Kats fall to Laurel, 2-1 in championship

Oh, so close. The Columbia Falls girls soccer team played a valiant second half against Laurel in the state Class A finals at home Nov. 1, but fell short 2-1.

The Lady Locomotives struck twice in the first half on goals by Allie McGrath and Jessica Elmer. But with time winding down, the Wildkats answered with a goal by Lottie Ellis at the 40-minute mark to cut the margin to one.

Laurel dominated the ball in the first half, but Ellis’ strike gave the girls plenty of momentum in the second half, as they kept the pressure on throughout the next 40 minutes. The Kats, however, just couldn’t find the back of the net despite having several good looks.

The final stat sheet shows Laurel out shooting the Cats 15-4, but the stats don’t really portray how well the Kats controlled the ball in the second half, as Laurel held on for dear life.

“To get to the championship match is a journey,” coach Greg Trenerry said after the match. “They had a great journey. I’m proud of the way they played.”

The Kats also suffered from a bit of bad luck in the final. Lexi Strouse, an all-state defender, was out with the flu. Her sister, Lindsay, was just getting over it.

But no excuses, Trenerry noted.

“Laurel’s a good team, they played hard,” he said.

The Kats last played Laurel in the finals in 2004. They won that game on the road in a 6-1 blowout.

The future is bright for the squad. The Wildkats will lose just three seniors to graduation, so look for them to be in the mix next year as well.