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Class AA soccer: Missoula Hellgate boys extend championship dynasty with 1-0 victory over Billings Senior

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Posted at 7:01 PM, Oct 29, 2022
and last updated 2022-10-29 21:01:09-04

MISSOULA — If you’re looking for a dynasty, the boys soccer team at Missoula Hellgate is a good place to start.

The Knights won their fourth straight Class AA championship and seventh out of the past eight years with a 1-0 victory over Billings Senior on Saturday. Hellgate denied the Broncs their first title since 2004.

Hellgate was already a known contender. But now the Knights are etched even further into Montana’s record books with one more accomplishment for them and their seniors, who finish their high school careers with a title in each season.

“There’s no one better I think,” senior Julio Stier said. “There’s nothing I would change looking back. A big part of it was us gelling together. We did a lot of stuff together as a team. To have made history with this group is impressive.”

The Broncs gave Hellgate a run for their money, with goalkeeper Tysen Boller making some key saves in the net to keep Senior in it over the long run. Hellgate managed to get one through in the 18th minute off a boot from junior Luca Musco, who wasn’t sure where the Knights would end up at the beginning of the year.

“I wasn’t completely confident at first,” Musco said. “But after we started winning games, we thought we could pull it together and we prevailed as a team today.”

Four straight championships is a feat on its own, but head coach Jay Anderson has won seven of the last eight titles, proving even further that Hellgate reigns supreme in AA boys soccer.

“I’m still soaking it in for now,” Anderson said. “I’m so excited for the seniors and this team, to have coached them. They’ve put in the work and deserve this. We came in and executed our game plan. We adjusted when Senior switched it up and gave us a different look and were dangerous. The best thing I saw is that they came together as a team. They’re fantastic people.”