U14 girls capture state title

GREAT FALLS — The only way for the Polson FC U14 girls soccer team to top off their impressive spring soccer season was to win the Montana Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) State Cup in Great Falls June 14-16, and they did just that in exciting fashion.

Many on the Polson team, consisting of 6-8th grade girls, have played together the last few years and each year have shown major improvement in league and tournament play. This spring, all their hard work paid off as Polson’s U14G Select team won 9 MYSA sanctioned matches, with two more matches resulting in a tie. Their only loss, the first game of the season in early April, was a hard fought 2-1 final against rival FC Missoula. Polson’s young but determined team was ranked #1 in the state this season in their respective Select division, and ranked #4 overall including all higher level Premier division teams.

The Polson team, led by Head Coach Jaime Whealon and assisted by Team Manager/Assistant Coach Bruce Kasnitz, was anchored by Jenna Evertz at goalie. The team was supported defensively by Hannah Hobbs, Sophia Sisler, Dayne Smith, Olivia Hewston, and Beatrix Frissell. Polson’s defense, arguably the best in the state, frustrated many teams with their tactical excellence. Polson’s solid mid-field, consisting primarily of Maria Heutmaker, Ashley Howell and Maddy Lichte, did a great job all season controlling and possessing the ball and setting up the forward line for goals. Up front and relentlessly attacking the opponent’s goal were Tiara Duford, Marina Mayorga, and Hannah Kasnitz. The crucial players capable of playing many positions and asked to support both offensively and defensively throughout the season were Alana Fox, Celeste Rehbein, Sophia Speckert, Janessa Taylor, Amelia Pittsley and Briala Foreman.

In addition to MYSA matches, the Polson team attended the annual Hot Shot Tournament in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, May 11-12, where they beat Helena Arsenal 6-0, tied Idaho Thunder 1-1, and lost a last minute heartbreaker to eventual 2nd Place finisher Kelowna United of British Columbia, Canada.  At the Kalispell Three Blind Refs Tournament, June 4-5, Polson impressed everyone with a 1-0 win over Canada’s Calgary Foothills, tied an excellent Coeur D’Alene Sting team 1-1, and eliminated Flathead Rapids U14 Premier by a score of 2-1 to make it into the finals. The underdog Polson team faced the experienced Coeur D’Alene Sting team once again in the final match with a hard fought tie, through regulation time, and two overtime periods. The tournament winner, which was then decided by a thrilling shootout, was narrowly won by Coeur D’Alene in what was considered to be the most exciting game in years by the Polson players and parents.

Doing so well in the MYSA matches and coming so close to winning the prior tournaments with the best teams in Montana, Idaho and Canada, the Polson girls were confident in their abilities and had the will to win the coveted Montana State Cup Tournament in Great Falls, June 14-16.

With an impressive 2-1 win over the favored local Electric City Premier team in the first round of the State Cup Tournament and a 0-0 tie over FC Missoula’s Premier team, Polson then showcased their young talent in the semi-finals by beating Belgrade’s Rage 4-0 to advance to the final game. The final game of the tournament was against the same Premier FC Missoula team they lost to earlier in the season and tied the day before. Polson, although battered and bruised, knew they had to play at the highest level to win. With dominant and controlling play, Polson had a 2-0 lead with 5 minutes to go in the game. FC Missoula, playing strong at the end, scored to narrow the gap to 2-1. However, time ran out for Missoula.  Polson was able to celebrate a State Cup victory to top off an impressive and memorable season.  

Head Coach Jamie Whealon commented, “It has been a joy watching these girls grow and mature this season, they have worked very hard to be in this position.  It’s been awesome to be able to go into any given game on any given day and have a chance to win with this team. I’m actually sad it’s over. We were really clicking on all fronts.”

Echoing the confidence and pride in his players, Assistant Coach Bruce Kasnitz stated, “I had no doubts from the start of the season that the girls had what it would take to play at the highest level this year, had the will to win, and that this team was something special. They proved that. More importantly, I am so impressed with their sportsmanship and respect for other teams, referees, and for each other. The players on this team will have a major impact to improving the Polson High School soccer team for years to come, and I am so proud of each of them and what they have accomplished this year so far.”