Strouse's hat trick leads Kats over Rams in historic win

Lyndsay Strouse had her second hat trick in as many games as the Columbia Falls girls soccer team downed Billings Central 3-2 in the state Class A playoff semifinals Oct. 25 in Billings.

The Lady Rams hadn’t lost a game in 54 matches going into the tilt, but if anyone was going to beat them this season, it was the Kats, who had tied the Lady Rams 0-0 earlier this year.

The Lady Rams took a 1-0 lead with just eight minutes into the game, but two minutes into the second half, Ellie Johnson crossed the ball to Strouse who stuck it in the goal to tie it 1-1.

The Lady Rams responded with a score on a penalty kick three minutes later to make it 2-1. But with time winding down, Johnson fed Strouse again and she hammered it home at the 74-minute mark to tie the game again.

Billings Central’s game plan in overtime was to force corner kicks in an attempt to knock one in with a full press on the Kats, coach Greg Trenerry said.

But Trenerry told his girls that if the Lady Rams were going to press, the Kats would have an opportunity for a counter attack if they cleared the ball.

“They were only leaving two defenders,” Trenerry said.

The Kats got their chance when Strouse got a feed from the defense on a corner kick. Johnson and Strouse went downfield with Strouse yelling “Ellie, Ellie!” as if she was going to pass.

That drew the defender to Johnson, and then Strouse beat the keeper from 15-yards out, sinking a shot in the left side of the net at the 99-minute mark.

“We’ve just been working on finishing,” Trenerry said of Strouse. “She’s playing with a lot more composure these last few games.”

The Kats now face Laurel in the championship game on Saturday at 11 a.m. at home. The Kats lost to the Lady Locomotives 3-2 earlier this season in a game where they gave up the lead twice. That game was played the day after the Kats played Billings Central to a 0-0 draw, so the Kats looked a little gassed by the end of the half against Laurel.

The last time the Kats won a state championship was against Laurel in 2003. Columbia Falls won 6-1. This game promises to be closer than that. Laurel has some excellent players. Raquel Jiminez and Allie McGrath led the team in scoring this season, with 13 and 11 goals respectively. But the Kats’ defense has been solid all year as well. It should be a great game.

“We’re going to practice hard this week,” Trenerry said. “The girls have one more great game to play.”

Columbia Falls 0 2 0 1 — 3

Billings Central 1 1 0 0 — 2

COLUMBIA FALLS — Lindsay Strouse (Ellie Johnson), 42:00; Strouse (Johnson), 74:00; Strouse, 99:00

BILLINGS CENTRAL — Makayla Kinzel (Jose Snyder), 8:00; Michaela Stock (PK), 45:00

Shots on goal — Columbia Falls 8, Billings Central 7; Goalie saves — Columbia Falls 5 (Alyson Gimbel); Billings Central 5 (Natalie Ruegsegger); Corner kicks — Columbia Falls 0, Billings Central 11; Fouls — Columbia Falls 7, Billings Central 4; Cards — None.