Bravettes have comeback wins in both matches this season

The Glacier Wolfpack grabbed the lead in both its girls soccer matches with crosstown rival Flathead this season, but both times the Bravettes came back to win.

After Saturday'd5s 3-2 Flathead victory, Glacier coach Paul Holmgren said he was proud of the way his team played, especially on the defensive side of the ball. It was a great result, as long as you overlooked the fact that Flathead had one more goal than Glacier.

'd2It was a good day, other than the score,'d3 Holmgren said.

If the Wolfpack (4-6-2) is going to seal the deal today at 4 p.m. at the Kidsports Complex in a state play-in match, the defense will need to find an answer to Flathead'd5s run-and-gun offensive attack. The Bravettes (5-3-4) scored two second-half goals on breakaways Saturday: one from forward Heidi Windauer; the other from midfielder Chelsea Shuman. Shuman'd5s game winner came off an assist from an unlikely source: goalie Karli Kusler, who delivered the pass off a free kick.

The Bravettes defense has done just enough to slow the Glacier attack. Wolfpack forward Maddey Frey, who leads Class AA with 17 goals, struggled at times Saturday with all the attention Flathead paid her. That she'd5s the object of Flathead'd5s attention isn'd5t a surprise. Frey used her back-to-the-net game to torch the Bravettes for three goals in the first half of Flathead'd5s 4-3 win Sept. 18.

Other than Hillary Secrist'd5s goal after a wild scramble in front of the net on Saturday 'd1 a goal which gave Glacier a 1-0 lead 'd1 Frey has been responsible for all of the Wolfpack'd5s scoring against Flathead this season.

Anchoring the Bravettes has been a precocious group of defenders. Kusler is a sophomore, as is defender Stephanie Brewer. Also starting in back are sweeper Tess Brenneman and defender Megan Gardner, both freshman. Compared to those youngsters, senior defender Makayla Darrow practically qualifies for AARP membership.

What'd5s unfortunate is that for one local team, the season will end this afternoon. That'd5s something Flathead coach Scott Warnell would prefer wasn'd5t the case.

'd2I wish we didn'd5t have to play them to see who goes to state,'d3 Warnell said. 'd2It would be nice to send both of these teams.'d3

State tournament play starts Oct. 30 in Great Falls.