Sundberg, Wildcats down Locomotives

LAUREL – Finley Sundberg scored a hat trick to lead the Columbia Falls Wildcats to a 6-0 victory against the Laurel Locomotives on Saturday.

“Closed out a travel weekend to Billings with a couple wins and 16 goals scored,” Wildcats coach O’Brien Byrd said. “Nico Lang, our defensive middy and playmaker, had the best game of the young season, as he’s getting used to a new system and new position.”

Sundberg also added two assists for the 4-0 Wildcats.

Walt Nichols assisted on Sundberg’s first goal and then scored one of his own 10 minutes later. Adam Schrader had three assists, and Kai Golan and Nico Lang each chipped in with goals.

Wildcats goalkeeper Bryce Dunham made two saves

“Josiah Kilman, Ethan Austin, Adam Schrader, and Dale Blickhan dominated the flank spaces,” Byrd said. “We are excited to get back in natural grass as we aren’t used to playing on turf and anxious to start conference play on Thursday vs. Bigfork.”

Columbia Falls 4 2 — 6

Laurel 0 0 - 0

CF — Finley Sundberg (Walt Nichols) 11:00

CF — Nichols (Adam Schrader) 21:00

CF — Nico Lang (Sundberg) 23:00

CF — Sundberg (Schrader) 28:00

CF — Kai Golan (Sundberg) 51:00

CF — Sundberg (Schrader) 57:00

Shots — CF 23, Laurel 2; Goalie saves — CF 2 (Bryce Dunham), Laurel 15 (Landon Johannsen); Corner kicks — CF 9, Laurel 0; Fouls — CF 5, Laurel 3.

GIRLS

Laurel 3, Columbia Falls 2

LAUREL — Laurel, the defending state A girls soccer champion, edged the Columbia Falls Wildkats 3-2 Saturday in a non-conference game, but the visiting Wildkats didn’t make it easy on the Locomotives.

“We are the first team that has attempted to play those guys straight up this year and not come in with a heavily defensive mindset,” Wildkats coach Thomas Clark said. “For us to be able to compete at that level, and showcase long stretches of controlling the run of play, it was really awesome.”

Hope McAtee and Sydney Mann scored for Columbia Falls (3-1), who trailed 2-1 at the half. An own goal in the first half gave Laurel the lead.

“I am so proud of the way our team competed against a team that has won the state championship three years in a row, we battled extremely hard,” Clark added.

Columbia Falls moves on to conference play with a Thursday contest against Bigfork.

“We’ve talked about how we were viewing these first four games as preseason games, and we learned a lot about ourselves,” Clark said. “Most notably that we can play with anybody in the state, and that is going to make this a really fun season.”

Columbia Falls 1 1 — 2

Laurel 2 1 — 3

L— Aubri Roth (Mya Maack) 1:00

L — Own goal 3:00

CF — Hope McAtee 26:00

L — Kaitlyn Bantic (Roth) 38:00

CF — Sydney Mann (Tayler Lingle) 78:00

Shots — CF 8, Laurel 14; Goalie saves — CF 10 (Zoey Byrd), Laurel 12; Fouls — CF 4, Laurel 10.