HELENA — For the first time in school history, the Billings Skyview Falcons are Class AA girls soccer state champions. Making just its second appearance in program history, Skyview blanked Missoula Big Sky 6-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The Falcons were relentless from the opening kickoff. Ashlyn Braun got Skyview on the board in the sixth minute with an authoritative finish on a pass from Jordan Roe. Braun then added her second goal in the 18th minute, putting the Falcons up 2-0.
“Coming into this one, being two 1-seeds, the two top scoring teams in the state, we said, ‘We’re the top defensive team. Let’s get out early, and we know we can keep them to nothing,'” Billings Skyview head coach Cameron Icenoggle said. “That first five minutes, if we could get control, we have that confidence for the last 75 to seal the game.”
Skyview carried that 2-0 advantage into halftime, but again the Falcons came out firing to begin the second half. Julia Mader scored off a free kick in the first minute of the second half to push the lead to 3-0. Roe found Kayla Mader with the free kick and Kayla made a spectacular back-heel pass to Julia, who went top shelf for the goal. Hailee Gertsch made the lead 4-0 in the 47th minute.
Roe got herself in the scoring column later in the second half, scoring in both the 59th and 72nd minutes to give Skyview a 6-0 lead.
Both Braun and Roe finished with a pair of goals. Roe
“It’s still just a rush of emotions,” Roe said. “It’s crazy.”
Billings West, who pushed Skyview to overtime in Friday’s semifinal, claimed the third-place trophy with a 2-1 win over Missoula Sentinel.
