The Stevensville Yellowjackets didn’t have a great opening weekend last week but made up for it this week against Polson. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first half, the Yellowjackets had to hold on in the late minutes of the match when Polson suddenly caught fire and tied up the game.
Junior McKenzie Brownlee scored the first goal for the ‘Jackets and that was followed by another Stevi goal by Claire Hutchison, a freshman. The team only has five seniors on the team with eight freshman.
“We’re a young team,” said Stevensville coach Nick Giese. “This game was a confidence builder. Against Laurel and Billings Central (last weekend) that was tough.”
Giese said his team’s passing game was really good in the game against Polson. “We were ‘on’ off the ball, meaning people were opening up and moving. We were able to pressure them.”
Polson scored twice in the second half in the last 10 minutes of the match and tied the game. Stevensville, however, didn’t buckle under the pressure. Polson fired again but keeper Adie Rodolph got her hands on a shot and sent the ball caroming up and over the net for the save. Giese said the save was huge.
“It saved us, I think if the wind would have been in their sail, it would have been a different ballgame. It was a nice save. We managed to get out of it.”
The ‘Jackets came back to score when Anika Thorsell hit the corner of the net at 4:10 to take the lead back. Two minutes later, Claire Hutchison took a shot that was deflected by the Polson keeper. However, Olivia Pereto was right there and put the ball back into the right side of the net. Stevensville went on to win, 4-2.
The Stevensville boys lost a tough game to the Polson Pirates, 2-1 Polson scored once in the first half and then again early in the match when Polson’s Tray Lichtenberg shot the ball at the net. Stevensville keeper Ben Schreiber got his hands on the ball but the deflection was soft and the Polson player knocked it in.
Polson’s second goal was a one-on-one match between Schreiber and Lieichtenberg. Schreiber committed by coming up the middle but Kaden Nelson took the ball in past the keeper for the score.
With time running out, Stevensville took the ball up the field to set up the shot. Chance Lester sent the ball to Matthew Radford who shot the ball in. However, the ball bounced out and Garrett Schreiber put a foot on it and sent the ball back into the net.