Class A Soccer Battle of unbeatens when Whitefish hosts Polson
By COLIN GAISER
The Daily Inter Lake
The last undefeated boys soccer teams in Class A collide when Whitefish hosts Polson today at 10 a.m. at Smith Fields.
The teams are nearly mirroring each other in performance so far. Both are 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the Northern A conference.
Both have 38 goals on the season.
And each boasts an impressive defense — the Pirates have allowed six goals and the Bulldogs just five.
Both teams are also coming off 8-1 victories on Tuesday. The Pirates took down Bigfork and the Bulldogs rolled over the Loggers.
Whitefish coach John Lacey recognizes the match’s significance, saying realistically either his team or Polson will win the Northern A. The Bulldogs were runners-up behind the Pirates last year before falling to Belgrade in the Class A state championship.
Lacey said his team is stronger defensively than last season, and his team’s offensive performance continues to impress.
“We continue to play good possession soccer, and we’ve been patient and effective on offense,” Lacey said. The approach is working as the Bulldogs have scored at least four goals in every match this season.
A trio of 2017 all- conference selections highlights the Bulldogs’ well-rounded attack. Junior Casey Schneider leads the team in goals with 10, senior Xander Burger has eight goals and junior Sam Menicke seven.
Schneider and junior Ian Lacey top the team in assists with six each.
The Bulldogs’ toughest challenge came against rival Columbia Falls on Sept. 11. The Wildcats held the Bulldogs scoreless until Burger’s goal in the 47th minute broke the game open, and Whitefish earned a 4-0 victory.
Meanwhile, the Pirates are cruising through conference play after gritting out tough nonconference victories over Laurel, Billings Central and Frenchtown.
Polson coach Adam Fansher said his squad is excited and confident about today’s match.
“The goals have been coming,” he said. “We’ve been able to keep the ball and force teams to run.”
Look for the Pirates to try and maintain possession early. Fansher said a match this big often comes down to which team settles in first and can keep the ball for sustained periods of time.
“We’ve got an experienced team that’s been in difficult situations before,” he said. “There’s not a lot that can phase us. Our resiliency is one of our strengths.”
The Pirates attack is led by the duo of Mack Moderie and Keith Erickson. Moderie is the top goal-scorer in Class A with 20 goals — nearly a hat trick a game — and Erickson leads Class A in assists with 11.
He also has 11 goals, second-highest on the team.