Boys soccer splits the bill in conference play

The Columbia Falls boys soccer team split their conference games last week, blanking Libby on the road 2-0 Thursday, but losing to Whitefish 3-0 at Smith Fields on Saturday.

The Wildcats outshot the Loggers 19-7 in the win.

Brady Bell scored both goals for the Cats, one on an assist from Wren Miller at the 29 minute mark and the other on an assist by Nolan Kavanagh at the 35 minute mark.

Talon Bates had seven saves for the Cats.

Coach O’Brien Byrd said it was competitive match.

“Our guys played really well. Third shutout of the year,” he said. The goal this year is to have six shutout and they’ve had three so far.

Against the Bulldogs, Whitefish put up two goals in the first half and added a third in the second.

The score could have been even more lopsided, but Bates had some great saves, including stopping a penalty kick in the first half to keep the score close.

The Cats played better in the second half and kept the press on the Bulldogs. But forward Brady Bell got a second yellow card after a questionable call on a breakaway with the Bulldog keeper and was sent off. That meant the Cats were playing with a man down the rest of the game and the Bulldogs put a third shot in late in the contest.

Whitefish outshot the Cats 19-7 in the win.

Byrd said the Cats lack of experience showed, but they’ll also learn from it.

“We look forward to the rematch,” he said.

The Cats also played an exhibition match against another Bulldog team last Tuesday. They tied the Sandpoint, Idaho Bulldogs 2-2 in a scrappy match on Flip Darling Field.

The Cats played Thompson Falls/Plains at home Tuesday after presstime and then face Bigfork on the road Thursday in a game under the lights at 7 p.m. as it will be played on the Viking’s football field, rather than the soccer field.