Glacier girls OT victors

Carly McDonald took some of the pressure off when she scored the first goal of the match after just seven minutes of play.

Caide Williams followed with another score 14 minutes later.

Things were looking pretty rosy at that point on a gray, dreary day for Glacier in its AA girls soccer playoff match with Missoula Big Sky at Glacier High School Thursday afternoon.

But Missoula Big Sky battled back to eventually tie it at 2-all and force overtime.

And that’s when a cold, steady rain started to fall.

That’s also when McDonald came to the rescue.

She scored in the first 10-minute overtime period to give Glacier (7-4-4) a 3-2 victory and a trip to the state tournament next week in Great Falls.

“You don’t win games by sitting back, we went at them,” Glacier girls coach Brenden Byrd said of his approach for the two overtime sessions.

“We knew Big Sky was peaking towards the end of the season and they would play great.”

Byrd said the two early scores by the Wolfpack forced Big Sky (3-8-4) to step up the attack.

“They put everything into it,” he said.

As a result, the majority of the second half was spent on Glacier’s end of the field.

“Big Sky played outstanding,” he said.

“We had a hard time adjusting (in the second half).”

When Big Sky tied it up in the 58th minute, “we got a little frantic,” Byrd said.

He said he could tell his players had that ‘now we can lose’ attitude at that point.

It may have also rallied the team.

McDonald made sure the Wolfpack would not lose on its home turf, along with keeper Amy Braig.

Braig had a big save late in regulation, knocking the ball over the crossbar on a hard shot by Big Sky, and then a critical diving stop when Big Sky broke through the Glacier defense in overtime.

Byrd called both plays “game-changing saves.”

Both teams had 18 shots on goal. Glacier led in corner kicks 3-2.

Williams’ goal was a header off a perfect corner kick by Maddi Paulson.

State tournament action starts Thursday.

Missoula Big Sky    1    1    0    0    —    2

Glacier    2    0    1    0    —    3

MISSOULA BIG SKY — Kayla Farago, 37:00; Kayla McCampbell, 58:00

GLACIER — Carly McDonald (Cadie Williams), 7:00; Williams (Maddi Paulson), 18:00; McDonald (Cayli Mower), 85:00.

Shots on goal — Big Sky 18, Glacier 18; Goalie saves — Big Sky (Chelsea Todd), Glacier 11 (Amy Braig); Corner kicks — Big Sky 2, Glacier 3; Fouls: Big Sky 11, Glacier 12; Cards — Big Sky 1 yellow; Glacier 2 yellow