Polson Pirates prepare to face Belgrade in semifinals

For Polson Pirate soccer captain Bridger Wenzel, it still hasn’t sunk in that the Pirates are now one victory away from playing in the Class A state championship game after the Pirates defeated Loyola Sacred Heart 6-0 in the quarterfinals Saturday at Polson High School.

The six-goal victory might have had something to do with it feeling like a regular season game. However, as the Pirates get ready to travel to play Belgrade Class A state champion and attempt to knock them off at home in the semifinal final match that starts at 12 p.m. Saturday at Belgrade High School, the intensity level will increase with each passing day, Wenzel admits.

“No, being one game away from the Class A state championship game hasn’t sunk in,” Wenzel said. “Maybe it will sink in when we have our first practice, but it probably won’t seem like we are that close until we are on the bus headed to Belgrade.”

Wenzel admits the game against Belgrade will be the biggest game Polson has played all season. If the Pirates win, they will host the championship game this season.

“This is probably the biggest game so far and to beat the best you have to be the best,” Wenzel said. “I think we are one of the best teams in the state this season. That is the mentality that we’ve had as a team all season. I believe that we have to come out with that mentality, try to dictate the game early, come out with a win and head into the finals.”

Wenzel admits winning the game against Belgrade won’t be easy, but he has attributed his team’s success to the chemistry his team has built that started at the end of last season.

“I think our confidence as a team has definitely grown throughout the season,” Wenzel said. “We have grown a lot during the early stages of the season while playing some of the tougher teams in our conference and in the state. Judging by how we did against some of the better teams in the state, we have progressed a lot in our nine-game win streak.”

Wenzel said one difference between this year’s Polson team and other talented Pirates teams he has played on is their approach to each game. Wenzel said in previous years, he and his teammates have looked too far ahead. Now, they just focus on the opponent in front of them.

“I think one of the differences is that we were looking ahead too far down the road and that is the difference this year is that we are just focusing on one game at a time,” Wenzel said.

The Pirates are confident but they know they will have to play with a lot of intent if they are going to be defeat Belgrade at home.

“You can’t look past any team or any player at any moment or they can take your dream right away from you if you aren’t paying attention,” Wenzel said. “We still go into every game, no matter who we are playing, with that mentality and have the same intensity for each opponent.”

Wenzel, a junior who was named one of the team’s co-captains, said he’s grown significantly between his sophomore and junior season.

“Being one of the team leaders has made me grow as a person,” Wenzel said. “I really enjoy playing soccer with my two best friends Mack Moderie and Russell Smith. It really brings all of us together on the same page because we are all friends with each other on the soccer field and at school. I’ve really enjoyed being a leader, stepping up to the plate and trying to be an example that we need on the team.”

One aspect Wenzel and the rest of his Pirate teammates have enjoyed is the recognition that has come with their success.

“It’s awesome to see the community watch us and support us, and it’s really neat when someone in the community comes up and congratulates you at lunch,” Wenzel said. “Sometimes I don’t even know if they are at the game but, it’s neat that they realize we have a shot at the championship.”

The Pirates have another incentive to win besides extending their season. If Polson wins over Belgrade, they will host the championship game in Polson.

“That will be awesome and that is the dream to be able to make it to the finals,” Wenzel said. “The community will come out and watch us. Like I said before, we can’t look that far ahead but if it works out like that, it will be great.”

In order to have success against Belgrade, Wenzel said it is important for his team to get off to a fast start.

“I think scoring that first goal is normally pretty crucial to how the game goes,” Wenzel said. “Once you score that first goal, the odds of scoring the second goes up and the odds of scoring after that increases.”

Even though scoring the first goal is a critical key to their success, the Pirates have showcased resiliency throughout the season. Down 3-1 at the end of the first half against Whitefish, the Pirates charged back.

“Our team showed that we can come back from a deficit,” Wenzel said. “We were able to tie up the game in the first five minutes of the second half and that shows even we get down in this game, we have the determination to come back. We’ve showed that determination to win all season.”

Pirates’ coach Adam Fansher said he is “looking forward” to playing a team of Belgrade’s stature.

“You’ve got to play the best teams at some point,” Fansher said. “I am excited to play them and to be honest, to play them on their field. Their field is really nice and our boys have done well on the road this year. I am feeling pretty good about it going over there and playing those guys.”

Fansher has followed the philosophical approach of taking one game at a time and has instilled this into his team as they prepare to play the Panthers.

“We try not to look too far ahead of ourselves,” Fansher said. “We’ve been good all year and we just do our best in the next game in front of you. The boys have done a really good job at staying on track and focusing on what it takes to win in the short term.”

The team continuity the Pirates have developed through the course of the season has translated into their passing on the field.

“Obviously, our number one objective is to score goals and keep possession better,” Fanshe said. “Passing the ball well is one of the hallmarks of our success. Anyone in soccer knows it isn’t the guy with the ball that’s the most important. It’s the movement of the other team and the communication they have with each other. It’s the little things that go into possessing the ball with a purpose. I am really pleased at the work, concentration and focus everyone has showed. We’ve been on the same page all season.”

Fansher acknowledged defeating Belgrade won’t be easy and establishing momentum early will be critical to the Pirates’ success.

“It is important any time you try to have the momentum early,” Fansher said. “Especially when you have two teams that are so balanced and really, really close to each other skill wise. Scoring the first goal and maintaining and creating more chances for your team because you want to be the team that is playing downhill and in soccer momentum can change 100 times. You have to establish ourselves at that game and really show Belgrade. We respect the way we can play and we have respect for them. Our boys need to play the way we need to play in order to win that game.”

Fansher also hopes the success his Pirates have had this season will be the start of a tradition of excellence.

“The town of Polson loves success and they love a team that can win,” Fansher said. “This is the kind of year that we want to establish a habit of being in this position. It is really great to have the backing of everyone in the community. We have great kids and the type of kids that go out of their way to do nice things in their community and be part of what Polson is all about. The community has recognized that and wants to support them. We have the community supporting this success and the club. The youth teams at our high school program are building something to maintain this level of success. Hopefully, we can become one of the most successful programs in the state.”

Polson 6, Loyola 0

At Polson, the host Pirates were the ones to proved to be Ram tough as they dodged any first round playoff jitters with a convincing victory over the visiting Loyola Rams. A half dozen Pirates found the back of the net with a quintet lending assists. Polson (11-1-1) advances to face the undefeated Belgrade Panthers in Belgrade this weekend.

Loyola 0 0 – 0

Polson 5 1 – 6

P – g Michael Vergeront (a Robin Erickson) 1’

P – g Mack Moderie (a Alex Wall-Wilbert) 15’

P – g Erickson (a Wall-Wilbert) 22’

P – g Wall-Wilbert (a Bridger Wenzel) 28’

P – g Alex Encizo (a Keyan Dalbey) 31’

P – g Linde Lambson (a Encizo) 62’

SHOTS(on-goal) – Loyola 3(1) , Polson *36(25)

SAVES – Loyola *16 (Daniel Kaleva, Tanner Carlson (briefly), D.Kaleva), P1 (Russ Smith 0, Tristan Clifford 1)

CORNERS – L2, P7

P individual sh(SOG) 36(25) – Vergeront 5(4): ovr45’(g,Defl17’,20’,41’); Erickson 8(4): FGxbar3’,ovr4’,ovr16’ (7’,18’,g,49’,carry55’); Moderie 9(7): wideL6’,wideR21’(3’,Defl9’,noG14’offsides,Defl14’,g,Defl23’,42’,); Dalbey 2(1): GKgrab25’b(Defl25’a); Encizo (3): (g,wallblk61’fk,61’b); Lambson 3(2): wideL44’(Defl32’,g); Wall-Wilbert (3): (38’,43’,xbar77’); Xavier Stalk fleet (1):(hdr42’ck); Davis Smith 1:wideL78’; Zevon Walker 1:wideR67’. R.Smith 1handle of Loyoyla fk.

L individual sh(SOG) – Liam Lechner 1:ovr19’; Jack Lincoln (1):(69’); Sean Kaleva 1:wideR74’hdr. D.Kaleva +4handles.

Asterisk (*) denotes stat variant(s) where unofficial JCH tally differs from sideline specs reported among media coverage: P15sog, L9sv.

Abbreviation key: Defl (Defender deflection), fk (free kick), ck (corner kick), ovr (over frame of goal), xbar (ricochet off crossbar), handle (ball pickup by gk too week to qualify as shot).