Wildkats edge Vals; C-Falls boys clinch conference
COLUMBIA FALLS – Hope McAtee and Sydney Mann teamed up for most of Columbia Falls’ goals in a 4-3 victory over the Bigfork Valkyries in Northern A soccer on Saturday.
Mann and McAtee each scored twice, and McAtee added two assists.
“This team has been working all year to play the brand of soccer that we want to play and tonight that corresponded with a great team win,” Columbia Falls coach Thomas Clark said. “It is a great feeling as a coach to know that your team is playing their best soccer heading into the most important part of the season, it was a huge team win tonight.”
Bigfork’s Paeten Gunlock gave the Vals an early lead that lasted for all of a minute. Mann scored her first goal in the 7th minute to tie it 1-1. Three minutes later, Mann added another, and the Wildkats took a 2-1 lead into halftime.
“Obviously for us the big difference was that our offense was firing on all cylinders tonight, and our big time players made big time plays,” Clark added. “For Sydney Mann to score two goals right at the start of the game was huge, Hope McAtee proved again that she can be a lethal finisher and is still one of the best distributors to ever play in the state of Montana, and to add to that Josie Harris had a fantastic assist, it was a fun night for those three.”
McAtee made it 3-1 in the 56th minute, and Bigfork’s Scout Nadeau cut that lead to one in the 76th minute. McAtee answered, giving Columbia Falls (6-4-0, 2-3) a two-goal lead again, and Gunlock scored her second goal in a late Bigfork (5-3-1, 2-3) surge.
“Huge credit to Bigfork, they are a well coached, disciplined and dangerous team,” Clark said. “We are going to have some fun battles with them in the years to come, and it felt good to come out with a win tonight.”
Bigfork 1 2 — 3
Columbia Falls 2 2 — 4
B - Paeten Gunlock (Callie Gembala) 6:00
CF - Sydney Mann (Hope McAtee) 7:00
CF - Mann (McAtee) 10:00
CF - McAtee 56:00
B - Scout Nadeau 76:00
CF - McAtee (Josie Harris) 78:00
B - Gunlock (Delaney Kirby) 79:00
Shots — Bigfork 15, CF 10; Goalie saves — Bigfork 8 (Catherine Panor), CF 12 (Zoey Byrd); Fouls — Bigfork 10, CF 12.
BOYS
Columbia Falls 9, Bigfork 0
COLUMBIA FALLS – The Columbia Falls Wildcats sewed up the Northern A conference title with a 9-0 statement win over the Bigfork Vikings on Saturday.
Adam Schrader and Finley Sundberg each scored twice and had two assists. Kai Golan scored one goal and had two assists.
Sundberg’s 16 goals are tied for most in the state.
Columbia Falls (10-0-0, 6-0) went into halftime with a 3-0 lead on the Vikings (4-5-0, 2-3-0), and then scored five goals in nine minutes to lead 8-0.
Bigfork 0 0 — 0
Columbia Falls 3 6 — 9
CF - Walt Nichols (Kai Golan) 6:00
CF - Golan (Nichols) 15:00
CF - Finley Sundberg (Adam Schrader) 28:00
CF - Sundberg (Schrader) 49:00
CF - Dale Blickhan (Sundberg) 51:00
CF - Schrader (Blickhan) 52:00
CF - Schrader (Sundberg) 56:00
CF - Traic Fainter (Nichols) 65:00
CF - Jack Harris (Golan) 68:00
Shots - Bigfork 6, CF 27; Corner kicks - Bigfork 1, CF 7; Goalie saves - Bigfork 10, CF 7; Fouls - Bigfork 4, CF 16.