GIRLS SOCCER: Glacier blitzes Bravettes

The gameplan for the Glacier girls soccer team against crosstown rival Flathead on Thursday night was to forget about the odd field conditions at Legends Stadium and send everything they had toward the net.

The plan paid off, with the Wolfpack (2-2-1) scoring four goals in the first 22 minutes of play on the way to a record performance in a 6-1 win over the Bravettes (0-6-0).

Cadie Williams set the pace for Glacier, breaking free from a calamitous first few minutes that saw both sides try to adjust to the narrow field dimensions. The field was painted to the same dimensions as the typical football lines, which at 53 1/3 yards wide cuts out at least 10 yards from the sidelines.

“I think we adjusted really well to the small field,” Glacier coach Brenden Byrd said. “We worked really hard all week to not try and (only) play the best composed soccer. We just tried to have a grit win and go at goal every single chance we possibly could. It really paid off for the girls.”

Williams opened the scoring in the fifth minute by attacking the first opportunity she could at the net. From 25 yards out she got free of her defender and lofted a shot towards goal, beating the Flathead keeper high. Williams just missed two more opportunities in the next four minutes before burying her second on a free kick from just outside the Flathead 18-yard box.

It took only a minute more to score her third, beating a pair of defenders to get the ball to her left foot and score in the top corner to complete the hat trick.

“Ellie (Stevens) told me the first five minutes to be really selfish,” Williams said. “That’s what was going through my mind. Be selfish and take my open shots ... I wanted the hat trick.”

Flathead added a goal before half, after crossing a pass into the Glacier box only to have a defender clear the pass to the feet of Bravettes midfielder Sara Clarin, who buried a goal from 25 yards out to get Flathead on the board. Another chance, created by forward Chloe Nadeau, was taken off her feet by the Glacier keeper with less than a minute in the half.

Glacier kept the pace after half, with Destiny Dachs scoring three minutes after the break to stretch the lead back to 5-1. Williams added her fourth goal in the 54th minute, picking up a free ball over her head in stride to cap the scoring.

Flathead created a flurry of chances late but couldn’t find the net. One attempt was cleared from the goal line, another called off on a handball and the last, off a free kick that was mishandled by the Glacier keeper, went wide.

“We had some moments,” Flathead coach Jenni Sipe said. “We’re trying to figure out how we can be more attacking. We need to look to shoot more. We got outshot and they got some early goals on us. That’s tough to come into the second half.

“The girls are frustrated because we’ve been playing well, we’re just not showing that on the record.”

The six goals scored is the most ever for the Glacier girls and Williams’ four goals also sets a school record. The Wolfpack scored five goals in a game early in 2014 and have scored four goals as a team five other times, including earlier this year.

“We haven’t been healthy yet this year,” Byrd said. “This was our first game at full pace. I think this was a great momentum builder for us.”

Glacier 4 2 — 6

Flathead 1 0 — 1

G—Cadie Williams (Destiny Dachs), 5:00

G—Williams, 11:00

G—Williams (Emma Schlofeldt), 12:00

G—Erica Braig, 22:00

F—Sara Clarin, 36:00

G—Dachs, 43:00

G—Williams 54:00

Saves—Glacier 9 (Maddie Armstrong, Flathead 15 (Kelsey Gillespie 12, Aaris Hill 3). Shots—Glacier 21, Flathead 10. Corner kicks—Glacier 3, Flathead 1. Fouls—Glacier 5, Flathead 4. Cards—none.