The Lady Wildcat soccer squad has high expectations again this year, coming off another season where the Columbia Falls girls made it into the semifinals of the state A playoffs.

They return many of the players from that squad, and add a couple more talented freshmen, noted third-year head coach Thomas Clark.

“We definitely have high aspirations,” Clark said.

The program has 31 girls this year, in varsity and junior varsity and four returning all-state players in Hope McAtee, Cheyanne Johnston-Heinz, Maddy Robison and Sydney Mann.

Robison is two assists away from setting the Montana state class A record in career assists.

The team also adds two solid freshmen in Apani Awua and Brenna Ruggiero who will compete for varsity time.

The team captains are Robison, Johnston-Heinz and holding midielder Alexis Green, who is tough as nails on defense.

The team to beat in the conference, as it is most years, is Whitefish. Statewide, however, Billings Central is always tough, though Laurel, which knocked the girls out of the playoffs last year has a new coach and lost quite a few players from their state A championship squad last year.

Like the boys, the girls open the season on the road against Lone Peak High School on Friday. They’re home opener is Sept. 3 against Lockwood at 6 p.m.