Apple nets 4 in Braves' blowout
Flathead's AJ Apple has a scoring attempt smothered by Missoula Big Sky goalkeeper Josh Veach at Kidsports Complex on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Kami Darrow (4) battles for a header off a corner kick against Missoula Big Sky at Kidsports Complex on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The Flathead boys soccer team followed up on an impressive showing in Great Falls last weekend by blanking Missoula Big Sky 6-0 in the Western AA opener for both schools at Kidsports Complex on Tuesday.
AJ Apple scored four goals, three in the first half, as the Braves took a commanding 5-0 lead. Flathead struck quickly with three goals in the first nine minutes.
He finished the scoring with a goal at 77 minutes.
“He was the one who was able to put it in the back of the net today,” Flathead coach Zach Brenneman said.
“Colter Goss had good looks on goal, so did Eric Gardner.”
Flathead outshot Big Sky on goal 14-2.
“We dominated possession,” Brenneman said.
“We did a good job of moving the ball around, passing and possessing the ball for most of the first and second half.”
Also scoring for Flathead were Jalen Hawes and David Marburger. Hawes and Marburger also had an assist along with Tyler Kluesner and Cameron DeNeeve.
Flathead (3-0 overall, 1-0 league) plays Glacier Thursday at 8 p.m. at Legends Stadium.
Flathead beat Billings West 2-1 and Billings Senior 1-0 in the Electric City on Saturday. Those matches were nonconference.
Apple has scored five goals this season.
Missoula Big Sky 0 0 — 0
Flathead 5 1 — 6
F — AJ Apple (Jalen Hawes), 5:00
F — Apple (David Marburger), 7:00
F — Hawes, 9:00
F — Apple, 30:00
F — Marburger (Tyler Kluesner), 32:00
F — Apple (Cameron DeNeeve), 77:00
Shots on goal — Big Sky 2, Flathead 14; Corner kicks — Big Sky 1, Flathead 4; Goalie saves — Big Sky 9 (Josh Veach), Flathead 2 (Max Warnell 1, Ethan Tanko 1); Fouls — Big Sky 16, Flathead 10; Cards — Big Sky, 1 yellow.
Girls
Missoula Big Sky
vs. Flathead
Missoula Big Sky led 2-0 at the half at Kidsports Complex in a Western AA match.
No other results were available.
Boys
Whitefish 10, Bigfork 0
BIGFORK — Seven different players scored as Whitefish cruised by Bigfork in Northern A play.
It was the first outing of the season for both schools.
Casey Schneider scored two goals and assisted on two more for the balanced Bulldogs.
Ian Lacey had two goals and one assist as did Sam Menicke
Whitefish had 18 shots on goal to none for Bigfork.
“Good first game,” Whitefish coach John Lacey said.
“We moved the ball really well. Most of the goals came off good assists, combination plays.”
Whitefish is back in action Friday at 3 p.m. hosting Belgrade in a rematch of last year’s championship match. Belgrade won that one in Belgrade, 4-0.
Whitefish 5 6 — 10
Bigfork 0 0 — 0
W — Ian Lacey, (Brandon Mendoza), 2:00
W — Sam Menicke, (Casey Schneider), 8:00
W — Xander Burger, (Lacey), 16:00
W — Schneider, (S. Menicke), 19:00
W —Lacey, (James Thompson), 36:00
W — Chase Sebin, (Riley Arendt), 39:00
W — S. Menicke, (Schneider), 49:00
W — Schneider, (Gabe Menicke), 51:00
W — Arendt, 58:00
W— Thompson, 75:00
Shots on goal — Whitefish 18, Bigfork 0; Corner kicks — Whitefish 10, Bigfork 0, ; Goalie saves —Whitefish 0 (Will Peppmeier), Bigfork 5 (Dainen Webster) ; Fouls — Whitefish 4, Bigfork 2; Cards — None.
Girls
Whitefish 10, Bigfork 0
BIGFORK — Same score as the boys match with the same number of scorers — seven.
Sophie Olson started the scoring and added a goal midway through the second half.
Abigail Shaffer had back-to-back goals in the first half as Whitefish led 4-0.
Whitefish outshot Bigfork on goal 25-1 in the season opener for both Northern A teams.
“A good feeling,” Whitefish coach Roland Benedict said of his team’s effort.
“Bigfork is an athletic team, has a new coach. As with new coaches, they have issues going in having players buying into their process. I think they will cause some problems in our conference.”
Emma Barron, Anna Cook and Olivia Potthoff all had one goal and one assist.
Whitefish hosts Belgrade on Friday at 5 p.m.
Bigfork returns to the pitch on Thursday at 7 p.m. versus Columbia Falls.
Whitefish 4 6 — 10
Bigfork 0 0 — 0
W — Sophie Olson (Emma Barron), 4:00
W — Saylor Schlauch, 17:00
W — Abigail Shaffer (Anna Cook), 20:00
W — Shaffer, 25:00
W — Barron, 57:00
W — Cook (Shaffer), 58:00
W — Ali Hirsch (Olivia Potthoff), 59:00
W — Olson, 60:00
W — Potthoff (Cook), 67:00
W — Hirsch (Josie Scheider), 72:00
Shots on goal — Whitefish 25, Bigfork 1; Corner kicks — Whitefish 7, Bigfork 0; Goalie saves — Whitefish 1 (Sami Galbraith), Bigfork NA (NA); Fouls — NA; Cards — None.