Column: An excellent way to use up your Saturday

While Columbia Falls’ Maddie Robison lights up the scoreboard and Niels Getts pulls soccer-football double duty, the Whitefish Bulldogs just roll on down the pitch.

Combined, the girls’ and boys’ teams are 14-0-2, with the ties coming from the Columbia Falls boys and Bigfork girls.

Both their coaches have been there six-plus seasons. Roland Benedict and the girls have had excellent success – four trips to the State A semifinals, with one of those teams getting to the championship.

John Lacey’s boys have… well they’ve risen to some level or two above “excellent success.” The Bulldogs haven’t lost since his group of seven seniors were freshmen, and that was in the title game. They are the two-time defending state champions.

“All seven seniors on the team this year have been a foundational part of our recent success,” said Lacey, who was an assistant at Whitefish for a time – he’s unclear on the years – before coaching and officiating youth soccer. “They haven’t lost a game since they were freshmen, and a number of them started as freshmen. We lost (to Belgrade in the final), but everybody could see what was ahead.”

Ian Grover, William Hyatt and Joshua Gunderson playing shutout defense. Marvin Kimera and James Thompson helping free up scorers Brandon Mendoza, Gabe Menicke and Niath Edlund on offense.

Menicke is the only non-senior: He’s a junior, “and no doubt at all he’s one of the best players in the state,” Lacey said.

But the Bulldogs have a lot of those; that’s the point. The expectation is clear, and the seniors have taken on added leadership roles. Straight ahead of them is a Saturday matchup with the aforementioned Columbia Falls Wildcats.

“It’s great to have a quality opponent up in the Valley like this,” Lacey said. “We wish there could be a few more fans there, because that would be great. We’ll try to max out for the people that do show up.”

Benedict grew up playing soccer in Bigfork and after graduating in 2008 ended up playing professionally in Europe. The experience shaped the way he coaches – the Bulldog girls play a complicated offense.

“We don’t have that one player,” said Benedict, a nod to Columbia Falls’ high-scoring attackers Josie Windauer (now at the University of Montana) and Robison (who has 16 goals). “But we have a lot of very good players with good soccer minds.

“I set up our girls to play a certain style, and we focus on the collective, and highlighting attacking certain areas on the field.”

Benedict guesses that Billings Central – the Rams have battled for the last five state titles, winning three – is the closest mirrors on offense.

He does have two seniors: Keeper Sami Galbraith and defender Ali Hirsch. He calls juniors Anna Akey, Emma Barron, Sophie Olson and freshman Isabelle Cooke, “The rocks on this team.”

But they have help. Galbraith came in as a freshman and started for a departed senior.

“She was the only option,” Benedict said. “But she happens to be very good and all four years she’s either been top-three or the top keeper in the state.”

Hirsch has provided game-winners, as have juniors Barron and Olson and sophomore Brooke Roberts. Benedict looks to back-liners Akey, Josie Schneider and Maya Lacey as just as being every bit as important, especially since the Bulldogs lost defender Lucy Lowry to a knee injury in the tie against Columbia Falls.

“Which is incredibly unfortunate,” Benedict said. “That’s what’s tough. We have standout players on our team, but every player out there provides such an important role. And if one of our players doesn’t accomplish that particular goal, our team’s in trouble.”

So far so good. The girls will play Columbia Falls after the boys teams square off, at 11 a.m., in Whitefish. It’s a rivalry that includes Columbia Falls’ boys’ coach O’Brien Byrd, who not only used to coach the Whitefish boys but officiated Benedict’s wedding.

It’s two marquee matchups that many might not see because of COVID-19 – an excellent way to wile way an afternoon. So say the coaches that love their sport.

“It’s a great way to end the day,” said Lacey. “Being on a soccer field.”

Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 758-4463 or at fneighbor@dailyinterlake.com.