Billings Central trips Whitefish in 2nd half of girls soccer semifinals
BILLINGS — Whitefish held the lead at halftime, but Billings Central regrouped in the second half to claim a 5-3 victory in semifinal play of the Class A girls soccer playoffs at Rocky Mountain College on Saturday.
Haley Nicholson scored the first goal at 21 minutes for Whitefish, which tied the match at 1-all.
Central took a 2-1 lead 10 minutes later, but Melissa Pollard put Whitefish on top 3-2 with back-to-back goals just five minutes apart. The last was three minutes before halftime.
Central needed three goals late, 70, 74 and 79 minutes, to pull away.
“Overall, a good game,” Whitefish coach Roland Benedict said.
“In the second half, we stayed too deep defensively.”
Central came into the match having allowed just four goals on the season.
“A tough level to maintain for 80 minutes,” Benedict said of his squad’s great start.
“We did our best.
“The girls were disappointed,” he added, “but held their heads high at the end of the game.”
Benedict said keeper Kess Nelson “played incredible today. She made incredible save after save after save ... very well done.”
He said Pollard “was our main threat on the field today.”
She also assisted on Nicholson’s goal.
In the other semifinal match, Hamilton lost at Laurel 2-0.
Laurel will host Billings Central on Saturday for the championship.
In boys semifinal play Saturday, Belgrade defeated visiting Missoula Loyola 4-2 while Corvallis slipped by Billings Central 2-1 at Rocky Mountain College.
Corvallis will host Belgrade on Saturday for the championship.
Belgrade is in the finals for the third time in school history. It also qualified in 2010 and 2014.
Billings Central 5, Whitefish 3
Whitefish 3 0 — 3
Billings Central 2 3 — 5
BC — Mariah Wittman (Jill Hardenbrook), 19:00
W — Haley Nicholson (Melissa Pollard), 21:00
BC — Olivia Hanser (Hardenbrook), 31:00
W — Pollard (Julia Houston), 32:00
W — Pollard (Nicholson), 37:00
BC — Hardenbrook (Michaela Stock), 70:00
BC — Wittman (Olivia Hanser), 74:00
BC — Wittman, 79:00
Shots on goal — Whitefish 6, Billings Central 22; Gaolie saves: Whitefish 14 (Kess Nelson), Billings Central 4 (Venton Arce); Corner kicks — Whitefish 2, Billings Central 4; Fouls — Whitefish 7, Billings Central 6; Cards — None.
Laurel 2, Hamilton 0
At Laurel
Hamilton 0 0 — 0
Laurel 1 1 — 2
L — Raquel Jimenez, 34:00
L — Maysa Walters, 65:00
Shots on goal — NA; Goalie saves — Hamilton 7 (Larami Schara), Laurel 5 (Paige O’Toole); Corner kicks — NA; Fouls — NA; Cards — NA.
Boys
Semifinals
Corvallis 2, Billings Central 1
At Billings, Rocky Mountain College
Corvallis 1 1 — 2
Billings Central 1 0 — 1
C — Cayden Ayers (Emmett Semple), 4:00
BC — Christian Zygmond (Patrick Comstock), 7:00
C — Semple (Avery Walden), 55:00
Shots on Goal — NA: Goalie saves — Corvallis 7 (Justin Catanach), Billings Central 3 (John Healey); Corner kicks — NA; Fouls — NA; Cards — NA.
Belgrade 4, Missoula Loyola 2
At Belgrade
Loyola 1 1 — 2
Belgrade 1 3 — 4
B — Jeffrey DeBuse (direct kick), 28th
ML — Own goal, 29th
ML — Tu Nguyen (unassisted), 63rd
B — Johnny Davidson (Ansel Brayton), 65th
B — Jordan Schlaugh (DeBuse), 69th
B — DeBuse (Brayton), 77th
Shots on goal — Loyola 1, Belgrade 23; Goalie saves — Loyola 11 (Bryan Swanson), Belgrade 0 (Clay Bost); Corner kicks — Loyola 1, Belgrade 8; Fouls: — Loyola 9, Belgrade 3; Cards — None.