Boys soccer goes 2-0 to open season on the road

Hungry Horse News

The Columbia Falls boys soccer team went 2-0 on its eastern road trip over the weekend.

Max Everett and Bruno Vazquez picked up hat tricks as Columbia Falls defeated Laurel 8-0 in boys soccer Friday.

River Wolford added four assists — two in each half — as the Wildcats peppered the Locomotives goal with 19 shots.

Wolford found Jack Harris for the opening goal just two minutes into the game. Everett got his first in the 6th minute and added another eight minutes later.

Five minutes into the second half Otto Anderson got in the score sheet with an unassisted tally.

Vazquez scored his first in the 72nd minute and added two more in the 75th and 79th minutes. Everett tallied his third in the 77th minute.

Then on Saturday  Everett and Harris scored two goals each as Columbia Falls defeated Lockwood 6-0. 

River Wolford scored the first of the day for the Wildcats (2-0) and Everett quickly made it 2-0 two minutes later. 

Harris added one in the 26th minute to make it a 3-0 halftime lead. 

Bruno Vazquez scored his fourth of the season in the 49th minute. 

The Wildcats outshot Lockwood (0-2) 22-4 in the match. Rafe Rusche made four saves for Columbia Falls.

“In 22 years of opening preseason games, I can’t remember an opening weekend that went so well. Not only did we come back without injury, we played a brilliant high pressing and dynamic attacking brand of soccer,” coach O’Brien Byrd said.  “We scored 14 goals and allowed four shots against us in 160 minutes of soccer. Top to bottom, we looked like a team playing at the end of their regular season. We have seriously accomplished so much in the first two weeks of practice.” 

“I couldn’t possibly talk about just one player or even two players and give them individual praise. I would have to single out 13 or 14 players that performed incredibly. I can say this.  The community should come out and support this team this season, because we are going to be playing a brand of soccer that we have never seen before at the hallowed grounds of Flip Darling Memorial Field. Buckle up,” he added

The Cats face Corvallis at home Saturday. Gametime is 2 p.m.