It’s a Cat-Dog showdown for state girls soccer title

The Columbia Falls girls soccer team beat Billings Central Saturday 2-1 on the road, propelling the Wildcats back to the state championship for the second consecutive year.

The Cats will square off against the Whitefish Bulldogs on Smith Field at 11 a.m. for the state A title game.

The opening half of the semifinal match was a stalemate between the Cats and Rams, with neither side able to break through until Central’s Emerson Dull found the back of the net with six minutes left in the half.  

Columbia Falls would emerge determined in the second half of the game, leveling the score with Ella Robbins’s goal, assisted by Riley Byrd, at the 46-minute mark.  

Just as she did last year against Billings Central, helping Columbia Falls secure a trip to the chipper, Tatiana Raymond would deliver a crucial goal.  With a perfectly placed ball from June Johnston, Raymond placed a 35-yard shot that arced over the goalie’s outstretched arms for the game-winning goal 67 minutes in.

Raymond said she had tried long shots like that earlier in the pitch, but this one was on the mark.

“When you shoot you have to pray and God delivered in that moment,” she said.

She said she couldn’t have done it without her teammates.

The Cats then held on for the win.

Goalkeeper Medora Dahlstrom played a crucial role in keeping the Cats in the game, making 7 saves out of 8 shots on goal from the Rams.   Columbia Falls would have nine shots in the afternoon.  

“The girls knew that the game was going to be incredibly challenging, and they were ultimately up to the challenge.  We have five new starters this year, and they all stepped up and proved they were ready for the moment,” coach Thomas Clark said. “We always lean on our veteran leadership in those types of matches.  Our upperclassmen have won a ton of playoff games, and they know what it takes.  I’m not surprised at all that Raymond scored the game winner for us.  She’s done that before.  She’s a clutch playoff performer.” 

Raymond scored the game winning goal against the Rams in OT last season in the semis.

Now the Cats will face off against the Whitefish Bulldogs for the state championship.  This isn’t the first time the four seniors have clashed with Whitefish in this crucial moment.  They had previously battled them as freshmen, but their hopes were dashed when the Bulldogs emerged victorious with a score of 3-1.  They are ready for the rematch.

“I’ll tell you what, the girls are excited.  They feel confident going into the match, and we are going to prepare incredibly hard this week.  The Whitefish team is very good, and it will be another great challenge,” Clark said. “Our team has been here before.  We won the championship last year, and this will be the third state championship appearance in four years for our seniors.  They’ve been preparing their whole lives for Saturday, and we will be ready to play.”