Bulldogs finish undefeated, gear up for playoffs
Sophomore midfielder Chase Sabin juggles the ball during a blowout of Libby on Saturday. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
Another regular season in the books, and the Bulldogs are again undefeated.
Whitefish capped off its last week of regular season play with a shutout of Polson and a dominating final showing against Libby.
The team traveled to face the Pirates on Thursday, looking for a stronger showing than the first time they played, when Polson held Whitefish scoreless for most of the first half.
Casey Schneider kept that from happening, however. He scored the Dogs’ first goal just five minutes in off an assist from Ian Lacey, who scored his own goal in the 15th minute.
James Thompson added a pair of goals in the 20th and 21st minute to put the Dogs up 4-0 at the half. Thompson’s goals were assisted by Lacey and Chase Sabin.
Marvin Kimera finished things off in the second half with a goal in the 67th minute.
Polson held Whitefish to just 10 shots on goal to the Pirates’ 3.
Head coach John Lacey was happy with the way his team came out for that battle.
“It was a much better game in Polson than the first time we played them. I felt real good about that performance. It was a well-rounded team effort by a lot of guys,” he said.
Then on Saturday the Bulldogs put on an offensive show against the Loggers.
Seven different Whitefish players scored in the 12-2 blowout, with Brandon Mendoza, Casey Schneider and Marvin Kimera scoring two goals apiece while Riley Arendt notched a hat trick.
Whitefish led 11-1 at the half and 7-0 at just the 20th minute.
Lacey said that game was about getting everyone reps while keeping his starters rested and healthy for the playoffs.
“It was a great opportunity to go deep down the roster and get a lot of guys time at that varsity level and some rest for our regular starters in advance of the playoffs ahead,” he said. “Our depth is a real asset. We play 18-20 guys because they can all play.”
Whitefish finishes the regular season a sweet 12-0, a slight improvement on last year’s undefeated season that included one tie with Polson at the end of the season.
While it’s a nice achievement, Lacey said he’s also looking at the bigger picture.
“On one hand we take a lot of pride in it. These boys know what they’re capable of and they know the standards they have for the soccer program as a whole,” Lacey said. “But they also really appreciate the special opportunity they have with their teammates. We’re proud of the results from the first part of the season, but we all know these next three games are what define us.”
The Bulldogs will open the playoffs with a home battle against Stevensville on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Smith Fields.
On the season, Stevensville went 2-6-4 and 2-2-4 in conference play.
While the wins aren’t there, Lacey said he’s taking note of the scrappiness needed to fight and hold through in four ties through the season.
“They’ve got some technical ability. They have not had a ton of results, but they’re feisty and they hang in games. They fought through four ties in their conference play, so that’s a strong-willed team. I think we’re prepared for someone to come up here and they’re not going to roll over by any means,” he said. “One game is one game. We’re not changing what we’re doing because of them.”
Whitefish 4 1 — 5
Polson 0 0 — 0
WF — Casey Schneider (Ian Lacey) 5:00
WF — Lacey (Darby McCarthy) 15:00
WF — James Thompson (Lacey) 20:00
WF — Thompson (Chase Sabin) 21:00
WF — Marvin Kimera (Gabe Menicke) 67:00
Shots on goal — Whitefish 10, Polson 3; Goalie saves — Whitefish 3 (Colter Upton, Bradlee Anderson), Polson 5 (Gabe Mergenthaler; Corner kicks — Whitefish 7, Polson 0; Fouls — Whitefish 13, Polson 7.
Whitefish 11 1 — 12
Libby 1 1 — 2
WF — Chase Sabin (James Thompson) 3:00
WF — Sam Menicke (Ian Lacey) 7:00
WF — Brandon Mendoza (Casey Schneider) 8:00
WF — Schneider (S. Menicke) 13:00
WF — Schneider 15:00
WF — Mendoza (Sabin) 16:00
WF — Riley Arendt (Lacey) 17:00
L — Moxly Roeseler-Begalke (Kite Jenkins) 22:00
WF — Arendt (Sabin) 26:00
WF — Marvin Kimera (Sabin) 29:00
WF — Kimera (Gabe Menicke) 38:00
WF — G. Menicke 39:00
WF — Arendt (Thompson) 67:00
L — Jenkins (Steven Valencia) 77:00
Shots on goal — Whitefish 16, Libby 7; Goalie saves — Whitefish 4 (Bradlee Anderson, Will Peppmeier), Libby 4 (Owen Enyeart); Corner kicks — Whitefish 9, Libby 3; Fouls — Whitefish 10, Libby 5.