Cats salvaging soccer season

The Columbia Falls boys soccer team will get at least some of its season back.

Last Saturday, seven remaining players lost to Polson’s junior varsity squad 2-1. The Cats have seven players left on the team after the remainder were suspended for 30 days for violating the school’s alcohol policy earlier this year.

“It’s an opportunity for the younger kids to salvage their season,” said coach Peter Browne.

The team practices every day and the games come with a caveat: If the Cats have an injury or someone gets a red card, the games are over, because Montana High School Association rules require the team must field at least seven players and the Cats have no substitutes. All of the games are junior varsity.

They have scheduled a few more games this season, including a game at Whitefish JV at 4 p.m. Sept. 29, a game at home at 5 p.m. Oct. 5 against Bigfork and a game at 4 p.m. at Whitefish Oct. 11.

The games are two 20-minute halves. A regular varsity game, by comparison, is two 40-minute halves.