Wildkats tangle with Hamilton in state soccer playoffs

By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

Halfway through the conference season, the Columbia Falls girls soccer team set a goal: to qualify for the state playoffs. With wins over Polson and Bigfork after three losses and a tie, the Wildkats are, indeed, in the postseason and face Hamilton at 1 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 18) in Hamilton.

The Kats needed a win or tie in the regular-season finale last Thursday (Oct. 9) against Whitefish, or a Libby win over Bigfork to qualify for postseason play. Libby did earn a 5-2 win over Bigfork earlier in the day, but Kats coach Greg Trenerry chose to let his team play Whitefish and wait until the match was over to share the information.

CFHS played one of its best defensive games of the season, battling the Bulldogs to a scoreless tie in Whitefish. When Trenerry told them they were in the playoffs, they were jumping with joy.

Libby defeated Whitefish 3-1 Saturday to capture the conference crown. The Loggers host Corvallis in the playoffs while Whitefish plays at Belgrade, both at 1 p.m. Saturday.

"We picked a great time to start playing," said Trenerry, whose team finished 2-4-2 in the conference and is 2-7-2 overall. "We played a really great first half."

Whitefish got off twice as many shots on goal than Columbia Falls, but Kats goalkeeper Niesha Thompson was equal to the task — credited with 13 saves. It was the sophomore's first career shutout.

McKenzie Reeve nearly got off a shot on a breakaway midway through the first half, but the ball was poked away by a defender. Late in the half, Thompson made a key save on a long direct kick by the Bulldogs.

Whitefish had a number of good scoring opportunities in the second half, but shots by Meredith Reed, Carly Lengstorf and Kelsey McCluskey were either saved by Thompson or sailed over the crossbar. Freshman Cortney White cleared the ball out of danger on another scoring chance for the Bulldogs with less than 10 minutes remaining.

In the final minutes, Wildkat defender Ashli Fairbank prevented a shot inside the penalty box.

Fairbank drew praise from Trenerry for outstanding play on defense.

"I think we went in a little overconfident," Whitefish coach Lini Reading said. "Columbia Falls wanted it more. We lacked a little composure."

Reading gave credit to the Wildkats.

"They did a great job defending and shut us down," she said. "We were pressing really hard toward the end and couldn't put it in the bucket.

"It was a good lesson for us," the coach added. "We know what we have to do for a whole game."

The Kats face a Hamilton team with a 9-0-1 record.

Key for the Kats is "that we play a whole 80 minutes and put together what we've working on," Trenerry said, "winning balls and not giving them up, making passes and the forwards finishing."

If CFHS defeats Hamilton and Belgrade gets a win over Whitefish, the Kats would host a second-round playoff game Oct. 25.

Cats fall to Dogs in boys finale

By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

Columbia Falls' boys soccer season came to an end last Thursday (Oct. 9) with a 4-1 loss to Whitefish. The Wildcats finished out of the playoff picture with a final record of 2-6 in the Northern A Conference and 3-8 overall.

The Bulldogs scored twice within a five-minute span early in the second half on a cold, windy afternoon. Whitefish, the defending state champion, hosts Hamilton in the first round of the playoffs at 2 p.m. Saturday. No. 2 Libby plays at Billings Central or Park County, and Bigfork, the third seed from the Northern A, travels to Corvallis.

With both teams battling a strong crosswind, Whitefish got on the board against the Cats on a shot by German exchange student Felix Hermsdorf in the 19th minute. Five minutes later, Bulldog keeper Joe Galbraith made a diving save to prevent a Wildcat goal.

Columbia Falls tied the game in the 28th minute. Senior Travis Pete sent a low line-drive corner kick to the mouth of the goal. The ball caromed off a Bulldog defender and into the net for an own goal.

A non-goalie save by Uriah Keller and a stop by Wildcat keeper George Kimerly kept Whitefish from breaking the tie, but a controversial foul on Kimerly after a collision with a Bulldog gave Whitefish a penalty kick in the 36th minute. Marc Hotzfield's boot went past Kimerly into the left corner for a 2-1 Whitefish lead at halftime.

In the second half, Whitefish scored on a 30-yard bullet by Nik Ortman in the 49th minute and a goal by Hermsdorf five minutes later.

"We went through the motions," Cats coach Peter Browne said. "George Kimerly had an outstanding game. Without him it would have been a blowout. We weren't that dynamic in the attacking third (of the field).

"Whitefish is a good team. They have a solid program. They find good kids abroad," the coach added.

Browne said that the Cats put themselves "in a bad spot" with several early conference losses.

"It's one of the shortest seasons we've had," Browne said. "I feel bad for the seniors. They've been on some good teams."