Kats pummel Valkyries 6-0

The Columbia Falls High School girls soccer team opened conference play with a bang Tuesday night, slamming Bigfork 6-0. Alexi Corbett and Haley Purdy each scored two goals to lead the squad, while Lindsay Strouse and Natasha Martin had a goal apiece.

The Valkyries put the press on early, but the Wildkats held them off and Purdy scored first on a breakaway after a nice little pass from Strouse just three minutes in.

Stouse added an unassisted goal at the 23-minute mark, and then Martin scored on a little skidder past the goalie to make it 3-0 just 35 minutes in. Purdy knocked in another a few minutes later and the Wildkats were up 4-0 at the break.

The Kats had a tough road trip Sept. 13-14, tying Laurel 1-1 on Friday and losing 3-0 to Billings Central on Saturday.

Central beat the Wildkats twice last year — including a win in the state championship — and they seem sharp again this year.

“I thought we played pretty well the first half,” coach Greg Trenerry said. “Better than the score showed. We had some pretty good looks.”

The girls came from behind against the Lady Locomotives after Laurel went up 1-0 in the first half. Fifteen minutes into the second half, Haley Purdy scored to tie the game, but the Kats couldn’t muster a win. Keeper Andrea Getts had 13 saves against Laurel and 14 against Central.

“She had a great weekend,” Trenerry said.

But the offense needs to get on track earlier in games.

“We can’t seem to score first,” Trenerry noted.

The Laurel field is turf, he said, and it took a while for the girls to adjust. The Kats also faced Laurel last year in the playoffs, and they didn’t lose many players.

“They’re a good team,” Trenerry noted.

The Kats face Whitefish at home Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

The Wildkats are now 2-1-2 overall.

Bigfork 0 0 - 0

Columbia Falls 4 2 - 6

CF - Haley Purdy (Lindsay Strouse) 3

CF - Strouse (unassisted) 23

CF - Natasha Martin (unassisted) 35

CF - Purdy (Alexi Corbett) 38

CF - Corbett (unassisted) 50’

CF - Corbett (unassisted) 78’

Shots on goal - CF 21, BF 9. Saves - CF 9 (Andrea Getts 3, Ally Gimbel 6), BF 8 (Celeste Rehbein). Corner kicks - CF 3, BF 0. Fouls - CF 4, BF 0. Cards - none.

Columbia Falls 0 1 — 1

Laurel 1 0 — 1

Laurel 1, Columbia Falls 1

Columbia Falls -- 1, Haley Purdy, 55:00. Shots: 9. Goalie: Andrea Getts (13 saves).

Laurel (3-0-2) -- 1, Demi Albrecht, 37:00. Shots: 14. Goalie: Katrina Baumgartner (7 saves).

Columbia Falls 0 0 — 0

Billings Central 1 2 — 3

Billings Central — Allie Lucas (Maya Arce) 18:00; Kelsie Nusbaum (Lucas) 56:00; Lucas 79:00.