C-Falls, Polson, Whitefish home for soccer playoffs

Last season, the Whitefish boys twice came tantalizingly close to a soccer title, finishing second in Northern A and falling in the state championship match.

But for the 2018 Bulldogs team, it’s about this season and this season alone.

“We’ve been spending the whole season looking forward, not at where things didn’t go our way last year,” Whitefish coach John Lacey said.

The focus is paying off, as the Bulldogs (11-0-1 overall, 7-0-1 Northern A) enter today’s quarterfinal playoff match today at 11 a.m. at Smith Fields versus Livingston (7-2-3, 2-1-3 Eastern A) as the only undefeated team in Class A. Whitefish is also Class A’s highest-scoring team, with 65 goals.

A few of last season’s standout players lead the Bulldogs’ well-balanced attack. Senior Casey Schneider is third in the state in goals and assists, with 17 and 11, respectively. Senior Xander Burger has 12 goals and junior Sam Menicke 10.

But the Bulldogs’ defense could be the difference-maker in its hunt for a championship. The team allowed just nine goals this season, the fewest in Class A. One of its numerous shutouts included a 4-0 victory over Livingston on Sept. 1.

But the Rangers were competitive against tough opponents late in the season.

“Livingston is a senior-heavy team,” Lacey said.

“They have a strong physical aspect to their game and we have to match their physicality.”

Lacey said the Bulldogs need to emphasize possession of the ball and patience on offense – in other words, just continue what they have done all season long.

“We’re excited to be here and looking forward to continuing the same kind of play.” he said.

Polson

The Pirates nearly shipwrecked their promising season on Tuesday in a play-in game against Columbia Falls.

But Polson (11-1-1, 6-1-1) salvaged a goal in the dying minutes to force overtime, then won 6-5 in the ensuing penalty shootout.

“We felt fortunate to escape against Columbia Falls,” Polson coach Adam Fansher said. “It was a good lesson for us ... you can’t take anything for granted.”

Still, seeing his team “stay calm” and find a way to respond leaves Fansher confident going into today’s quarterfinal playoff test against Missoula Loyola (5-6-1, 4-4 Southern A).

It helps to have a player of Mack Moderie’s caliber on the team. The senior led Class A with 27 goals in the regular season — well over two goals per game — and had eight assists.

“What Moderie’s done is pretty impressive, I’ve never seen a better high school player in five years of coaching here,” Fansher said.

Senior Robin Erickson joins Moderie in the Pirates’ impressive attack. Erickson led all of Class A in assists with 16, while adding 15 goals of his own.

Polson already faced Loyola, defeating the Rams 6-1 on Sept. 1. Loyola struggled to put the ball in net this season, scoring just 20 goals, but its solid defense (28 goals allowed) helped guide it to a second-place finish in a competitive Southern A.

“We beat Columbia Falls 6-0 early in the season,” Fansher said, “so you throw those early results out the window. Everyone steps up their game in the playoffs.”

Fansher said the Pirates are plenty prepared for the occasion, but to win they need to “eliminate mistakes.”

“A couple of mistakes almost cost us against Columbia Falls,” Fansher said.

Girls

Columbia Falls

The Wildkats’ reward for winning the Northern A is a date with defending champions Laurel.

But Columbia Falls coach O’Brien Byrd could hardly be more confident in his team’s chances.

“We’ve done everything we possibly can to prepare” over the last week, Byrd said. “The girls feel battle-ready.”

The Wildkats (9-3, 6-2) are led by junior Josie Windauer up front. Windauer scored 28 goals this year, the second-highest total in Class A.

Freshman Maddie Robison is also an imposing threat in the attack, especially since being moved to the forward position. She tallied 13 goals and 11 assists on the season.

“We couldn’t be happier with where we are at. We’re 100 percent healthy, and our confidence is at an all-time high after winning the conference,” Byrd said.

All three Wildkats seniors play on defense, after Byrd moved Kaylee Ashe back from the midfield, and Byrd is happy with the results. But the veteran back line’s performance will have to stifle a Laurel (10-1-1, 4-1-1 Eastern A) attack that scored 64 goals this season.

The key to the game will be scoring first and setting the tempo of the match, Byrd said, so look for the Wildkats to be pressing early.

Byrd hopes the chance to host gives his team an edge.

“Home-field advantage is so big. Playing in front of hometown fans is a huge advantage,” he said.

The Wildkats will look to take down the Locomotives today at 1 p.m. at Columbia Falls High School.

Whitefish

The Bulldogs hope a title run begins today when they host Hamilton at 1 p.m. at Smith Fields.

Whitefish (8-5, 6-2) finished atop the Northern A with Columbia Falls, but the goal-difference tiebreaker meant a single goal dropped them to second.

Whitefish dispatched Polson 4-0 on Tuesday in a play-in game for the chance host a first-round quarterfinal playoff match.

No Whitefish players are near the top of Class A in goals or assists, but that speaks to the talent and well-balanced approach of the team’s attack. Senior Saylor Schlauch leads the charge at forward, with eight goals and two assists on the year, and junior Annie Cook has six goals to go with seven assists.

But Hamilton (10-2, 7-1 Southern A) is a difficult draw, led by the dual threat of Olivia Zepeda and Rylee Wiediger. Wiediger has 19 goals on the season and Zepeda leads Class A in assists with 18. In fact, she is two short of the state record for assists.

Class A Quarterfinals

Today

Boys

Whitefish vs. Livingston, 11 a.m., Smith Fields

Polson vs. Loyola, 2 p.m., Polson High School

Girls

Columbia Falls vs. Laurel, 1 p.m., Columbia Falls High School

Whitefish vs. Hamilton, 1 p.m., Smith Fields