Western AA Soccer Bravettes earn state trip

The Daily Inter Lake

The Flathead Bravettes earned their ticket to the Class AA soccer state tournament, defeating Helena High 4-0 in a commanding Western AA playoff game victory on Thursday at Legends Stadium.

With the win, the Flathead seniors get the chance to appear in the tournament for the first time following three disappointing seasons.

Flathead (6-7-2 overall, 6-5-2 Western AA) was on the attack from the opening whistle. In the eighth minute, senior Shayenn Thompson — fourth in Western AA in goals — started the scoring off a perfect free kick from senior Heather LaSalle. Shayenn’s sister, sophomore Skyleigh Thompson, added a goal just five minutes later.

“Our strategy was to pressure them right away, don’t give them a lot of space,” Flathead coach Bledy Doda said. “That worked very well.”

Elena Jimenez padded the Bravettes’ lead in the 46th minute, and in the 49th minute Skyleigh Thompson put the match out of reach with an assist from sophomore Kami Darrow.

Flathead’s defense was tight and composed throughout the match, allowing Helena (5-7-3, 4-6-3) just seven shots on goal. The Bravettes had 15 shots.

Junior Chloe Nadeau, usually a midfielder, stepped back and played as a central defender for the match. Doda was thrilled with her play and the back line’s performance as a unit.

“They believe in themselves and that they are great,” Doda said of his defense.

Doda also had high praise for LaSalle’s work in the midfield and the Thompson sisters’ consistent effort up front.

“I’m so happy for the seniors,” who have never been to the state tournament, Doda said.

He said the team is ready to show Montana that “the Flathead soccer girls can compete with anyone at any time.”

As the fourth seed from the Western AA, Flathead will open the state tournament against Billings Skyview, the undefeated first seed from the Eastern AA. The tournament gets under way in Helena on Thursday, Oct. 25, at noon.

Flathead 2 2 – 4

Helena 0 0 – 0

F – Shayenn Thompson (Heather LaSalle), 8:00

F – Skyleigh Thompson (Mathilde Burgaard), 13:00

F – Elena Jimenez (Shayenn Thompson), 46:00

F – Skyleigh Thompson (Kami Darrow), 49:00

Shots on goal – Flathead 15, Helena 7; Keeper saves – Flathead 7 (Aaris Hill), Helena 11; Corner kicks – Flathead 5, Helena 4; Fouls – Flathead 12, Helena 9.

Boys

Missoula Sentinel 3,

Glacier 2

MISSOULA ­ — Missoula Sentinel scored off a corner kick in the waning moments for a come-from-behind victory over the Wolfpack in a Western AA playoff match.

In the 80th minute, Sentinel’s Jake Larson jumped above a well-positioned Glacier defense and floated a header into the net off a perfectly placed corner kick by Noah McNelis.

“We had two guys in great position on him. He [Larson] is just bigger than everyone,” Glacier coach Ryan Billiet said.

Billiet added it was a “perfectly set ball” and a “clinical finish” from Larson.

It was a tight and tense match from the start. The Wolfpack (4-12, 3-11) struck first in the 31st minute, when senior Dyllyn Stabler got behind Sentinel’s back line and played a cross to senior Conner Griffin, who found the net.

Sentinel (9-5-1, 8-5) equalized a minute later to make it 1-1 at halftime. Early in the second half, the Wolfpack took the lead again on what Billiet called “some good link-up play from the back line to the midfield” that led to a Stabler goal.

But the tide turned midway through the second half. McNelis made it 2-2 in the 60th minute, and Griffin received a red card for dissent. That left the Wolfpack a man down for the rest of the match.

“Emotions got the best of us today,” Billiet said. “Our guys lost a little focus. That’s what happens in the heat of the battle.”

But Billiet said his team did not hang their heads after the red card, and still created chances to score the winning goal.

“Our guys battled the entire 80 minutes. It was our best match of the season by far,” he said.

Glacier 1 1 – 2

Sentinel 1 2 – 3

G – Conner Griffin (Dylan Stabler), 31:00

S – Cole Reimer, 32:00

G – Stabler, 45:00

S – Noah McNelis, 60:00

S – Jake Larson (McNelis), 80:00

Shots on goal – Glacier 3, Sentinel 8; Keeper saves - Glacier 5 (Johnathan Pyron), Sentinel 1 (Seth Thayer); Corner kicks – Glacier 2, Sentinel 7; Fouls – Glacier 15, Sentinel 8; Cards – Glacier 3 yellow, 1 red (Griffin), Sentinel 1 yellow.

Helena Capital 3,

Flathead 2 OT

HELENA — Flathead tied the match in the final seconds of regulation, but Helena Capital converted a penalty kick in overtime to hand the Braves a crushing loss in their Class AA playoff match.

Deep into stoppage time, Flathead (7-8, 5-8) sent the entire team up for a corner kick, and sophomore defender Ethan Vandenbosch found the back of the net to extend the match.

But in the second period of overtime, the officials awarded the Bruins (9-4-2, 7-4-2) a penalty kick on what Flathead coach Zach Brenneman called “an unlucky hand ball.” It turned out to be the winning goal.

“These games are the most fun to play in, but when the result doesn’t go your way they’re the most heartbreaking,” Brenneman said.

It was a close and defensive match as both teams managed few goal-scoring opportunities. Flathead had four shots on goal to Capital’s five.

Braves senior Colter Goss scored a brilliant goal in his final match. He received the ball from senior Cameron Deneeve in the 27th minute, dribbled toward the Bruins defense, then pushed a shot around a Capital defender, by the near post and into the net. The goal tied the match at 1-1.

Brenneman said he was “incredibly proud” of his team’s performance and “the amount of heart they played with.”

“We put everything we had on the field.”

Capital 1 1 1 – 3

Flathead 1 1 0 – 2

C – 12:00

F – Colter Goss (Cameron Deneeve), 27:00

C – 73:00

F – Ethan Vandenbosch, 80:00 + 7:00

C – (penalty kick) 94:00

Shots on goal – Capital 5, Flathead 4; Keeper saves – Capital 2, Flathead 3 (Max Warnell); Corner kicks – Capital 4, Flathead 5; Fouls – Capital 16, Flathead 15; Cards – Capital 2 yellow, Flathead 2 yellow.