Depleted boys soccer team edged by Libby

By JOE SOVA Hungry Horse News

Playing without four regular starters, the short-handed Columbia Falls boys soccer team dropped to 2-3-1 in the Northern A Conference with a 2-1 home-field loss to Libby on Saturday (Sept. 29).

The Wildcats are 5-3-1 overall going into the final week of the regular season. They host Whitefish in a critical league game on Thursday (Oct. 4) at 3 p.m. CFHS plays its last Northern A game Saturday (Oct. 6) at Polson at 11 a.m.

Senior midfielders Cody Bowman and DJ Stoneman and junior goalkeeper George Kimerly sat out the game against Libby for disciplinary reasons. Sophomore defender Uriah Keller was ill and did not play.

“We had a skeleton crew,” Wildcats coach Peter Browne said. “That’s unfortunate, but that’s the way it worked out.”

CFHS had just one substitute during the match.

“They played hard. We just don’t have the depth to miss four starters,” Browne said.

Seven minutes into the game, a hard shot by Libby’s Kyle Berke went through the hands of Grant Getts, who was in goal for the first time this season. The wet ball rolled into the net for a 1-0 Loggers lead.

Getts had no choice but to come out and try to beat Jay Rosencrantz to the ball on a Libby attack midway through the first half. Rosencrantz was able to keep the ball alive and found an open net for a 2-0 Libby lead. It appeared the Loggers were off-sides on the play, but play continued.

Later in the first half, Getts made a good save and then a shot by teammate Brady Richardson was just over the crossbar. A direct kick by Travis Pete was just held by Libby keeper Tad Downey about 30 seconds later.

The Cats cut their deficit in half when Chase Jackson scored on an assist from Jacob Calderwood with 12 minutes left in the match. But CFHS could not get the equalizer.

According to Browne, Casey Hebert and Michael Hensley played well in different positions and Pete “worked really hard in the middle.” The coach was also pleased with the play of Getts as goalkeeper.

“It was a good effort,” Browne said.

Browne and the Cats are well aware of the importance of the final two league games against Whitefish and Polson as they battle for a state playoff berth. Only the top three teams in the Northern A advance to state. Whitefish is unbeaten in the league and Libby has just one loss.

“It’s going to come down to the wire,” Browne said. “It’s going to be tight for that third seed in the north.”

Whitefish (7-0, 11-0) clinched the conference title with a 4-1 win over second-place Libby on Tuesday (Oct. 2).

Wildkats let lead slip away in loss to Loggers

By CHRIS PETERSON Hungry Horse News

They let one slip away.

After leading Libby 2-1 for their Homecoming match at the half, the Columbia Falls girls looked in good shape to knock down the Loggers.

But Saturday was Libby’s day as they scored two unanswered goals in the second half to win, 3-2.

It was the first time Libby girls have won a soccer game in Columbia Falls in recent memory.

“I give them credit,” Kats coach Greg Trenerry said. “They’re a much improved team. They played hard. Either team could have won the game.”

The Kats started the game down 1-0 after Libby’s Anna Valentine scored at the 5-minute mark. The Kats answered with two goals by Kassi Hebert, one at the 19-minute mark and one at the 40-minute mark on feeds by Jamie Valov and Kate Anderson, respectively.

But the Kats had a tough time generating offense in the second half and Valentine got the hat trick, scoring at the 52- and 65-minute marks to put the Kats away.

Columbia Falls’ defense had some key lapses. But keeper Colyne Hislop actually had a good game.

“Colyne had a good game,” Trenerry said. “She had some good saves.”

The Kats outshot Libby 11-8 and out-fouled them as well — 13-3.

CFHS is now 3-2-1 in conference and 6-3-1 overall. The tie was to Libby earlier this season, when the teams played to a 2-2 draw.

The Kats wrap up the regular season this week with a game against Whitefish here Thursday (today) and then a road game against Polson on Saturday. But they’re banged up. Several players are playing injured or are out altogether and the team just doesn’t have the depth on the bench to make up for it.

The top three conference teams make it to the playoffs this year, so the girls should still have a shot at a state title, but they’ll have to do it from the bottom of the bracket.

If they take third in the conference, they’d play the top seed in the east and they’ll also have to travel.

Whitefish (6-1, 7-4) shut out Libby 1-0 on Tuesday (Oct. 2) to wrap up the Northern A Conference title.