friends and they beat us twice in the crosstown games.”
Flathead coach Scott Warnell said he doesn’t think his team has a mental edge after winning the regular season meetings, which were both hard-fought 2-1 games.
“Everybody says it’s hard to beat a team three times,” Warnell said. “Anytime we play Glacier we always know they’re gunning for us. We know they’re going to come out and play us really hard and physical. We want to make sure we’re ready for that and are able to play our game against them.”
After stringing together four straight wins in September and early October, Flathead lost two straight and looked headed into the postseason on a losing streak before getting a goalless draw against unbeaten Helena High, which has conceded two goals all season.
“To play them to a 0-0 draw right at the end of the season was really good for us,” Warnell said.
Glacier (4-7-1) also got a good result against Helena the final weekend of the regular season, tying the Bengals 1-1.
“We figured out how to control the midfield a little better and we put a goal away against a team that’s allowed two goals all season,” Byrd said. “I think we’re clicking all around.”
Junior forward Kendall Halliburton leads the Glacier attack with 6 goals and 1 assist. Senior forward Anna Deleray has 2 goals and 2 assists in five games after sitting out the first seven games of the season with an injury.
“She’s a commander on the field,” Byrd said of Deleray. “The girls look up to her. When she puts in a lot of effort, the team follows her.”
Flathead’s leading scorers are senior Jaclyn Rauthe (6 goals, 1 assist) and junior Paige Birky (5 goals). Senior sweeper Malia Ozegovich has contributed three goals off of set pieces.
Both coaches lamented that one of the Kalispell schools will be shut out of the state tournament, which will be held Oct. 25-27 at Kidsports complex.
“I didn’t want to play Glacier,” Warnell said. “I would’ve preferred to play a different team because it would’ve been great for us to be able to go to state together. Secondly, Glacier plays us tough every game with it being an emotional crosstown game, but I like our odds against Glacier. We always play them really strong.”
Said Byrd: “It’s a bummer that only one of us can go, but I think my girls are equally up for the challenge.”
The game kicks off today at 4 p.m. at Kidsports complex.