WHITEHALL — The cold temperatures didn't stop a large crowd from coming out for Friday's Whitehall/Montague matchup at the Whitehall stadium, nor did it stop the two teams from delivering a high-octane battle that ended in a 2-2 tie.
"It's always interesting for these girls because they grow up playing together," Whitehall coach Laicey Chamberlain said. "It's always a fun rivalry because you know your opponent. You played with them from age four on up. It's always a special game, and I'm glad that they stepped up and played the way they did."
It was the Wildcats (4-4-1, 1-2-1 West Michigan Conference) who stormed back from a two-goal deficit to salvage the tie, peppering the Whitehall defensive zone with chances down the stretch. The Vikings, led by defensive aces Liz Fox and Ryleigh Hershey, were able to turn back enough of those opportunities to prevent Montague's furious effort from producing a win.
Whitehall (2-5-1, 0-4-1 WMC) largely controlled play for the first 20 minutes and was rewarded with a pair of goals, the first coming in the eighth minute on a spectacular shot by Izzy Causie to the far post, an undefendable attempt. The Vikes added a second goal in the 19th minute when Kate Beda set Reese Hesse up with a nice pass that allowed Hesse to center up a shot and score.
It looked as though the Wildcats were in deep trouble, but with 11:30 to go in the half, Emily Earnest "stopped the bleeding," coach Chris Aebig said, with an outstanding shot of her own to the top left corner of the net, getting her team on the board and pushing a little momentum back Montague's way.
The score stayed that way for nearly 40 minutes, but with just under 14 minutes to go, the Wildcats' preparation on set plays paid off. Ava Crow took a free kick deep in Whitehall territory and launched a beautiful ball, allowing Marguerite O'Connell to soar in and head it perfectly into the net for the tying score.
"We talk all the time about getting on the ball any way, no matter what part of your body it is, just putting your body on it," O'Connell said of the kick.
The Wildcats kept up the pressure the rest of the way, utilizing Lilly Rice's speed in particular, but Whitehall's defense used some physical play - drawing a few whistles along the way - to prevent any clear chances for Montague.
"As coaches, we've got to be better because we're the ones that can't fail them," Aebig said. "I think we had probably 15 chances right down inside the goal, and we weren't able to bury it. That falls on us. We need to prepare them better. We were not great in the middle third. That falls on us. We have to be better. Our coaching staff has already talked about that, and we will be better and we will come back to work and we'll get ready to start winning that middle third and start being able to finish down low."
In the final minutes, Causie launched another incredible shot that would've been the game-winner, but it took a fortuitous bounce for Montague and stayed outside the net.
While the Vikings no doubt were a bit disappointed not to finish off what would have been their first WMC victory, Chamberlain said she was very pleased with the team's performance throughout the game.
"It was like watching some of our drills come to life," Chamberlain said of Whitehall's two goals. "'This is what we practiced, and you guys are actually doing it.' More than anything, you're just pumped for the girls. It's that contagious excitement. They get so excited. The momentum, they're so geeked, and they're fired up and ready to do it again."
On Montague's end, sweeper Elle Moran said the Vikings' speed was tough to deal with at times, but as the game progressed she felt her side of the ball did a good job holding up against it. Teammate Lilly Rice, who bore the brunt of much of Whitehall's physical defense in the second half, saw the team's on-field chemistry developing in real time.
"When we're starting to connect those passes and make those runs, I think it encourages all of us to be more excited and want to keep putting those plays together and keep creating opportunities for the rest of us," Rice said.
What stood out to Aebig was less the technical skill of his team than its relentless competitive drive that led to the comeback from two goals down, telling the Wildcats postgame that he wasn't concerned when they fell behind.
"I know this team," Aebig said. "There's no quit in them. We lost to Fruitport and North Muskegon big, and these guys battled all the way to the end. I'll take a team that battles all the way to the end any day."
