Lady Bulldogs win physical match

Team heads to Belgrade for championship game on Saturday

By DAVID ERICKSON/Whitefish Pilot

"It was a bloodbath," Whitefish girls soccer coach Lini Reading said of her team's 2-1 rally-from-behind victory over the Lady Broncs in Hamilton on Saturday. "It was brutal, a good physical game by both sides."

By the time the Class A semifinal game was finished, three Whitefish girls had been carried off the field, and one, Megan Powell, would need to go to the hospital for X-rays.

The two teams combined for 28 fouls, and Lady Bulldog senior Alissa LaChance received a controversial red card in the second half, meaning she will be ineligible to play in the state championship match in Belgrade on Saturday.

"It was a retaliation foul, but it never should have gotten to that. There was a lot of pushing and shoving by both sides," Reading said. "She learned a lesson, but it's obviously extremely devastating to end her high school career like that."

The game also had its fair share of heroics, as senior Kaitlyn Sleichter drilled the game-winning goal in the final minutes to allow Whitefish (8-4-1) to defend their crown in the final match.

Hamilton jumped out to an early lead with a goal by Michelle Jones in the fourth minute.

"They out played us in the first half," Reading said. "We got rattled and lost our calm game. Hamilton kind of controlled the midfield."

Hamilton led 1-0 at halftime, and the Broncs might had visions of themselves in the championship game.

However, the game was "a tale of two halves," Reading said, as the Lady Bulldogs came out firing on all cylinders in the second 40 minutes.

"We regained our composure," Reading said. "They said to themselves, 'We can do this.'"

The momentum shift began when junior Carly Lengstorf was taken down in the goalie box by a Bronc defender. Lengstorf sailed the ensuing penalty kick past Hamilton goalkeeper Megan Baker to tie the score.

"We were all jittery in the first half," Lengstorf said. "But we all just turned it on in the second half." Lengstorf also sparked her team when she headed a ball in, but it was called offsides.

The deadlock continued for another 20 minutes as both sides battled to keep their season alive. The Lady Bulldogs out shot the Broncs 8-4, which included several breakaways for Whitefish.

Reading said most of the serious injuries to her squad came from collisions from the Hamilton goalkeeper, including the hit to Powell.

"(Powell) doesn't have any broken bones, let's put it that way," Reading sighed.

In the 73rd minute, while the crowd must have began preparing for overtime, Meredith Reed sent in a cross to Sleichter, who finally hit the back of the net.

"For (Sleichter), the lone senior on the field at that point, to get the game-winning goal at the end of regulation time like that, is so very cool," Reading said.

"It was one of the most physical games of the year," Sleichter said. "But we played really composed in the second half."

The Whitefish defense did the rest, led by Powell and goalkeeper Mariah Driscoll, who had six saves on the day. The Lady Broncs finished with only four shots on goal.

The Lady Bulldogs will be missing several key players for this Saturday's state championship match on the road against the Belgrade Lady Panthers (13-0-1).

LaChance will miss the game because of her red card, and the status of several other girls is uncertain after they ran afoul of the law Saturday night.

"The kids who will be there deserve to be there, but they got robbed by their teammates who made poor choices," she said.

Lengstorf said she is confident about her team's chances against Belgrade.

"We're stoked to go to state," she said. "If we can bring it like we brought it on Saturday, we'll be fine, no matter who plays."

Whitefish 0 2 — 2

Hamilton 1 0 — 1

H - Michelle Jones (Misha Trotter) 4:00

W - Carly Lengstorf (PK) 52:00

W - Kaitlyn Sleichter (Meredith Reed) 73:00

Shots on goal - Whitefish 8, Hamilton 4. Saves - Whitefish 6 (Mariah Driscoll), Hamilton 4 (Megan Baker). Corner kicks - Whitefish 1, Hamilton 4. Total fouls - Whitefish 13, Hamilton 15. Yellow cards - Whitefish 1. Red cards - Whitefish: Alissa LaChance.