Glacier boys, girls host Big Sky in first round
Glacier boys and girls soccer each host Big Sky this afternoon in Class AA playoff games, each having won one match and tied another against the Eagles this season.
The girls game kicks off at 2 p.m. and the boys at 4 today at Glacier High School.
The girls enter the postseason coming off a 3-0 win against Helena Capital, having won three of their last five matches.
“I think we’re playing really good,” Wolfpack senior Ally Staats said.
“We just started to pick things up. I think especially our midfield is starting to work together better and we’re starting to put some goals in the back of the net. “
The Eagles boast a strong pair of strikers, led by sophomore Cassidy Pierce, a speedster who is second in the Western conference with nine goals this season.
“They play a great possession game, but on top they have two outstanding strikers who are extremely fast,” Glacier girls coach Brenden Byrd said. “Cassidy Pierce is probably one of the fastest strikers we’ve ever defended against.
“If we play our game, I think we’re in it just fine. I think it will be a great match. Offensively, they do have a threat.”
Freshman Cadie Williams leads the Wolfpack with 11 points this season, though Glacier tends to spread out it’s scoring. A West-high 10 girls have recorded a point this season for the Wolfpack.
“I like the way we played against [Big Sky],” senior Maddi Paulson said. “I think that if we come out confident and play our game we’re going to have no problem competing and staying in the game with them.”
This game is a redo of sorts for Glacier, which lost its home playoff match to Capital last season, missing state by the narrowest of margins.
“A lot of the girls here don’t want to have that feeling again,” Staats said.
The boys are in a far different position from last season, hosting a game after finishing winless a year ago.
With three players with at least 14 points on the season, the Wolfpack have been a potent scoring team this season, led by Colton Becker’s nine goals in conference play.
They take on Big Sky, a team that eliminated the Wolfpack a season ago and has taken early leads in both contests with Glacier this season.
“It’s going to be an absolute battle,” Glacier boys coach Ryan Billiet said.
“They’re a great team. They finished the season well. They’ve got a couple dynamic players and they’ve got a couple ball winners and a pretty solid keeper.
“All around, I think it will be a good matchup for us. That’s why it’s a 4-5 matchup in the playoffs. There’s no other team that we’d rather play.”
The Eagles are led by forward Dana Kowachek, a fast goal scorer that has wreaked havoc on defenses this year with eight goals.
“He’s a dangerous player when he gets the ball on his feet,” senior Brandon Purdy said. “We need to contanin him and slow him down.”
After three narrow losses, Glacier ended the regular season on a high note, topping Captial 4-3.
“We weren’t really having results,” Becker said. “The Capital game I feel like we really got it turned around, got on track to where we knew we could be. Coming into this game we feel confident.”