The young Thompson Falls-Plains Blue Hawk soccer boys team played powerful Whitefish tough through the first half but eventually fell 7-2 to the visiting Bulldogs at Previs Field Saturday in Thompson Falls.

Coach Michael Scharfe and his Hawks will go to Browning Friday for their next Western A conference match.

The Hawks got and kept Whitefish’s undivided attention Saturday after Liam Pallister scored the game’s first goal on a breakaway chance with 26:47 remaining in the first half to give Thompson Falls a 1-0 lead, a lead the Hawks would surprisingly keep through most of the first half against the powerful Bulldogs.

Unfortunately, starting with about eight and a half minutes left in the half, Whitefish finally found the net with a series of goals to take a 4-1 lead into halftime.

With a little over 20 minutes left in the game, Koa McKenzie scored another goal for the Hawks, but Whitefish would eventually score three more goals of their own and moved to the 7-2 victory.

Scharfe said goalkeeper Jacob Howell played great in the net for the Hawks and finished with 26 saves, that Caleb Hutchings assisted on McKenzie’s goal and that McKenzie was credited with an assist on Pallister’s goal.

THOMPSON FALLS-PLAINS GOALKEEPER Ava Lawyer contests a shot by Whitefish’s Atley Bingham as Hawk defender Ema Roofener follows the play in Thompson Falls Saturday. (John Hamilton/vp-mi)