Flathead, Glacier keep on improving

The Glacier Wolfpack and Flathead Braves boys soccer clubs combined for one victory last season. Three games in to the 2014 season, the Wolfpack are undefeated while the Braves (1-1) have matched last year’s win total in just one weekend of soccer.

Heading into today’s crosstown match, one thing is for certain—Kalispell soccer is heading in the right direction.

The Glacier boys’ soccer program, winless in 2013, has a new head coach and a new attitude on the pitch.

First-year head coach Ryan Billiet has the Wolfpack looking toward the future in hope of sustaining a program that has shuffled through three different coaches in as many years.

Billiet has plenty to work with. With a class of seven seniors, the Wolfpack have already earned three victories this season heading into today’s crosstown match.

Kade Deleray, an all-conference performer last season, joins classmates Brandon Purdy and Coleman Zauner to highlight the senior class yearning for an improvement to last year’s 5-0 play-in-game loss to Big Sky.

The seniors will lead the way for a bright future of Wolfpack soccer as junior Colton Becker’s presence has immediately elevated Glacier’s level of play. Becker scored six goals in the Wolfpack’s first two games, including four against Great Falls.

The intensity has been raised and, as Billiet notes, Glacier wants to win.

“I think these guys are looking at this season like blank canvas,” Billiet said.   “Anything is possible. We have a sharp returning class and three sharp seniors. We’ve got a good amount of incomers with a high level of technical ability, and they’re buying into the philosophy.”

Tending the net for the Wolfpack is junior goalkeeper Ryker McIntyre—a player Billiet is excited for to help move the program forward.

“He’s going to be the guy to lock us down in net this year and we really want him to lead by example,” Billiet said.

Having served as an assistant coach to O’Brien Byrd, head coach for the powerhouse that is Whitefish boys soccer, Billiet is bringing a winning mentality to the Glacier sidelines.

“It’s a journey and part of the journey—the season—that’s the fun part of it,” he said.

“We want to make sure every time we step on the field we leave it all on the field. That’s all we can ask for. We’ll take it one day at time.”

While the number of participants in the Flathead boys’ soccer program continue to increase so does the expectations of head coach Dan Ferguson.

The second-year head coach noted 38 athletes tried out for the club this year, six more than the previous season. Although it may seem like a small increase, it exactly what Ferguson wants as the Braves look to improve upon a 1-9-2 record from last season.

“Greater numbers gives you greater opoportunity to find talent,” he said.

“The main focus was increase the program, increase the numbers and increase the competitiveness. We had more numbers come out last year than the year before and it’s increased this year so we’re really excited about that.”

Flathead is working with a small senior class with four players leading the way. Sam Clarin, Eli Frandsen, Josh Osborne and Tobias Barton make up the seniors looking for an explosive exit to their prep careers. Their leadership, as Ferguson said, hasn’t gone by unnoticed.

“They’re all leaders. The boys have been working very hard and they’re really buying into what we’re putting in front of them.

“Sam and Eli have been voted captains, but we really put our expectations on all of them and they’re holding others accountable for what we want to accomplish as a team.”

Junior midfielder Kaleb Frame’s hot start to the season is helping the upperclassmen move the program forward. Frame netted two goals in the Braves 3-1 victory over Skyview last weekend while sophomore Jordan Buxton added the third.

Ferguson has seen an improvement in the talent level of his squad which excites him before a crucial crosstown match up— one that he has anticipated since preseason camp.

“I want to encourage people to come out and watch the (crosstown) game,” he said.

“This is going to be a special one. Glacier has a lot of confidence; they’ve won three right off the bat. We have a stronger squad than we have had in year’s past, so it’s going to be a fierce, competitive match.”

Class A

Whitefish Bulldogs

(9-2-2 in 2013)

The Bulldogs ended 2013 on a sour note. A first-round loss to the eventual state champions of Park High left Whitefish out of state championship game for the first time since 2010. With their eyes set on another state title, the Bulldogs will have some big shoes to fill while trying to fend off the rest of the conference.

Having graduated three all-state performers from last year’s squad, Whitefish welcomes back junior midfielder Taven Edland, senior forward Shinoah Montana and junior midfielder Jared Johnson. The trio earned all-conference honors in 2013.

Junior captain Walter Sobba and senior Judah Prestegaard bring experience to the Bulldogs defense, hoping for a return to the Class A title game.

Libby Loggers (5-6-2)

Seven returning starters highlight the Loggers’ 2014 club. The continuity and experience has Libby poised for a successful season after finishing 5-6-2 last year, losing in the first round of the playoff to Stevensville.

Senior defender Collin Johnson, senior keeper Jacob Wood, junior midfielder Zander Petersen and junior defender Isiah Sickler are the upperclassmen leading Libby on the pitch. They’ll be joined by sophomores Cody Wood, Giovanni Cano and Colin Maloney.

“It’s a good group. They know a lot about the game and they’re a lot of dedicated soccer players that love to play the game. We can’t wait to get it rolling,” said Loggers head coach Charlie Webster.

Bigfork Vikings (3-8-2)

Finishing in third-place in the conference during the 2013 season, the Vikings lost in the first round of the playoffs to Billings Central, but senior forward Tyler Zavala and senior midfielder Kyle Thomson earned all-state honors last year and are back to return the Vikings to the postseason.

Both Zavala and Thomson scored nine goals in 2013 and will be joined by Kegan Driver, Isaac Passwater and McKinley Paine—all returning letterwinners.

Columbia Falls Wildcats (4-7-1)

The Wildcats won more and lost less than Bigfork in 2013, but not in conference. They’re 2-5-1 conference record kept Columbia Falls out of the postseason as they finished fourth place in the league.

Junior midfielder Quentin Foust, the Wildcats leading scorer last season, returns along with senior forward Keenan Jessat, who scored four goals in 2013.

Defensively, Columbia Falls welcomes back all-conference selection senior Austin Kimmet. He’ll be joined by senior Jackson Barta with plans to bring the Wildcats to the postseason.

“We’ve got a good group of seniors and we’re also really young so we’ve got some kids that are untested. Our kids have been wokring really hard, and we’re looking forward to flying under the radar. We need a game under our belt evaluate ourselves. Our goal is to play really organized and play well defensively,” said Wildcats head coach Peter Browne.

Polson Pirates (1-11)

A one-win team from a year ago, the Pirates bring back experience up front in senior Jonah Kasnitz and Alex Helgeson.

Kasnitz led the Pirates in points last season, scoring three goals and adding an assist.  Helegson, who earned all-conference honors, will partner with Kasnitz in the midfield for the 2014 season.

Senior Spencer Raymond was an all-conference defender last season and gives the Pirates stability on the defensive end.

“Our number one goal is to get back into the playoffs. The biggest thing is having our guys come together as a team and playing like a team. It’s a team sport and we need these guys to trust their teammates. If they do that and come together as a team, I think we’ll be able to acvheve our goals,” said Pirates head coach Jess Kittle.