Patrick scores 2, Wolfpack shuts down Bulldogs
Glacier’s Alma Patrick (6) centers the ball past Butte defender Christiana Beierle (21) in the first half at Legends Stadium on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Emily Cleveland (2) moves the ball upfield against Butte's Christiana Beierle (21) in the first half at Legends Stadium on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Madison Becker (18) battles Butte's Brie Birkenbuel (22) for possession at Legends Stadium on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Madison Becker (18) looks to shoot in the first half against Butte at Legends Stadium on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Madison Becker (18) pushes the ball upfield against Butte at Legends Stadium on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Ady Powell (7) looks to shoot in the first half against Butte at Legends Stadium on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Glacier's Emma Paulson (3) works the ball upfield against Butte at Legends Stadium on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
High winds that picked up during the second half made things a little more difficult for the Glacier Wolfpack girls soccer team but they’d already scored all the goals they needed by then.
The Wolfpack shut out the Butte High Bulldogs 4-0 at Legends Stadium in a first-round Western AA playoff game on Tuesday.
Madison Becker scored one minute into the game, Emily Cleveland scored on a free kick and Alma Patrick added two more goals before the half.
Because of the weather and adjustments made by No. 8 Butte (0-14-1), offense was a little harder to come by in the back half of the game.
“The beginning of the second half that wind really started to pick up and Butte did a good job of cleaning up things so they were hammering balls out,” Glacier coach Brenden Byrd said. “When we take that fist ball out of the air, the second ball was spinning and bouncing. It took us a little while to settle down there. I’m happy with their performance and the shutout’s more important for us at this point.”
Patrick’s first goal at the 23rd minute started with Kenzie Williams getting the ball into the box.
Butte keeper Haley Herron bobbled the ball and it popped out back behind her. While Becker provided traffic in front, Patrick streaked in from the right side and took advantage of the loose ball.
Patrick’s second goal at 36:00 came on a fast break off a cross by Ady Powell.
Glacier’s leading scorer, Madison Becker, scored on a textbook shot to the top right corner of Herron’s net in the opening minute of the game.
“I couldn’t be more proud of my defensive line and our team effort in finishing out our game strong,” Williams said. “I’m happy with the momentum our team has built going into the next round.”
Glacier’s next opponent, Great Falls C.M. Russell is almost a virtual unknown.
“We don’t even have film because don’t see them during the year,’ Byrd said.
Even so, teams change from season to season and don’t look the same each year.
“Teams that saw us last year would probably think the same thing,” Byrd said.
Last season, Glacier was at the bottom of Western AA standings at 2-9-1. This year they are 10-4-1.
The turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable and has resulted in a record-setting season for the No. 1 seeded Wolfpack, who won its first conference title in program history.
“In our offseason I kind of took a step back and let the girls do their own thing,” Byrd said. “And then as soon as we started the season I demanded a little higher focus, really gave them training sessions where they had to do something to succeed. I think their mentality and our mentality as coaches changed and kind of changed the way the season went.”
Add to that the returnning talent and now Glacier has what may be the recipe for a state title.
“We didnt lose many last year and I think they were hungry this year and I think they’re still hungry,” Byrd said. “It would be a fun finish to the season.”
Glacier will host C.M. Russell in the AA quarterfinals on Saturday at 1 p.m at Legends Stadium.
Due to the new AA playoff format, teams are reseeded starting with the quarterfinal round.
Glacier is the No. 1 Western seen and CMR is No. 4 Eastern seed.
Glacier 4 0 — 4
Butte 0 0 — 0
G — Madison Becker (Ellie Keller) 1:00
G — Emily Cleveland (free kick) 22:00
G — Alma Patrick (Kenzie Williams) 23:00
G — Patrick (Ady Powell) 36:00
Shots on goal — Butte 4, Glacier 18; Goalie saves — Butte 14 (Haley Herron), Glacier 4 (Sophie Smith); Corner kicks — Butte 0, Glacier 4; Fouls — Butte 4, Glacier 10; Cards — None.
Helena High 3, Flathead 0
HELENA — The Flathead Bravettes’ postseason hopes were dashed with a loss to the Helena High Bengals in the first round of the Class AA girls soccer playoffs on Tuesday at Seibel Fields in Helena.
High winds and rain made for miserable conditions and Flathead, the No. 6 Western seed, was unable to find the back of the net.
“Impossible to play the ball and get to our game because of the rain and cold,” Flathead coach Bledy Doda said. “It was not the game we wanted to play.”
Helena (8-3-4), the No. 3 Western seed, scored two goals in quick succession late in the game. Elsa Grebenc scored two goals for the Bengals.
“I’m proud of the girls this year and hoping to rebuild something better next year,” Doda said.
Flathead 0 0 — 0
Helena 1 4 — 5
H — Elsa Grebenc 34:00
H — Bailey Root 42:00
H — Grebenc 65:00
H — Linnea Onushco 79:00
H — Regan Maronick 80:00
Shots on goal — Flathead 7, Helena 13; Goalie saves — Flathead 7 (Sara Harrison, Shirley Weymouth), Helena 13; Corner kicks — Flathead 2, Helena 6; Fouls — Flathead 9, Helena 1; Cards — None.
Girls AA first round playoff results
Western
No. 5 Sentinel 3, No. 4 Missoula Big Sky 1
No. 2 Missoula Hellgate 5, No. 7 Helena Capital 0
Eastern
No. 2 Bozeman 2, Billings Senior 0
No. 3 Billings West, No. 6 Belgrade 0
No. 4 C.M. Russell 1, Great Falls High 0
No. 1 Billings Skyview — Bye