Becker kicks Wolfpack into state soccer semis
GREAT FALLS — Colton Becker delivered again for Glacier’s soccer team.
The junior forward and No. 2 scorer from Western AA tallied two late goals to lift the Wolfpack past Billings Senior 2-0 in first-round action Thursday afternoon at the Class AA state tournament at Siebel Fields.
Becker scored in the 75th minute and followed with an insurance goal four minutes later. That gives him 11 for the season.
Kade Deleray and Brandon Purdy assisted on the scores.
“We never wavered, we kept with our gameplan,” Glacier coach Ryan Billiet said.
“I thought we turned it on in the second half. It started opening up (for us).”
Billiet said Becker “had one really good look, a world-class goal into the far net,” on the first one.
“He slipped it in there for security (on the second one).
“It was an all-out effort from everybody,” Billiet added.
“We wanted it more than they did.”
Billiet said goalie Ryker McIntyre had “five world-class saves in the first half to keep it level.”
Glacier advances to a semifinal match today at 1:30 p.m. versus Missoula Hellgate. The Knights beat Glacier twice during the regular season, 1-0 in Missoula and 2-0 in Kalispell.
“The last three games we’ve played our best,” Billiet said.
“This game got even better. We’re excited how we match up with them (Hellgate).
Glacier 0 2 — 2
Billings Senior 0 0 — 0
GLACIER — Colton Becker (Kade Deleray) 75:00; Becker (Brandon Purdy) 79:00
Shots on goal — Glacier 12, Senior 11; Goalie saves — Glacier 8 (Ryker McIntyre), Senior 4 (Riley Kriskovich); Corner kicks — Glacier 2, Senior 3; Fouls — NA; Cards — None.
Bozeman 6, Flathead 2
Ben Hietala scored four goals, three during a 14-minute stretch in the second half, to power the two-time defending state champion Bozeman Hawks to a victory over Flathead.
Bozeman jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals by Jeffrey Kampfe and Hietala in the first 19 minutes of play.
Carter Warnell put Flathead on the board with his goal at 20 minutes.
That was all the scoring in the first half.
Bozeman exploded for four goals in the second half to eventually put the match out of reach.
Justin Gardner scored for Flathead at 47 minutes to get the Braves within one, down 3-2. But that’s when Hietala took over.
He has 25 goals on the season.
Flathead drops into a loser-out game today at 11 a.m. versus Billings West.
Flathead 1 1 — 2
Bozeman 2 4 — 6
FLATHEAD — Carter Warnell, 20:00; Justin Gardner, 47:00
BOZEMAN — Jeffrey Kampfe (Willem Vanderwende), 5:00; Ben Hietala (Ryan Vanderwall), 19:00; Chris Linkenbach, 45:00; Hietala, 57:00; Hietala, 66:00; Hietala, 71:00
Stats not available
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Other First-Round Matches
Missoula Hellgate 1,
Great Falls C.M. Russell 0
CMR 0 0 — 0
Hellgate 1 0 — 0
MISSOULA HELLGATE — Ryan Sayler, 6:00
Stats not available
Missoula Sentinel 5, Billings West 3
West 1 2 — 3
Sentinel 3 2 — 5
BILLINGS WEST — Seleti Tupou (Max Ambrosat), 16:00; Donovan Luce (Ambrosat), 55:00; Kevin Welliever (Ambrosat), 56:00.
MISSOULA SENTINEL — Adam Mickelson (Austin Leadbetter), 24: Mickelson, 35:00; Todd Thayer (Mickelson), 38:00; Thayer (Mickelson), 57:00; Owen Winger, 78:00
Stats not available
Girls
Bozeman 2, Flathead 1
Flathead took an early lead, scoring 16 minutes into the match on a goal by Stephanie Wilson, but Bozeman came back with goals by Averie Collins and Elaine Chandler at 23 and 34 minutes to pull out the win.
“We came out and played well for the first 20 minutes,” Flathead coach Cory Wilson said.
“We had a great possession game, created opportunities.”
Bozeman found a seam in the Flathead defense on its first goal. The next score came off a counterattack.
“The second half, the last 20 minutes, we controlled well,” Wilson said.
“We had some good opportunities at the end of the game. We just couldn’t get the equalizer.”
Both teams had four shots on goal. Flathead had four corner kicks to three for Bozeman.
“The kids fought so hard,” Wilson said. “It was a disappointing result, but their effort was great.”
Flathead faces Missoula Sentinel in loser-out play today. The Bravettes lost and tied with Sentinel during the regular season.
Flathead 1 0 — 1
Bozeman 2 0 — 2
FLATHEAD — Stephanie Wilson (Ashley Lincoln), 16:00
BOZEMAN — Averie Collins (Zori Oberle), 23:00; Elaine Chandler, 34:00
Shots on goal — Flathead 4, Bozeman 4; Goalie saves — Flathead 2 (Zoe Zander), Bozeman 3 (Devan Murfitt); Corner kicks — Flathead 4, Bozeman 3; Fouls — Flathead 3, Bozeman 6; Cards — None.
CMR 4, Glacier 2
Scoreless for two halves and two overtimes, it came down to a shootout.
Great Falls C.M. Russell converted on four to Glacier’s two to net the win and move on to semifinal action.
Ellie Stevens and Alyssa Smith scored for Glacier in the shootout.
Glacier will face Helena High in a loser-out contest today at 11 a.m.
Glacier 0 0 0 0 — 0
CMR 0 0 0 0 — 0
(CMR won 4-2 in penalty kicks)
Penalty kicks—CMR 4 (Tayla Vaira, Eme McLaughlin, Lindsay Martinez, Courteney Shovlin), Kalispell Glacier 2 (Ellie Stevens, Alyssa Smith)
Stats not available
Billings West 1, Helena High 0
Helena 0 0 — 0
West 1 0 – 1
BILLINGS WEST — Kayla Marker (Madison Marlenee), 39:00
Stats not available
Billings Skyview 0, Missoula Sentinel 0
Skyview 0 0 0 0 — 0
Sentinel 0 0 0 0 — 0
(Skyview won 2-1 in penalty kicks)
Penalty kicks—not available
Stats not available