Hughes 'saves' Glacier's day

Wolfpack goalie makes 12 stops in 2-1 win over Flathead

By DILLON TABISH/The Daily Inter Lake

Patty Hughes grew up a goalie and it showed on Saturday.

In a physical crosstown girls soccer match with Flathead, the Glacier junior made one leaping save after another as the Wolfpack beat the Bravettes 2-1 for the first time in school history.

"We definitely earned it. We've been working hard for the last three years and unfortunately haven't won one yet," Hughes said. "It was our time, definitely."

Flathead came into the game with a string of five-straight victories against Glacier, including last season's come-from-behind win in the state play-in game that ended the Wolfpack's season.

"We had that hard loss last year in the playoffs and Flathead has a quality team and they played a great game today," Glacier coach Paul Holmgren said, "and for us to be able to finally win one against our crosstown rivals means a lot to us."

"It was a hard fought game just like I thought it was going to be," Flathead coach Scott Warnell said. "Both squads came out and played real tough and physical. It just didn't go our way."

Flathead took the lead at the Glacier High fields after junior Chelsea Shuman scored her third goal of the season in a rainy first half.

But in the second half, the sun came out and the Wolfpack came to life. At the 63rd minute, senior Skylar St. Onge booted a direct kick that soared over the head of Flathead goalie Brittany Earnest to tie the game. Two minutes later, Chantal Gustine found Amber McCann on an open pass and McCann snuck another goal into the net to give Glacier the lead.

Flathead came back pushing hard on the offensive end in the final minutes but couldn't get one by Hughes, who finished the game with 12 saves. Earnest, filling in as starting goalie because of a suspension, made nine saves for Flathead.

Hughes capped off the historic win by saving a potential game-tying goal in the final minutes by diving onto an oncoming kick like a football player blocking a field goal. But Hughes didn't have the luxury of pads, and she picked herself up with a grimace and returned to goal.

"I put the body in front of the ball, took one for the team," said Hughes, who started playing goalie when she was 4. "I don't know if something hit my knee, it kind of tweaked it a little bit, but you gotta get back up and keep playing."

When the horn sounded at the game's end, the Glacier players erupted in excitement and huddled together. But the circle was incomplete and the team turned and cheered as their goalie hobbled in, last but not least.

"I'm so stoked," Hughes said later. "At the end we gave everything we had."

Flathead 1 0 - 1

Glacier 0 2 - 2

Flathead - Chelsea Shuman, 31:00;

Glacier - Skylar St. Onge (direct kick), 63:00; Amber McCann (Chantal Gustine), 65:00.

Shots on goal - Flathead 20, Glacier 19

Goalie saves - Flathead 9 (Brittany Earnest), Glacier 12 (Patty Hughes)

Corner kicks - Flathead 1, Glacier 3

Fouls - Flathead 15, Glacier 16

Cards - Glacier, yellow