Girls soccer should make another run this season

The Columbia Falls girls soccer team is reloading for another season after winning the state title last year.

While they lost several key members of last year’s championship squad to graduation, they return a host of talent and will have some youth in starting roles as well.

Their senior lineup includes Riley Byrd, Onnikka Lawrence, Alexa Friske, Tatiana Raymond and Piper Holm.

Also look for good things from Evie Dorr, one of the best holding midfielders in the state and June Johnston, who will move up to forward as a sophomore, head coach Thomas Clark said.

Medora Dahlstrom will be the Wildcats keeper this season, a tall, strong athletic force between the posts.

The offense has a lot of returning talent. Last season Lawrence had 17 goals and four assists and Byrd had 10 goals and eight assists. Raymond scored a huge goal in extra time to beat Billings Central in the semis last season and had a goal in the state title game over Bigfork.

Whitefish is the team to beat the North, but Bigfork should still be solid this season as well.

In the east, Central and Park County should also be strong.

The  Cats will get tested early, with games against Hamilton, Stevensville, Park and Central in the first two weeks of the season, all on the road.