Last-minute goal dooms Bravettes; Glacier sweeps Big Sky

MISSOULA — Missoula Sentinel’s Jayden Salisbury driving goal found the net in the 79th minute Tuesday and lifted the Spartans over Flathead 2-1 in Western AA girls soccer.

It was a stunning turnaround for the Bravettes who after a quiet first half seized a 1-0 lead on Skyleigh Thompson’s penalty kick in the 58 th minute.

That started a burst of strong play by Flathead that included several near misses on the Spartan net. Sentinel keeper Kassidy Kergen made a dynamite save on one; other shots found the cross bar or sailed just over.

Then Sentinel’s Shaye Ewing found the net from 30 yards to knot the game with 13 minutes left. Flathead continued to force the action, only to see Salisbury get free with just a minute remaining.

“They only had three shots on the goal and they scored two,” Flathead coach Bledy Doda said. “We had eight shots on goal and scored one. Soccer is crazy, sometimes.”

“I felt we were playing great soccer,” said Thompson, who notched her 12th goal of the season. “Possession was definitely there. Personally I think we just have to get those shots in – and our girls know how to finish, for sure. It’s just a matter of calming down in front of the goal.”

Sentinel improved to 6-0-3, while Flathead fell to 5-4-2.

“That keeper was definitely a great keeper,” Thompson said. “It was a great matchup. But it’s hard to lose a game where you have possession most of the time.”

Doda singled out Tessa Smith, who drew the foul that set up Thompson’s penalty kick, for her play.

“She had such great passes and it was one of the best games she’s had,” Doda said. “I’m proud of her. Sentinel doesn’t have a loss yet. We were close and we dominated, but the score didn’t go our way.

“We have three more games left and we can believe we can be in the top four (in league).”

Flathead 0 1 - 1

Sentinel 0 2 - 2

F - Skyleigh Thompson, penalty kick, 58:00

S - Shaye Ewing (Audrey McElmurry assist), 67:00

S - Jayden Salisbury (unassisted), 79:00

Shots on goal – Flathead 8, Sentinel 3. Keeper saves – Flathead (Sara Harrison) 1, Sentinel (Kassidy Kergen) 7. Corner kicks – Flathead 4, Sentinel 2. Fouls – Flathead 5, Sentinel 10. Cards – Flathead 1 yellow, Sentinel 2 yellow.

Glacier 1, Big Sky 0

MISSOULA – Glacier’s Kenzie Williams scored off a free kick in the 33rd minute and that goal held up for a 1-0 win over Missoula Big Sky that kept the Wolfpack in first place of the Western AA girls’ soccer standings.

Glacier (8-3-0) outshot the Eagles 13-7. The Eagles fell to 3-3-2.

Glacier 1 0 - 1

Big Sky 0 0 - 0

G – Kenzie Williams, free kick, 33:00

Shots on goal – Glacier 13, Big Sky 7. Keeper saves – Glacier (Ella Wilson) 7, Big Sky (Grace Denman) 12. Corner kicks – Glacier 2, Big Sky 2. Fouls – Glacier 9 , Big Sky 6. Cards – Glacier 1.

Boys

Glacier 10, Big Sky 0

MISSOULA — Nine players got on the scoresheet for the Glacier Wolfpack in a 10-0 rout of Missoula Big Sky.

Glacier led 6-0 at the half.

Hunter Lisowski scored two goals and had an assist. Joey Paolini checked in with a goal and two assists for the Pack.

Glacier (7-2-2) hosts Missoula Sentinel at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Glacier 6 4 — 10

Big Sky 0 0 — 0

G - Hunter Lisowski (Burke Fox)

G - Lisowski (Sol Dalla Betta)

G - Cale Fox (Lisowski)

G - Braden Nitschelm (Joey Paolini)

G - Zane Elliott (Paolini)

G - Bridger Dalla Betta (Blake Marlow)

G - Diego Mendoza (Bridger Dalla Betta)

G - Harrison Sanders

G - Paolini

G - Sam Ells

Shots on goal - Glacier 20, Big Sky 1. Goalie saves - Glacier 1, Big Sky 10. Corner kicks - Glacier 5, Big Sky 0. Fouls - Glacier 2, Big Sky 2.

Missoula Sentinel 3, Flathead 0

MISSOULA — Missoula Sentinel blanked the Flathead Braves 3-0 in Western AA soccer on Tuesday.

Sentinel led 2-0 at the half and improved to 7-1-1.

Flathead (2-9) made three shots on goal. The Braves face Missoula Big Sky at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Flathead 0 0 — 0

Sentinel 2 1 — 3

S - Tait Kuchenbrod, 6:00

S - Hunter Chatriand, 40:00

S - Alex Levchenko, 74:00

Shots on goal - Flathead 3, Sentinel 9. Goalie saves - Flathead 6, Sentinel 3. Corner kicks - Flathead 0, Sentinel 4. Fouls - Flathead 7, Sentinel 4. Cards - Flathead 2.