WHS boys hand C-Falls first league setback

The Daily Inter Lake

COLUMBIA FALLS - Whitefish exploded for four second-half goals in downing league champ Columbia Falls 4-1 Thursday afternoon in boys soccer.

It was the regular-season finale for the Wildcats, 6-1 in league play and 8-2-2 overall.

Columbia Falls led 1-0 at the break thanks to a penalty kick by Guy Smith at 20 minutes.

"First half, it was your basic Whitefish-Columbia Falls game," said Columbia Falls coach Peter Browne.

"We were fortunate to get the penalty kick.

"In the second half, they came out, worked harder than we did, ran to the ball. We lost the mental aspect of the game."

Whitefish had three different players score goals: Marcelo Duarte, Shane Widdifield (2) and Koben Williams.

"Once we got that goal, everybody's confidence level skyrocketed," said WHS coach O'Brien Byrd.

"We started going after players.

"Pretty historic win for me and the seniors," said Byrd.

"First win over Columbia Falls in three years. We did it in pretty dramatic fashion."

Columbia Falls, Northern A champs for a second-straight year, will host the fourth seed from the East in playoff action on Oct. 15.

Whitefish, 3-1-1 and 7-2-1, finishes regular-season play Saturday at Libby. The Bulldogs will host No. 2 team from the Southern Conference, also on Oct. 15, in the first round of the playoffs.

BULLDOGS 4, WILDCATS 1

Whitefish 0 4 - 4

Columbia Falls 1 0 - 1

Whitefish - 48:00, Marcelo Duarte (Taylor Schwickert); 50:00, Shane Widdifield penalty kick; 65:00, Koben Williams; 79:00, Widdifield (Chase Giacomo)

Columbia Falls - 20:00, Guy Smith penalty kick

Shots on goals - Whitefish 15, Columbia Falls 13

Corner kicks - Whitefish 0, Columbia Falls 5

Goalie saves - Whitefish 7 (David Hobbs), Columbia Falls 9 (Lee Kizer)

Fouls - Whitefish 15, Columbia Falls 11

Cards - Whitefish, yellow

Girls

Columbia Falls 1,

Whitefish 0

COLUMBIA FALLS - Ashley Horine's header off a corner kick at the 2:53 mark turned out to be the difference in Thursday's Columbia Falls-Whitefish Northern A girls soccer match.

"She's had some problems finishing for us," Columbia Falls coach Greg Trenerry said of Horine.

"This was a good day to put one in."

And that one goal may wind up sealing the Wildkats' second straight division title. Columbia Falls and Whitefish each wound up at 5-1 in the division, but Whitefish has one game remaining - in Libby on Saturday.

Trenerry complimented the Columbia Falls defense - Sarah Frank, Jelisa Fields, Megan DuBay and Michelle Valov, in particular.

The Wildkat goalkeeper, Vanessa Almanza, "had a stellar game," the coach added.

"She had some good shots on her, some good saves.

"Very tough match. The girls stepped it up, but it was a very tough, physical game."

Whitefish lost three players in the match to injury. Alissa LaChance, fracture, and Alyssa Clark, ankle, both left in the first half.

Amy Wright, central defender, was knocked out just before the game ended.

"Hopefully all minor," said WHS coach Lini Reading of the injuries.

"We lost three key central players."

Columbia Falls and Whitefish will both host playoff matches on Oct. 15.

"Anytime you lose, it's disappointing," said Reading.

"The biggest disappointment we had was we missed opportunities in the second half. We didn't finish."

Wildkats 1, Bulldogs 0

Whitefish 0 0 - 0

Columbia Falls 1 0 - 1

Columbia Falls - Ashley Horine (Lisa Carter), 2:53.

Shots: Whitefish 7, Columbia Falls 13.

Corners: Whitefish 2, Columbia Falls 2

Saves: Whitefish 12 (Kristin Nadigan), Columbia Falls 7 (Vanessa Alamanza).

Fouls: Whitefsih 5, Cfalls 5

Cards: None.