Wildcats cruise in Bigfork
Columbia Falls' Max Everett (13) scores on a header in the second half against Bigfork at Carlyle Johnson Park in Bigfork on Tuesday, Sept. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Columbia Falls' Hope McAtee (9) works the ball upfield against Bigfork in the first half at Carlyle Johnson Park in Bigfork on Tuesday, Sept. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Columbia Falls' Apani Awua (21) and Bigfork's Paeten Gunlock (3) chase down a ball in the first half at Carlyle Johnson Park in Bigfork on Tuesday, Sept. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Bigfork goalkeeper Cole Carlson punches a ball out of the box against Columbia Falls at Carlyle Johnson Park in Bigfork on Tuesday, Sept. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Columbia Falls' River Wolford (6) scores a goal in the second half against Bigfork at Carlyle Johnson Park in Bigfork on Tuesday, Sept. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Columbia Falls' Max Everett (13) scores on a header in the second half against Bigfork at Carlyle Johnson Park in Bigfork on Tuesday, Sept. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Bigfork's Danika Bucklin (8) scores a goal on a penalty kick in the first half against Columbia Falls at Carlyle Johnson Park in Bigfork on Tuesday, Sept. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Columbia Falls' Kai Golan (10) jumps for a header in the second half against Bigfork at Carlyle Johnson Park in Bigfork on Tuesday, Sept. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Columbia Falls' Josie Harris (12) scores a goal past Bigfork keeper Irelynd Vigil (0) in the first half at Carlyle Johnson Park in Bigfork on Tuesday, Sept. 5. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
BIGFORK – It took a little while, but the Columbia Falls Wildcats found their groove in the middle of the first half and cruised to a 6-0 win over the Bigfork Vikings on Tuesday in Northwest A boys soccer.
Bigfork employed an unusual style that the Wildcats had to work around. Kai Golan struck first and opened the floodgates. Max Everett scored twice before the half ended.
“Bigfork has a young team and practiced a low block for the entire game,” Wildcats coach O’Brien Byrd said. “This made it difficult for our guys, but we found other ways to find space and had a chance to work on other parts of our game. Good result tonight.”
Isak Soyland gave Columbia Falls a 4-0 lead 12 minutes into the second half, and then Everett completed a hat trick as the clock ticked down. River Wolford added the last goal in the 74th minute, assisted by Golan.
Otto Anderson and Jack Harris each had two assists.
Columbia Falls visits Polson on Thursday in the schools’ first meeting of the season. Girls play at 5 p.m. and the boys at 7 p.m.
Columbia Falls 3 3 – 6
Bigfork 0 0 – 0
CF – Kai Golan (Jack Harris) 28:00
CF – Max Everett (Harris) 38:00
CF – Everett (Otto Anderson) 38:00
CF – Isak Soyland (Anderson) 52:00
CF – Everett (Brady Bell) 73:00
CF – River Wolford (Golan) 74:00
Shots – CF 22, Bigfork 3. Goalie saves – CF 4 (Rafe Rusche), Bigfork 13 (Lance Peterson). Corner kicks – CF 8, Bigfork 0. Cards – none.
Girls
Columbia Falls 4, Bigfork 4
BIGFORK – The Columbia Falls Wildkats got off to a hot start against the Bigfork Valkryies on Tuesday, but two goals off penalty kicks kept the Vals close. Bigfork added two goals in the second half to tie the Wildkats, 4-4 in Northwest A girls soccer on Tuesday.
“It was the best half we’ve played all season,” Wildkats coach Thomas Clark said. “All in all, the girls’ performance was superb and deserved a much different result. Two penalties in the first half is a tough pill to swallow. Proud of the girls for overcoming that adversity and still playing well.”
Josie Harris scored two quick goals in the first half to start Columbia Falls off with a 2-0 lead. Bigfork’s Danika Bucklin cashed in on two penalty kicks, sandwiched between a Hope McAtee goal to give Columbia Falls a 3-2 lead at the half.
Paeten Gunlock tied it in the 49th minute, then Harris completed a hat trick with her third goal in the 64th and gave Columbia Falls the lead again. Bigfork’s Piper Buzzell scored a late goal and sealed the 4-4 draw.
Columbia Falls 3 1 – 4
Bigfork 2 2 – 4
CF – Josie Harris (Apani Awua) 5:00
CF – Harris (Hope McAtee) 6:00
B – Danika Bucklin 12:00
CF – McAtee (Bella Mann) 16:00
B – Bucklin 28:00
B – Paeten Gunlock 49:00
CF – Harris (McAtee) 64:00
B – Piper Buzzell 74:00
Shots – CF 10, Bigfork 10. Goalie saves – CF 9 (Erica Burguiere), Bigfork 10 (Irelynd Vigil).
