Sharaf, Frey deliver for Glacier in OT
Ever since last season's sour ending, the word "shootout" has been a bad word at Glacier High.
So much so that on Thursday, girls soccer coach Paul Holmgren didn't even want the prospect of one crossing his mind during the AA play-in game at Glacier.
"I left my shootout list in the truck because I didn't want to have it with me," he said.
But in the final minute of the second 10-minute overtime, with the Wolfpack and Helena Capital Bruins tied at 1-apiece, Holmgren figured he had no choice, so he turned and started walking towards his truck to grab the list.
Then Sydney Sharaf saved him the trouble.
In the 99th minute of play, Glacier senior Maddey Frey took the ball in the far corner of Capital's end and without looking swept a pass into the air and right in front of the goal. Sharaf was ready and waiting, and with one swift boot she scored the game winner, 2-1, to send Glacier (6-5-2) to the state tournament.
"She's always there," Frey said. "There was one time earlier in the first half that I missed it to her but I made up for it, and she got it in."
"I placed it and knew where I was going to go and was just kind of in the moment," said Sharaf, a senior. "It just released so much tension. We just didn't want to go into a shootout and do like last year."
As Sharaf's shot rested in the net, Holmgren and the rest of the Wolfpack, along with the crowded sideline of fans, erupted in jubilation.
"The emotion just ran out of me the moment Sydney scored," said Frey, who scored Glacier's first goal. "I saw it go in and my eyes just swelled up, and I just gave her the biggest hug."
After the goal, Helena Capital (3-5-5) barely had enough time left to catch its breath before the whistle sounded signaling the end.
"Our girls were back on their heels a little bit but they never got down and had just a great attitude today," Holmgren said. "I'm really proud of our seniors. This could have been their final game and they stepped up as a group and they led as a group and they made it a goal that they didn't want to be done today."
In last year's playoff game, Glacier's season ended in a heartbreaking shootout loss to Flathead.
Not this time.
"That's all we wanted was that one more goal," Frey said. "We did not want to go into a shootout, because last year it didn't end well."
Glacier goalie Kayla Byle triumphed all day, recording 22 saves.
Glacier advances to next week's state tournament in Helena for the second time in three years. Play begins on Thursday.
Helena Capital 1 0 0 0 - 1
Glacier 1 0 0 1 - 2
CAPITAL - Jesse Darlington, 36:00
GLACIER - Maddey Frey (Anna Jobe, Sydney Sharaf), 12:00; Sharaf (Frey), 99:00
Shots on goal - Capital 23, Glacier 17
Goalie saves - Capital 14 (Lindsey Burns), Glacier 22 (Kayla Byle)
Corner kicks - Capital 2, Glacier 3
Fouls - Capital 5, Glacier 5
Cards - None