The Flathead girls soccer program will have some company this year at the Class AA state tournament in Great Falls, which begins today at Siebel Fields.

The Bravettes advanced last year while the Flathead boys and Glacier girls and boys all failed to make it.

This time, all four teams are going. It’s also the first time that has happened since Glacier joined AA.

The Bravettes are no stranger to the season finale, having made it to the final day of state play eight of the last 11 years. They finished fifth last year.

“That’s quite an accomplishment for the program,” Flathead girls coach Cory Wilson said.

Flathead’s boys and girls are both the No. 4 seeds from the Western Division and will both open up against Bozeman, the top seed from the Eastern.

Glacier’s boys face Billings Senior and the Glacier girls are up against Great Falls C.M. Russell. Glacier’s two teams are seeded third and face the No. 2 seeds from the Eastern.

First-round games today for girls begin at 10 a.m. with the boys in action at 2:30 p.m.

First-round losers in the double-elimination event play Friday at 11 a.m. First-round winners play at 1:30 p.m.

The boys and girls championship games are Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

The Bozeman boys and Billings Senior girls won state titles in 2013.

Boys

Flathead (4-11-0) vs. Bozeman (11-1-2)

Flathead has already knocked off one top team and is ready to take on another.

The Bozeman Hawks are two-time defending state champions.

“I’m excited to play Bozeman,” Flathead coach Dan Ferguson said.

“There’s a lot of kids on that team I know, have coached personally since they were 11 and 12 years old. I know their families. Their coach (Hunter Terry) I coached alongside each other for 11 years. This will be the first time we’ve coached against one another.”

This is Ferguson’s second season with the Braves. He was the director of the Bozeman Blitzz for five years. Ferguson and Terry also coached together in Butte.

The visiting Braves stunned Helena High 4-2 in penalty kicks last week to claim the state play-in victory. Flathead was the seventh seed and Helena High the second. Helena High beat Flathead twice during the regular season by a combined score of 6-1.

It’s Flathead’s first state trip in eight years.

“We were feeling good going into the game,” Ferguson said.

“There was good energy. We had a discussion before it, a good training session and it finally boiled over for them. I hope it’s at the point we can continue to build from that.”

Jace Darrow and Sam Clarin had goals for Flathead in the play-in match. In the shootout, Darrow, Clarin, Miles Terry and Carter Warnell scored.

 Flathead’s Kaleb Frame was tied for fourth in Western scoring with seven goals during conference play

For Bozeman, Ben Hietala has 21 goals and six assists. He’s second in Eastern AA in goals scored.

Willem Vanderwende has six goals and two assists.

“As we told the kids, if you do your best, work to your potential, good things happen,” Ferguson said.

Glacier (8-4-3) vs.

Billings Senior (10-2-3)

Glacier coach Ryan Billiet likes the matchup.

“We don’t know a lot about these guys and they don’t know a lot about us,” he said.

“We’re excited to play somebody new.”

Senior is led by Ethan Brown, who has seven goals and three assists. Wes Currence is next with five goals and five assists.

“We started our season in Great Falls and we’re excited to end it here,” he said.

“The season has come full circle for us.”

Glacier’s Colten Becker was the No. 2 scorer in Western AA with nine goals and four assists. Kade Deleray was tied for third with seven goals and three assists.

Brandon Purdy had four goals and six assists for the Wolfpack.

“These guys are a fun group to be around,” Billiet said.

“We’re having a good time. We like to be on the road together and we’re excited to be here. No one one is uptight. We’ve come so far, peaking at the right time. I have a good feeling.”

Girls

Flathead (5-5-5)

vs. Bozeman (11-1-2)

Wilson, in his second year as head coach of the Bravettes, has been pleased with the way the team has performed as the season was winding down.

“I really like how we played the last four games,” he said.

“Even though we were 2-2, we had a great game against (Helena) Capital and played Helena (High) toe-to-toe.”

Flathead lost to Missoula Big Sky (2-0) and Helena High (2-1) during that stretch, but topped Capital twice at home (3-0 and 4-0). The second win over the Bruins was a state play-in match.

“We’ve improved a lot, changed in a lot of ways and not just tactically, but individually. We have become more offensive minded, something we struggled with early. Now we’re doing a good job of putting the ball in the back of the net.”

Zoe Loudermilk and Zina Loudermilk scored a goal each and Stephanie Wilson had two in the play-in victory.

Jaymee Siler scored twice and Wilson once in the other matchup with Capital.

Bozeman, which earned an automatic bye to state by virtue of winning its division, has two offensive standouts.

Averie Collins has scored 14 goals and assisted on eight more. That leads Eastern AA.

Jacey Delaney has 10 goals and four assists.

“We don’t want to get into a high-scoring game (with Bozeman),” Wilson said.

“We prefer more of a possession game. We’ll try to control the tempo.”

Glacier (7-4-4)  vs.

Great Falls C.M. Russell (12-1-2)

Glacier’s sendoff to state was a 3-2 overtime win over visiting Missoula Big Sky in the play-in match last week. Carly McDonald scored twice, the second in OT was the difference. Caide Williams had the other goal for the Wolfpack.

CMR blanked Butte 3-0 to advance to state.

“The girls are excited about the matchup,” Glacier coach Brenden Byrd said.

“They will be tough competition for us. They are an outstanding, well-round team but I think we will matchup well with them.”

CMR is led by Eme McLaughlin and her 14 goals, which ties her for the most in Eastern AA. She also has four assists.

Talya Vaira is next in scoring for CMR with five goals and 10 assists. Her assist total leads that division.

Class AA State Soccer Tournament

At Great Falls

Siebel Fields

Thursday

Opening-round Games

Girls

Noon

Helena High (1W) vs. Billings West (4E)

Glacier (3W) vs. Great Falls C.M. Russell (2E)

Bozeman (1E) vs. Flathead (4W)

Billings Skyview (3E) vs. Missoula Sentinel (2W)

Boys

2:30 p.m.

Missoula Hellgate (1W) vs. Great Falls C.M. Russell (4E)

Glacier (3W) vs. Billings Senior (2E)

Bozeman (1E) vs. Flathead (4W)

Billings West (3E) vs. Missoula Sentinel (2W)