Bigfork soccer season ends after hard-fought game against Corvallis
Bigfork’s soccer season ended Saturday when the Vikings lost 3-1 to Corvallis in the state semifinals.
The Vikings came out strong in the match, fighting hard for a chance to play for the championship. They focused much of the energy on defense, specifically stopping one of Corvallis’ key players Alejandro Ortiz.
The method proved effective, and after a scoreless first half, Ortiz left the game.
Corvallis found the goal first in the second half with Cayden Ayers netting a hat trick to get the Blue Devils on the board.
Bigfork’s Carson Cantrell responded with his own unassisted goal tying up the game.
But ultimately Corvallis would show that their 12-1 record was well earned as Ayers scored two more goals on Bigfork in the last eight minutes of play.
“We played really good,” head coach Bill Buxton said, but “We were playing a far better team. They have a lot of talent.”
Buxton said the score didn’t really show how hard the Vikings fought, and he gave credit to the defense and Carson Cantrell for giving Corvallis quite a fight.
Though they lost Buxton said the season was overall a great success.
“We are really, really happy with our season and how far we got,” he said. “We got father into the season than anyone in the state expected us to.”
While it was great to qualify for state and advance past the quarter finals, another huge highlight for Buxton was the Viking’s victory over Whitefish, whom they had never beat before.
The results were particularly impressive because in many ways this was a rebuilding year for the Bigfork team.
At the start of the season, more than half the team had never played competitive soccer before.
“A lot of it is on the kids,” Buxton said. “They had a great attitude. They really wanted to learn. They had a lot of humility that allowed us to grow and do as well as we did.” Before Saturday’s game, Buxton reminded his team that they had nothing to lose.
“We are a B school playing against A teams,” he said. “We are not supposed to be here.
“They didn’t win the game, but they certainly had the desire and the skill.”
Corvallis 3, Bigfork 1
Bigfork 0 1 — 1
Corvallis 0 3 — 3
BIGFORK — Carson Cantrell (unassisted), 65:00
CORVALLIS — Cayden Ayers (Emmett Semple), 59:00; Ayers (Kyle Shifflett), 72:00; Ayers (Semple), 75:00
Shots on goal — Bigfork 8, Corvallis 12. Goalie saves — Bigfork 6 (Ben Russell), Corvallis 5 (Shelby Gifford); Corner kicks — Bigfork 7, Corvallis 5. Fouls — Bigfork 5, Corvallis 7; Cards — Bigfork, 1 yellow