Whitefish at home for soccer semifinals versus Frenchtown
By COLIN GAISER
The Daily Inter Lake
The Whitefish boys soccer team is one win away from a return trip to the Class A state championship game.
The undefeated Bulldogs (12-0-1) trounced Livingston 4-0 in the first round last Saturday, but today’s semifinal match at 2 p.m. at Smith Fields could be a lower-scoring battle.
Whitefish and Frenchtown (11-2-0) boast the two stingiest defenses in Class A. The Bulldogs have allowed just nine goals this season and the Broncs have given up 12.
But Whitefish’s explosive attack might give it an edge — it is the highest-scoring team in Class A, with 69 goals. As a result, Bulldogs coach John Lacey feels no need to meddle with his team’s offensive-minded approach.
“The best defense is a good offense,” Lacey said.
“We’re still gonna try and outscore them.”
The Bulldogs and Broncs did not play this season, but faced off at Frenchtown in a 2017 semifinal that Whitefish won 3-1. Senior Xander Burger, a captain this season, scored that match’s opening goal.
Lacey said the Broncs have a lot of size in the midfield and on defense. But Whitefish has some size of its own, especially with 6-foot-4-inch junior and captain Sam Menicke patrolling the midfield.
“It’s gonna be about who can make adjustments based on what the other team is doing,” Lacey said.
He called Frenchtown a well-coached team that plays “disciplined soccer.”
Lacey said he can count on his team’s senior leadership — Burger and Ammann Koch-Ford — who get the chance to play postseason soccer on their home field. In 2017, the Bulldogs were on the road for all three postseason matches.
“They know the opportunities to play in the playoffs on our home field are rare,” Lacey said.
The Bulldogs hope today’s result earns them one final game — the state championship — on their home field.
Polson (12-1-1)
at Belgrade (9-1-3), noon
After squeaking by Columbia Falls in the play-in game, last Saturday’s first round was a more Pirates-like outing when Polson dominated Missoula Loyola, 7-3.
Now, the Pirates (12-1-1) get a chance to dethrone Belgrade (9-1-3) — the two-time Class A defending champions — in today’s semifinal.
It is also a chance to avenge last season’s 2-0 semifinal loss to the Panthers. In that match, Belgrade scored early and held Polson to five shots on goal.
“They have been in this situation before,” Polson coach Adam Fansher said.
This season, seniors Mack Moderie and Robin Erickson are two of the state’s most lethal attackers. The match could come down to whether Belgrade’s defense (13 goals allowed on the season) can slow down the sensational duo.
Moderie is the top scorer in Class A with 30 goals while Erickson leads Class A in assists with 18. Erickson also has 18 goals, third-most in Class A. Together, Moderie and Erickson account for 48 of Polson’s 65 total goals this season.
“They have such a good understanding not just with each other but with their teammates ... and they know how to score in tough situations,” Fansher said.
“They have an opportunity to play on one of the bigger stages, and they feel like they didn’t get that opportunity last year.”
The Panthers will counter the Pirates’ firepower with Kanon Tebo. With 24 goals, the senior striker is the most prolific scorer in Class A behind Moderie. He had two goals in Belgrade’s 4-0 first-round victory over Hamilton last Saturday.
Fansher said Belgrade is “known for being well-organized and tough to break down.”
“We have to make sure we are not making mistakes in the back,” he said.
“These mistakes are killing us.”
The winner takes on either Whitefish or Frenchtown for the Class A title next Saturday.
Girls
Whitefish (9-5-0) at Billings Central (11-1-1), noon
The Bulldog girls won an overtime thriller over Hamilton in last Saturday’s first round. And with a semifinal berth brings the long trip to play the top team in Eastern A, Billings Central (11-1-1), today at noon.
The two squads met in Whitefish on Sept. 8, and the Rams defeated the Bulldogs 3-1. But Whitefish coach Roland Benedict said his team was playing far from its best soccer.
“We weren’t an attacking team yet,” he said.
The Bulldogs (9-5-0) have 52 goals on the season, and sport a balanced attack that makes numerous players a scoring threat. The team’s leading goal-scorer — senior Saylor Schlauch — has just eight goals. Juniors Anna Cook and Olivia Potthoff have seven goals apiece, while Cook leads the team in assists with eight.
Benedict said his team will try to “make them [Billings Central] uncomfortable” by maintaining possession and forcing the Rams to play defensively. He also said strong midfield play is the key to the Bulldogs’ success, and hopes for good performances from junior Grace Benkelman, freshman Anna Akey and especially Cook.
“Anna Cook is gonna need a big game ... we need to keep her attacking and get her in position to score,” Benedict said.
Benedict believes Cook is a “top-five player in the state.”
The winner of today’s match advances to the final next Saturday, and will take on the winner of today’s other semifinal between Belgrade and Laurel.