Tough week for Cats soccer
Columbia Falls coach Peter Browne made some changes in the boys soccer team lineup last week. Mason Gedlaman was in goal, Anthony Correa was in the field, and most of the freshmen were seeing plenty of time on the field.
There were no miracles, as the boys lost 7-1 to Whitefish Sept. 15 and tied Bigfork 1-1 the next day. But still, the boys seem to space the field better and at times played much better than the scores would suggest, particularly against Whitefish.
The Cats hung with the Bulldogs 3-1 in the first half, and the score could very well have been tied 3-3 at the break, but Columbia Falls couldn't convert on a penalty kick just outside the 18, and a shot by Luke Kazlauskas later in the first half was barely blocked by Whitefish keeper Thomas Clark. Talen Stringer knocked in the Cats' lone goal at the 20-minute mark on an assist from Caleb Baumann.
"They hung in there for the first half," Browne said. "But our inexperience just shines."
Gedlaman played pretty well in his first start in the net for the Cats. He had 11 saves, and Whitefish had a lot of open looks.
"He was the player of the match, for sure," Browne said.
The Cats came out flat in the second half, and the Bulldogs scored two quick goals to make it 5-1.
Against Bigfork, the Vikings scored at the 15-minute mark to go up 1-0, but Dylan Corbett knocked in a penalty kick at the 62nd minute on a hand-ball violation to tie the game.
The Wildcats are now 1-5-1 overall and 1-2-1 in conference play. They face Polson at home Saturday. Game time is 1 p.m.
Columbia Falls 1 0 - 1
Whitefish 3 4 - 7
W - Curran Edland (Matty McCrone), 18:00
W - Sam Donaldson (Nathan Boone), 20:00
CF - Talen Stringer (Caleb Baumann), 20:00
W - Edland (Nick Jack), 28:00
W - Mark Stormes (Donaldson), 41:00
W - Donaldson, 42:00
W - Donaldson, 49:00
W - Boone (Stormes), 56:00
Shots - Columbia Falls 1, Whitefish 16. Saves - Columbia Falls 11 (Mason Gedlaman), Whitefish 1 (Thomas Clark 0, Chance Ling 1). Corner kicks - Columbia Falls 1, Whitefish 3. Total fouls - Columbia Falls 9, Whitefish 8. Yellow cards - none. Red cards - none.
Bigfork 1 0 - 1
Columbia Falls 0 1 - 1
B - Robert Coyle, 15:00
CF - Dylan Corbett, 62:00
Shots - Bigfork 9, Columbia Falls 8. Saves - Bigfork 5 (Dillon Hilling), Columbia Falls 6 (Mason Gedlaman). Corner kicks - Bigfork 3, Columbia Falls 4. Total fouls - Bigfork 7, Columbia Falls 10. Yellow cards - Bigfork 1, Columbia Falls 1. Red cards - none.