Kats take conference crown, down Dogs 3-2

The goal at the beginning of the season for the Columbia Falls girls soccer team was to take back the North Class A title from rival Whitefish. Mission accomplished.

The Wildkats came from behind to down conference rival Whitefish 3-2 on Oct. 11. The Kats didn’t need to beat Whitefish to secure the conference, they had already done that against Polson two days earlier when they beat the Lady Pirates in Polson 1-0.

But the Kats didn’t want to head into the playoffs with a loss either, especially against rival Whitefish. So they played their gutsiest game to date, coming back against the Lady Bulldogs twice to tie and then winning it with just five minutes left when Katie Price knocked in a feed from Ellie Johnson in front of the net for the victory.

Johnson led the offensive comeback in the contest, scoring at the 27-minute mark to make it 1-1 and then again at the 71-minute mark to tie it again at two apiece.

“Three goals on a tough team,” coach Greg Trenerry said. “They kept battling back. They could have settled for a tie and they didn’t. The girls wanted to win it and stayed with it.”

Price also had the game-winning goal against Polson.

This is the third conference crown in four years for the program. Whitefish won the conference title last year. The Wildkats (7-1-4, 6-0-2) now advance to the playoffs where they face the Stevensville Lady Yellowjackets (3-7-2, 3-4-1), the No. 3 seed from the South, in the first round at home on Saturday, Oct. 18.

If the Kats beat the Lady Yellowjackets, the real work begins — Columbia Falls would likely face Billings Central, the No. 1 seed in the East.

Billings Central has won the girls Class A state soccer title dating back to 2007, but the Wildkats’ defense has been stellar all season — the girls tied Billings Central 0-0 in Columbia Falls earlier this season.

The playoff game against Stevensville has a 2 p.m. start.

C. Falls 1 0 – 1

Polson 0 0 – 0

CF – Katie Price (unassisted), 37:00

Shots on goal – C. Falls 8, Polson 6. Saves – C. Falls 2 (Alyson Gimbel), Polson 4 (Jenna Evertz). Corner kicks – C. Falls 3, Polson 0. Total fouls – C. Falls 8, Polson 5. Cards – none.

Whitefish 1 1 — 2

Columbia Falls 1 2 — 3

WHITEFISH — Grace Kurtz (Katie Blakenship), 18:00; Kurtz (Melissa Pollard), 42:00

COLUMBIA FALLS — Ellie Johnson (Ashley Miller), 27:00; Johnson, 71:00; Katie Price (Johnson), 83:00

Shots on goal — Whitefish 6, Columbia Falls 11; Goalie saves — Whitefish 7 (Kess Nelson), Columbia Falls 3 (Alyson Gimbel); Corner kicks — Whitefish 1, Columbia Falls 2; Fouls — Whitefish 6, Columbia Falls 9; Cards — Columbia Falls, 1 yellow.