Girls soccer earns No. 1 seed for state playoffs
<p>Whitefish sweeper Madison Grady goes up for a ball last week in a match against Columbia Falls at Smith Fields.</p>
The Whitefish girls soccer team wrapped up their first conference title since 2010 last weekend with a dominate 10-1 victory at home over Bigfork.
The Lady Dogs hit the net early and often, racking up seven scores in the first 35 minutes of play.
Haley Nicholson, Julia Houston, Anna Peterson, Katie Blakenship and goalkeeper Piper Greenwood all scored twice for the Bulldogs.
“We finished strong,” Whitefish coach Wendy Farrens said.
“Senior day for us, we spread (the scoring) around to everyone on the team. It was a nice way to cap off the regular season.”
The win assured Whitefish (10-2, 7-1) of a No. 1 seed in the upcoming Class A state playoffs where they’ll face Park High of Livingston in the first round on Saturday at noon at Smith Fields.
Park is the No. 3 seed from the East. Whitefish slipped past Park 2-1 in a match early in the season.
On Thursday, Whitefish fell 2-1 in a cold and wet battle against rival Columbia Falls at home. It marked their first conference loss of the season.
Whitefish scored first when Haley Nicholson put in a goal unassisted in the 15th minute. The Kats hit back right away, scoring in the 22nd minute to tie it up before the half. Lindsay Strouse of Columbia Falls put in the winning goal in the 67th minute.
Whitefish keeper Greenwood was tested with a barrage of shots and recorded eight saves in an impressive outing.
Columbia Falls 1 1 — 2
Whitefish 1 0 — 1
W - Haley Nicholson (unassisted), 15:00
C - Haley Purdy (assist Lindsay Strouse), 22:00
C - Strouse (Purdy), 67:00
Shots - Columbia Falls 16, Whitefish 5. Saves - Columbia Falls 1 (Andrea Getts), Whitefish 8 (Piper Greenwood). Corner kicks - Columbia Falls 5, Whitefish 0. Fouls - Columbia Falls 12, Whitefish 1. Yellow cards - Columbia Falls 1. Red cards - none.
Bigfork 0 1 — 1
Whitefish 7 3 — 10
BIGFORK — Alyssa Beach-Wallen (Ashley Hauss), 62:00
WHITEFISH — Haley Nicholson, 8:00; Nicholson (Grace Kurtz), 10:00; Julia Houston (Nicholson), 23:00; Anna Peterson (Nicholson), 25:00; Houston, 32:00; Peterson, 34:00; Katie Blakenship, 35:00; Piper Greenwood (Becca Holdhusen), 55:00; Blakenship (Caroline Carbo), 65:00; Greenwood (Madison Grady), 69:00.
Shots on goal — Bigfork 6, Whitefish 32; Corner kicks — Bigfork 1, Whitefish 2; Goalie saves — Bigfork NA, Whitefish 2 (Kess Nelson); Fouls — Bigfork 4, Whitefish 2; Cards — None.