Whitefish Soccer Games this weekend

Colin Sellwood, the men's event organizer for the Whitefish Soccer Games, has watched teams play in snow and rain during the last 30 years this event has been held.

This year, however, conditions will be more summer-like for the 600 players on the 30 participating teams (16 women and 14 men).

Play starts Saturday morning at 8:30 with matches at Grouse Mountain Lodge and Smith/PWK Fields. Action resumes 8:30 a.m. Sunday at both locations. The men's final will be played 2:30 p.m. at Grouse Mountain with the women's final at 4.

"It should be fun, good soccer," Sellwood said.

"The best standard of soccer one will see in Montana for sure. Some good teams are coming."

Participating are teams from Idaho, Montana and Washington along with three Canadian provinces - Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

The men's 39-and-over division will have six teams. There are eight teams in the men's open.

The Flathead Rapids, coached by O'Brien Byrd, are two-time defending champions.

The Flathead Valley will have one team competing on the women's side.

Lini Reading is the women's event organizer.