HELENA - Billings West's first-ever State AA girls soccer championship couldn't have come in much more dramatic fashion.

Junior forward Danielle Muri scored the winning goal with less than two minutes remaining to lift the Lady Bears to a 2-1 win over three-time defending champion Bozeman.

Muri, West's leading scorer during the season, scored three goals and had two assists in the state tournament. She said the team's offense clicked during its tourney run this weekend.

"We played some of the best soccer we did all season," Muri said. "We have a strong offense and we worked together as one and played really, really well."

Bozeman had beaten West twice during the regular season by 4-2 and 1-0 scores.

"It was really exciting for the girls. We started the season losing 4-2 to Bozeman and the team has been steadily getting stronger and stronger throughout the year," said sixth-year West coach John Dorr. "Prior to this game we had lost to Bozeman 11 times in a row over five or six years.

"We played some very good possession soccer. Our midfield had a very strong tournament. I felt that Katie Baum was our most valuable player for the tournament. Our defense was rock solid throughout the tourney. Our goalie had a great game and obviously our attackers did as well.

"To me the exciting thing was this team bonded well played good team soccer and did not get down on themselves at any point. Basically we put the game in their hands and they won all the games."

West had 10 corner kicks in the contest and Bozeman had four. The Bears outshot Bozeman 7-5.

"I think we just went out there and took it to them," said Baum. "We kind of realized they had it for three years and we really, really wanted it. So I think we just left it all on the field and that's how we walked away with the win."

West finished third at the State AA tourney last year.

"It feels great. It is really exciting. I am really glad that we could go out there and win the first state championship for the West High girls," senior captain Shannon James said. "Beating Bozeman made it even more great. We needed to end the streak and I'm glad we could get it done."

All weekend long Dorr credited the play of his team's defense. Speaking to The Gazette via phone during the bus ride home, senior defender Allie Helterbran said the team was plenty proud of its accomplishments, saying, "it kind of seems like it didn't happen, but it did."

Helterbran added of the defense: "We just worked really hard. We really wanted it. We just started working really well together and talking and communicating and it worked."

The Prosinski twins, junior midfielder Laura and outside midfielder Marta, both said they were proud of how the team came together during the season, especially during the past weekend. Laura said the team didn't let Bozeman's record against the Bears have an affect on them, saying, "state is a new ballgame." Marta said the defense did "amazing."

Senior captain Claire Kornegay probably summarized West's 3-0 run the best by saying, "We knew what we had to do and we all really wanted it."

West's boys team repeated as state AA champion. Things promise to be plenty interesting Monday at the school as the teams receive congratulations from fellow students, teachers and administrators. The girls squad didn't plan on an elaborate celebration Saturday evening. The tourney was a grind and took a lot out of the players.

"It's Halloween tonight. We are all pretty tired," Muri said. "School on Monday will be great. We will probably wear our state T-shirts and apparel along with the boys and soak it up. It will be awesome."

Senior finishes 4th

Great Falls CMR scored three unanswered goals and went on to defeat Billings Senior 3-1 in Saturday's third-place match.

Leslie Hittmeier scored in the fifth minute to give the Broncs a 1-0 lead, but Cody Baylor and Haley Vining scored before the end of the half for a 2-1 Rustlers' lead.

Shelby Koth added a goal in the 69th minute, and that's where the score stood.

CMR (12-4-1) out-shot Senior 12-6. Senior's Grace Anderson made six saves.

The Broncs, who entered the tournament as the fourth seed from the Eastern AA, finished the season 9-6-2.

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