C-Falls soccer teams sweep visiting Bigfork
Columbia Falls forward Josie Windauer controls the ball against Bigfork’s Hannah Crutsinger Thursday. Windauer scored three goals in the Kats’ 10-1 victory. (Jeremy Weber photo)
Wildcat Jason Albin battles with Bigfork’s Zane Gardner during the first half of Columbia Falls’ 2-0 victory at home Thursday. (Jeremy Weber photo)
The Wildkat soccer team put on an impressive offensive show in its first outing of the season Thursday, scoring seven first-half goals en route to a 10-1 victory over visiting Bigfork.
Led by Josie Windauer’s three goals, the Kats could have easily scored more in the victory, but the team appeared to be attempting to only score using headers in the second half.
After several missed scoring opportunities in the game’s opening minutes, Windauer got the Wildkat offense going with a pair of goals in less than two minutes as the game entered it’s fifth minute. The first score came off a crossing pass from Lexi Purcell with 34:59 showing in the first half. A second goal by Windauer nine seconds later was waved off after on offsides call, but she quickly scored again, getting the better of Bigfork keeper Nya Schara on a breakaway with 33:12 to play.
Purcell and LaKia Hill added two more goals over a 29 second stretch a few minutes later to push the Wildkat lead to 4-0.
Bigfork’s first scoring chance came with 26:22 to play, but Columbia Falls keeper Ave McDonald easily smothered the shot attempt. The Valkyries lone score of the game came on a free kick with 21:56 to play as Brette Guenzier’s kick rolled off the outstretched hands of McDonald and found its way to the net.
It was all C-Falls from there as Maddie Robison, Cheyanne Johnston-Heinz and Windauer each scored to push the Wildkat lead to 7-0 at the break.
Kaylee Ashe scored the first goal of the second half at the midway point before Hill added another with 17:06 to play. The final goal of the evening came with 7:06 to play as Johnston-Heinz succeeded in heading the ball past Schara to put the Kats up 10-1.
In boys’ action, the Wildcats squandered a number of scoring opportunities in their matchup with the Vikings but were still able to come away with a 2-0 victory.
The Cats had more than 15 shots in the contest but connected on just two, one by John Gilk that found its way just inside the right post with 18:09 to play in the opening half and the other by Noah Golan with 7:04 to play in the second half.
Both teams will be in action this week as they were at Frenchtown Tuesday after presstime and will travel to Belgrade Friday and Livingston Saturday.