Girls soccer gets back on the winning track

Columbia Falls Wildcat girls soccer got back on the winning track this week, beating Class B Plains/Thompson Falls 4-0 last Tuesday at home and conference foe Bigfork 5-0 on the road.

 With assistance from Evie Dorr at the 26-minute mark of the Plains/ Thompson Falls contest, Onnikka Lawrence scored the first goal for the Kats. June Johnston then followed up at the 29-minute mark, assisted by Riley Byrd, to give Columbia Falls a commanding 2-0 lead going into the half.  

In the second half of the contest, Alexa Friske would position the ball perfectly for Johnston to score her second goal of the match at the 66th minute.  With a few minutes remaining, Johnston assisted Byrd in securing a 4-0 victory for the Kats.

The Cats outshot the Blue Hawks 33-0.  

“The Plains / Thompson Falls game was a really good challenge for our girls.  They set up tactically in a way that made it difficult to break them down and score goals and we had to work our way through that.  We had some really special combination play throughout the attacking half and it was fun to watch their goalkeeper Ava Lawyer make some amazing saves,” said head coach Thomas Clark.

The Cats faced the Valkryies in another matchup in Bigfork on Thursday. The last time these two teams met in Columbia Falls, the Cats emerged victorious with a commanding 6-0 win.  This time, Tatiana Raymond was a pivotal player in the Cats’ 5-0 win.  She contributed two goals and two assists during the game.  Johnston also found the back of the net twice and assisted Raymond with one of her goals.  Annika Peterson also made her mark by scoring.  Additionally, Byrd provided an assist in the contest.

The Cats outshot the Valkryries 30-10, and goalie Medora Dahlstrom made 10 saves during the game.  

“The Bigfork game was a big one.  It is never easy to go play in Bigfork and our girls got the job done.  Byrd, Evie Dorr, and Raymond were really special midfield and showed why they are three of the best in the state.

“Our backline had another shut out which is always a big goal of ours and Dahlstrom made some great saves.  Alexa Friske is the best center back I’ve ever coached.  I’ve coached her since 6th grade, and she still surprises me with some of the things she can do on the pitch,” said Clark.

The girls have an away game in Browning on Thursday.  Then, they’ll have the highly anticipated rematch with the Whitefish Lady Bulldogs on Saturday for homecoming.   Game time will kick off at 1 p.m. 

The Bulldogs edged the Cats 2-1 for their only loss on the season a couple of weeks ago and the Cats will be looking to even the score.

“The game a few weeks back was the first game our team has lost since 2024.  It’s a rivalry game, and it’s important, but I’ll tell you right now this one has a lot of extra intensity to it.  The girls are ready to play.  They won’t be lacking in motivation at all, and I’m just excited to watch them,” Clark said.