Cats lose first conference match
<p>Wildcat Caleb Baumann (5) and a Bigfork defender collide on a header during the game in Columbia Falls on Tuesday.</p>
The Bigfork Vikings blanked the Columbia Falls High School boys soccer team Tuesday 3-0 to hand the Wildcats their first conference loss of the season.
The Cats came out flat in the first half, and Bigfork was up 1-0 at the break. Columbia Falls had chances to tie early in the second half, but with the press on, their defense was thin and the speedy Bigfork strikers took advantage to widen the margin by two goals. The Cats outshot the Vikes 14-8 and had five corner kicks, but couldn’t convert.
Last week, the team split the bill on a road trip east of the Divide. The Wildcats beat Laurel 2-1 on Sept. 13, but lost to Billings Central 3-0 on Sept. 14.
The Cats were up 2-0 at the half against the Locomotives. Bailey Griffith opened the scoring with a penalty kick, and then Caleb Baumann knocked a shot in to make it 2-0 at the break. Laurel scored its lone goal on a penalty kick in the second half. The box score was unavailable.
“We played OK at Laurel,” coach Peter Browne said.
Against Central, the boys had a solid first half, but the game was then delayed 45 minutes by a thunderstorm, and the Cats had some problems defensively.
“The goals they scored were our own mistakes,” Browne said.
The Cats are now 2-3 for the season. They face conference foe Whitefish on Thursday at home. Game time is 5:30 p.m.
Browne said the boys need to play smart and competitive.
“We’re a lot better, but we’re still a little raw,” he said.
Whitefish beat Livingston 5-1 last week.
Bigfork 1 2 - 3
Columbia Falls 0 0 - 0
B - Tyler Zavala (Jorge Zavala) 21’
B - T. Zavala (Robert Coyle) 62’
B - J. Zavala (unassisted) 71’
Shots on goal - BF 8, CF 14. Saves - BF 8 (Dillon Hilling), CF 5 (Mason Gedleman). Corner kicks - BF 2, CF 5. Fouls - BF 6, CF 3. Cards - none.
Columbia Falls 0 0 - 0
Billings Central 1 2 - 3
Billings Central - Braedon Trunkle 36:00; Brandon Peterson (Zach Wall) 62:00; Wall (Kylen Laber) 66:00. Shots: 11.
Shots on goal - Columbia Falls 2, Billings Central 6; Corner kicks - NA; Goalie saves - Columbia Falls 3 (Mason Gedlaman), Billings Central 2 (Joey Thompason); Fouls - NA; Cards - NA.