Bravettes roll into state soccer tournament

Flathead has a little momentum building on its side of the pitch and the Bravettes hope to use that to their advantage at the Class AA state soccer tournament today in Helena at Siebel Fields.

Flathead, 5-5-2 in league play, is the No. 4 seed from the Western Division and will open up against undefeated and top Eastern Division seed Billings Skyview, 12-0-0, today at noon.

Flathead defeated Helena High in a state play-in game 4-0 on Oct. 19. Before that, the Bravettes ended the regular season with a 2-1 triumph over Missoula Hellgate.

Skyview, by winning the Eastern Division, automatically qualified for state.

Skyview features an explosive offensive attack, led by junior Jordan Roe. She has scored 16 goals and assisted on 17.

Junior Halle Labert is next with 13 goals and 12 assists and is followed by senior Ashlyn Braun, who has 12 goals and four assists.

Twelve different Falcons have scored goals.

Billings Skyview has scored 57 goals and allowed three in division play.

Flathead is led by the dynamic sister duo of senior Shayenn Thompson, 11 goals and two assists, and sophomore Skyleigh Thompson, five goals and five assists.

Freshman Ellie Hawes and sophomore Mathilde Burgaard are next with two goals apiece.

Sophomore Chloe Mohatt has Flathead’s other goal.

Junior Chloe Nadeau is the team’s assist leader with six.

Flathead has scored 21 goals and allowed 26.

“The good thing about my team is they are not scared at all,” Flathead coach Bledy Doda said.

“The girls are confident. They are playing great soccer. Our best soccer is not done yet; it starts in Helena.”

Doda, in his first year with the Bravettes, has little information on what to expect from Skyview since the teams did not play during the regular season.

“That doesn’t bother me,” he said.

“I will know them tomorrow at noon.

“We will try to get them first,” he said of netting an early score.

“Not knowing a team, our goal is to pressure them right away.”

He said his girls are “technically and mentally very ready” for state to begin.

“I do believe Flathead is going to surprise a little bit more at state,” he said.

“I don’t know how far we are going, but I do believe we are confidence in our skills and ourselves.

“I’m happy for the seniors,” he added.

“They never made it state in past seasons. For the younger ones, they have time for more.”

The winner of the Flathead/Skyview match advances to semifinal play on Friday at 1:30 p.m. along with the Thursday Billings West/Missoula Hellgate winner.

The loser of the Flathead/Skyview match drops into loser-out play on Friday at 11 a.m. against the West/Hellgate loser.

The double-elimination tournament ends Saturday.

Helena High defeated Bozeman 4-2 in last year’s championship match for girls.

Missoula Hellgate defeated Glacier 4-2 in overtime in the boys championship match last fall.

Class AA State Soccer

At Siebel Fields, Helena

First-Round Matches

Thursday

Girls

Noon

Missoula Big Sky vs. Billings Senior

Missoula Sentinel vs. Bozeman

Billings Skyview vs. Flathead

Billings West vs. Missoula Hellgate

Boys

2:30 p.m.

Missoula Hellgate vs. Billings Skyview

Missoula Sentinel vs. Billings Senior

Bozeman vs. Helena Capital

Billings West vs. Helena High