Wolfpack beats Flathead 4-0, moves into AA boys quarterfinals

Glacier’s boys went into their AA soccer play-off game minus a key player Tuesday, but still had the firepower, and the magic number, to beat crosstown rival Flathead 4-0 at Legends Stadium.

Liam Ells had two goals to lead the Wolfpack, now 8-2-5, into a quarterfinal match at Billings West Friday at 7 p.m.

But the magical goal came from AJ Zlogar, who moved into the lineup for the injured Bridger Dalla Betta. His put-back just a few minutes into the second half put Glacier up 3-0 and gave the Pack an important landmark.

“I thought finishing a goal in the first three minutes was a really good statement for us,” Glacier coach Ryan Billiet said. “ Anytime we’ve had two goals we’ve either tied or lost; that’s five ties and two losses.

“Anytime we’ve scored more than two we’ve won. They know their magic number is three. A lot of credit to the leadership and to everybody. Everybody contributed. Everybody got on the field today.”

It took the favored Wolfpack 38 minutes to score. Before that Trace Lenz had a steal and breakaway for Flathead, and was taken down in the box. That gave the Braves a penalty kick by Landen Saraceno, but Glacier keeper Dylan Holly made a diving stop to his left.

The ball started staying on Flathead’s side a lot after that, and eventually Hunter Lisowski sent a pass across the goal mouth that Ells, a sophomore, easily put in the net.

“It was nice ball through from Harry (Harrison Sanders), and then Hunter made a great run and he blitzed it across,” Ells said. “It was a little bit scary because they got that PK, and the nerves were flowing because we didn’t score for so long.”

Within a minute — it was first-half stoppage time — Sanders scored his 12th goal of the year to make it 2-0.

Zlogar’s tally came after Lisowski sent in a hard shot from the right that Flathead’s Kutter Ward saved, but couldn’t contain. It was the 43rd minute.

“It’s rough having Bridger out, but AJ, he’s hit a lot of those,” Ells said. “He’s always in the right spot to score those goals.”

“Fractured vertebrae, bulged disc in his back,” Billiet said of Dalla Betta’s injury, which was uncovered by a recent MRI. “He thinks (it’s) from a spring injury that they’ve been kind of working through. In my biased opinion, I think he’s the best wing player in the state, even at the 70 percent he was playing at. So huge shoes to fill.

“Guys like AJ stepped up today. Hunter gave us some good minutes out wide and really helped us imbalance their defensive line.”

In the 48th minute Ells took a Lisowski feed, dribbled through the Flathead defense and drove home his 10th goal of the season from 30 feet. Glacier has now won eight straight crosstown boys matches, dating back to the 2019 regular season.

That year the Braves went 7-7-1. This season was their best since.

“They’re much improved, defensively,” Billiet said. “Much credit to Flathead for really challenging us. But we felt things started to open up a little bit. We were patient and found good moments to start to penetrate with possession.”

“I would agree,” said first-year Flathead coach Alejandro Calderon. “These guys have put in the work. They worked hard off-season, and I think you’re going to see an even better team next season. More commitment. That’s what makes the difference. “

But for some missed opportunities — Lenz fired just to the right of the net when Glacier’s Holly went down in a collision with his own teammate in the second half — the Braves may have caused more than 37 minutes of nervousness.

“I think we played very well,” Calderon said. “We had a couple mistakes that led to a couple goal scores. At this level, high school kids, sometimes it gets to them, and it got to us a little bit. But they put their hearts into it.”

Flathead 0 0 - 0

Glacier 2 2 - 4

G — Liam Ells (Hunter Lisowski), 38:00

G — Harrison Sanders, 39:00

G — AJ Zlogar (Lisowski), 43:00

G — Ells (Sanders), 48:00

Shots on goal — Glacier 12, Flathead 4. Keeper saves — Glacier (Dylan Holly) 3, Flathead (Kutter Ward) 5. Corner kicks — Glacier 3, Flathead 1. Fouls — Glacier 7, Flathead 5.