Polson postseason prospects plush with possibility Pirate boys tie Whitefish 3-3; Lady Pirates earn 2-0 victory
Polson freshman Sophia Moderie (7) scored both of the Lady Pirates’ goals in last Thursday’s 2-0 win over Whitefish. (Bob Gunderson for the Lake County Leader)
Max Moderie rifles the ball into the goal during a penalty kick in Polson’s 3-3 tie with Whitefish. (Bob Gunderson for the Lake County Leader)
Last week, the Polson boys’ soccer squad played games against Whitefish and Libby, earning a 3-3 tie with previously unbeaten and untied Bulldogs on Thursday before blanking the Libby Loggers, 4-0, on Saturday.
The Lady Pirates did not allow a goal in their games, shutting out Whitefish 2-0 and Libby 7-0.
Boys’ Soccer
Polson 3, Whitefish 3
Thursday at Polson, during Homecoming as well as Senior Night, the host Pirate boys put on quite a showcase of the soccer talents by their seasoned seniors as they tangled toes with the then undefeated Whitefish Bulldogs.
Having been shut out by the Bulldogs for the equivalent of seven quarters of play that includes their previous road loss and trailing by a pair of goals at the three quarter juncture of this contest, senior Mack Moderie cut the margin in half off a feed from fellow senior forward Robin Erickson. The Bulldogs countered with a goal several minutes later to reacquire their two goal margin. But Moderie answered right back within the minute off an assist from senior defender Connor Lanier to close the gap to within a goal 2-3 with a mere half dozen minutes remaining.
The Pirate ratcheted up the pace to a furious intensity as pressure was applied at the Whitefish goal, their defenders disrupting the Polson attack by kicking the ball away. Then an inadvertent hand ball in the box would set up an opportune Polson penalty kick, which Moderie drilled into the back of the net to knot the score at three apiece.
The Pirates turned up the heat on Whitefish the final two minutes showing on the clock in an attempt to net the game winner. A direct kick by senior midfielder Bridger Wenzel just missed acquiring its target, followed by a shot on the frame of the goal that was deflected by a Whitefish defender. Those were followed by a Moderie direct kick that was threaded through the needle of the Bulldog defensive array within range of the goal, which a charging senior defender Xavier Stalkfleet just barely missed redirecting with his toe for the potential game winner.
The tie would solidify a second-place finish and set up a play-in match for the right to advance into the playoffs.
Polson (5-1-1N, 9-1-1), Whitefish (7-0-1N, 11-0-1)
Whitefish 1 2 – 3
Polson 0 3 – 3
W – g Zander Burger (a Gabe Menicke) 32’
W – g Ian Lacey (a Amman Koch-Ford) 48’
P – g Mack Moderie (a Robin Erickson) 68’
W – g Casey Schneider (unassisted) 74’
P – g Moderie (a Connor Lanier) 74’
P – g Moderie (pk) 79’
Shots-(on-Goal) – W 18(13), P 25(12)
SAVES – W (Colter Upton 6), P (Kaden Nelson 4) +5handles each
CORNERS, FOULS, CARDS – W2ck, P3ck; W10f, P8f; W1y, P2y.
Pindiv sh(SOG) – Nico River 4(1); R.Erickson 8(2); Moderie 9(7); Bridger Wenzel 4(2).
Windiv sh(SOG) – Burger (1); Lacey 4(3); Schneider (2); G.Menicke (1); Brandon Mendoza 3(2); Niath Edland (1); noW?ID 4(3). (Th04Oct18)
Polson 4, Libby 0
In the shutout of host Libby, players who ordinarily seem more deployment at the defensive end got a turn at generating some offense.
Senior midfielder Bridger Wenzel scored a brace (2 goals), while junior defender Davis Smith chipped in a goal and contributed an assist. Regular senior forward Robin Erickson closed out the scoring with a goal while dishing out a pair of assists that supplemented the opening tandem sting of the “Bee.” Frosh defender Sam Whealon supplied the assist on the Smith goal.
The Northern Conference second place (2N) Pirates hosted visiting Columbia Falls (4-4N, 5-7) on Tuesday with the winner of that contest advancing to host (2S) Loyola (4-4S, 5-6-1) on Saturday, Oct. 13.
Polson head coach Adam Fansher commented that he is “looking forward to being in the playoffs.” Mack Moderie and Robin Erickson have collaborated on over 40 goals and at least two-dozen assists thus far.
Polson (6-1-1N, 10-1-1), Libby (0-8N, 0-12)
Polson 4 0 – 4
Libby 0 0 – 0
P – g Bridger Wenzel (a Robin Erickson) 5’
P – g Wenzel (a R.Erickson) 23’
P – g Davis Smith (a Sam Whealon) 24’
P – g R.Erickson (a Smith) 38’
shots-(on-GOAL) – na
SAVES – P (Kaden Nelson 4), L (Elijah Smith ?)
CORNERS, FOULS, CARDS – na
(Sa06Oct18)
BOYS’ SOCCER
POLSON 2, WHITEFISH 0
Thursday at Polson during Homecoming as well as Senior Night, the Lady Pirates blanked the Bulldogs to square their season series. Frosh midfielder Sophia Moderie and lone senior forward Ashlee Howell swapped goal scoring and table setting roles in accounting for the two-goal win. Freshman goalkeeper Kallie Finkbeiner was spectacular in the box, snuffing out multiple Bulldog blasts at the goal.
Polson (5-2N, 6-4-1) Whitefish (6-2N, 7-5)
Whitefish 0 0 – 0
Polson 0 2 – 2
P – g Sophia Moderie (a Ashlee Howell) 11’
P – g Howell (a Moderie) 70’
Shots-(on-GOAL) – W 22(16), P15(10)
SAVES – W7sv3h (Sami Galbraith 4), P11sv8h(Kallie Finkbeiner 11)
CORNERS, FOULS, CARDS – W2ck,P0ck; W8f,P5f.
Pindiv sh(SOG) – S.Moderie 8(6): (xbar23’)almost beat keeper 28’; Howell (2); Lilly Armstrong 3(2); Jazlyn Dalbey 1’; Ali Hupka 1’.
Windiv sh(SOG) – Abigail Shaffer 1; Sayor Schlauch 5(3); Emma Barron 7(5); Grace Benkelman 1; Anna Cook (4); Olivia Potthoff (2); W?ID (2). (Th04Oct18) h=handle (not enough mustard to be a sh/SOG)
Polson 7, Libby 0
At Libby, the visiting Lady Pirates closed out their regular schedule with their second shutout of the week. Three different goal scorers thwacked the tension on the twine as Autumn Burland, Kyla Heiser and Jazlyn Dalbey found net. The second half saw Sophia Moderie net a double brace (4 goals), her second of the season.
The Northern Conference third-place (3N) Lady Pirate girls’ soccer squad traveled to Whitefish (6-2N, 7-5) on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to host the (2S) Hamilton Lady Broncs (7-1S, 10-2) on Saturday, Oct. 13.
Polson head coach Jaime Whealon said he was “glad to put ourselves in position to get into the playoffs,” pointing out that Polson technically tied for the conference lead, the tiebreaker that slipped them into third based on goal differential criteria. Ashlee Howell and Sophia Moderie have combined for three-dozen goals thus far this season.
Polson (6-2N, 7-4-1), Libby (2-6N, 2-10)
Polson 3 4 – 7
Libby 0 0 – 0
P – g Autumn Burland (a Ashlee Howell) 6’
P – g Kyla Heiser (rebound) 14’
P – g Jazlyn Dalbey (rebound) 34’
P – g Sophia Moderie 41’
P – g Sophia Moderie (a Ashlee Howell) 54’
P – g Sophia Moderie 61’
P – g Sophia Moderie 75’
Shots-(on-GOAL) – P22(13), L7(3)
SAVES – P3 (Megan Rost 2, Kallie Finkbeiner 1), L (Bethany Thomas 6)
Pindiv sh(SOG) – Moderie 7(5), Burland 4(1), Heiser 3(2), Howell 2(1), Dalbey (2), Rost (1), Finkbeiner (1), Lilly Armstrong 1. Lindiv sh(SOG) – Elise Erickson 1, et.al. (Sa06Oct18)