Soccer playoffs: Belgrade bests Whitefish in OT
WHITEFISH — Belgrade senior Parker Edwins scored three goals in the second half and overtime to lift the Panthers over Whitefish 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Smith Fields in the quarterfinals of the Class A girls soccer playofffs.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the first overtime, Edwins took a pass on her left foot toward the middle of the field and turned back to her right for a shot that curled inside the left post to put the Panthers ahead for good. It was the culmination of a strong second half for Belgrade, which saw the Panthers take control of the contest and prevent Whitefish’s long runs towards goal.
“We played well,” Whitefish coach Roland Benedict said.
“The first half we were definitely the more dominant team. We had more control. Obviously, they’re a good team. They came at us in spells in the first half, but we were in control.
“In the second half, it was there. They’re a big, fast, strong team. They’re fast girls. Speed kills on any side. You have speed it’s tough to deal with.”
The Bulldogs opened the game strong, holding possession in the Belgrade end for most of the first 20 minutes. The Panthers were playing back to prevent Whitefish star forward Haley Nicholson from touching the ball, playing four along the back line while also marking her player-to-player with speedy sophomore Ruby Gawarkiewicz, leaving sometimes five or six girls deep.
Nicholson, however, was able to use the little space she did have to create chances. In the 24th minute, she threw a free kick on goal that Panthers keeper Emily Cady was able to push aside for a corner. Two minutes later, Nicholson broke past her dedicated defender and pivoted back to her right foot for a shot that was again stopped.
She finally broke through in the 31st minute, arching a free kick from 25 yards out high over the Belgrade keeper into the far corner of the goal, giving Whitefish a 1-0 lead that it would carry into halftime.
The pace switched after the break, as Belgrade rushed the Whitefish end from the opening kick of the second half. The pressure seemed to catch the Bulldogs off guard as Edwins slotted a soft left-footed shot past the defense that rolled into the net to even the score at 1-1 just 1 minute, 47 seconds into the half. Just 53 seconds later, Edwins charged the goal again, firing a shot off the Whitefish keeper and burying the rebound to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead.
“We really wanted to beat them since we lost last time, so we came out really hard,” Edwins said. “We had to come out super hard in order for us to win this game.”
Whitefish quickly drew the score back to a tie, with Nicholson drawing a penalty kick in the 44th minute, which she finished off inside the left post for the 98th goal of her stellar career.
The game slowed down for the rest of the half, with each team locking down its defensive end. Belgrade’s best chance came on a counter attack, when it rushed the Whitefish end, forcing keeper Kess Nelson to attempt to make a play on a ball outside of her box. Nelson slid past the ball, but made it back to the net in time to push a soft shot to safety outside the right post.
Nicholson had one more chance to win the game in regulation, playing a ball to herself off her back heel in the final two minutes, but didn’t have the legs to get a strong shot on goal from 15 yards out.
Belgrade held possession in the Whitefish end for most of the first 10 minute overtime, capped by Edwins’ goal in the 87th minute.
“We’ve been on the other side of this where you’re in overtime, you’ve got that goal lead and you’ve got all the energy in the world to expend to make sure they don’t get close to your goal,” Benedict said.
Whitefish tried to play the ball into the Panthers end as time began to dwindle, but couldn’t get past the defense for any sustained period of time.
Nicholson got off one chance in the final two minutes of the second overtime but again bounced in the chance softly for an easy save.
“The girls played their hearts out,” Benedict said. “They did everything they could between the lines and couldn’t get it done. That happens.”
Belgrade will play at Laurel in the semifinals. The Locomotives beat Missoula Loyola 9-0 on Saturday.
Belgrade 0 2 1 0 — 3
Whitefish 1 1 0 0 — 2
W—Haley Nicholson (free kick), 31:00
B—Parker Edwins, 42:00
B—Edwins, 41:00
W—Nicholson (penalty kick), 44:00
B—Edwins, 87:00
Shots—Belgrade 6, Whitefish 14. Saves—Belgrade 10 (Emily Cady), Whitefish 4 (Kess Nelson). Corner kicks—Belgrade 1, Whitefish 4. Fouls—Belgrade 7, Whitefish 3. Cards—none.