Lady Dogs atop conference after handling Libby, Polson

The Lady Bulldogs have got their groove back on the pitch following last week’s thrashing against Libby and a nail-biter win over Polson.

Freshman Ali Hirsch was the deciding factor in Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Lady Pirates.

Polson’s Ashlee Howell netted two goals in the second half, tying the game in the 77th minute, but Hirsch’s second goal in the final minutes stole the game for the Lady Dogs. Hirsch also scored in the 54th minute and assisted on an Abigail Shaffer goal in the 50th minute.

Grace Benkelman got the scoring started for Whitefish on an Anna Cook assist early in the game.

Head coach Roland Benedict said while he was happy with the win, the Polson game was certainly a wake-up call.

“That was an absolute nightmare in a certain context,” he said. “We played really well, up 3-1, and they got us to rush and play the style they needed us to play to get back in the game. We started making mistakes and didn’t play disciplined defensively.”

Benedict said he was happy to see Hirsch step up when the team needed some scoring.

“She played fantastic. We’re still working on the identity of scoring goals and how we want to do that, and I think for Ali, to get those goals shows all the hard work she puts in,” he said.

Earlier in the week Whitefish took down Libby 8-2 at home.

“They played us tough, we got some great chances and worked on some things going forward,” Benedict said. “I thought it was a great game.”

This week Whitefish will get another pair of conference games, first taking on Columbia Falls after presstime on Tuesday before seeing Libby again on Saturday. Both games are away.

Right now the Lady Dogs (4-4) sit at the top of Northwest A Conference standing with a 4-0 record in conference play. Columbia Falls sits behind at 4-1, and Libby is at the bottom without a win.

Benedict said with such a small group and a strange schedule so far, it’s been a taxing season for his team. As long as he can keep his players fresh, he said, he’s excited to see how things play out.

“This year has been one of the more interesting soccer seasons that I’ve been a part of. With the threats to the school, and the smoke, and the cancellations, it’s really been a test on our team. Especially with a small, 17-player roster for two squads. It’s a fully loaded schedule and it’s going to be crazy for the rest of the season,” Benedict said.

“It’s being smart physically with the girls, keeping attention on the legs and managing minutes throughout the rest of the season.”

Whitefish 1 3 — 4

Polson 0 3 — 3

W — Grace Benkelman (Anna Cook), 5:00

P — Aisha Clarke, 45:00

W — Abigail Shaffer (Ali Hirsch), 50:00

W — Hirsch, 54:00

P — Ashlee Howell, 63:00

P — Howell, 77:00

W — Hirsch, 79:00

Shots on Goal — W 12, P 7. Keeper Saves — W 11 (Sami Galbraith), P 5 (Megan Rost, Marina Mayorga). Corner kicks — W 1, P 6. Fouls — W 6, P 3. Cards — Polson, Red 1