Wildkats nearly pull off upset against Hamilton
Elena Potter, left, and Ashli Fairbank celebrate after Potter's penalty kick gave the Kats a 1-0 lead.
By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News
Columbia Falls nearly pulled off the upset of the girls soccer season Saturday.
Battling back from a two-goal deficit, McKenzie Reeve scored two goals in the final two minutes of regulation — forcing overtime against unbeaten Hamilton, the top seed from the Northern A Conference. But the Broncs scored a goal on a corner kick in the first of two 10-minute overtime periods, and that held up for a 5-4 win in the first round of the state playoffs.
The Wildkats nearly forced a shootout, but Hamilton goalkeeper Megan Baker came up with a save on a header by Elyse Gordon in the final seconds of the second overtime period.
It didn't take the Columbia Falls offense long to get untracked as Elena Potter scored four minutes into the match. Hamilton tied it on a goal by Chelsea Brangoccio in the 27th minute. A goal by Sophie Peterson, her first of the season, with three minutes left in the first half gave the Kats a 2-1 lead at intermission.
"We won the first half," Kats coach Greg Trenerry said. "We started really well. We won the ball and were picking up their (Hamilton's) passes. Everybody played really well."
Hamilton came out with a barrage of three goals within a five-minute span early in the second half. Brangaccio scored two of the goals to complete a hat trick, sandwiched around a goal by Michelle Jones.
With time running out on the Kats' season, Reeve scored in the 78th minute and her goal in the final seconds forced overtime.
Shenoa Weeks gave Hamilton a 5-4 lead with a goal on a corner kick eight minutes into the first extra period.
Trenerry gave credit to Peterson, a junior, for her play. She marked Jones, Hamilton's leading scorer, all over the field. Sophomore keeper Niesha Thompson also had a solid game, coming up with a number of key saves, according to Trenerry.
The coach gave credit to the entire team as the Kats improved in every game late in the season.
"They never gave up," Trenerry said.
The Kats finished the season with a 2-9-2 overall record. Stephanie Raymond and Shelby Wiebelhaus were the only two seniors on the young squad.