Girls thwarted by Laurel in first round of playoffs

The Columbia Falls girls soccer team suffered a disappointing end to an otherwise stellar season, losing to Laurel in the first round of the playoffs 3-1 Saturday at home.

The Wildkats scored first when Madison Snyder knocked in a shot on a sweet pass from winger Ellie Johnson. But it was all Locomotives after that.

Laurel answered with a goal 10 minutes later and it was tied 1-1 at the break.

The Kats fell flat in the second half. Laurel scored 8 minutes in and then added an insurance goal at the 61-minute mark. The Kats had a flurry of shots in the closing five minutes, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

The Kats had beaten Laurel 2-0 earlier this year, but Laurel played with more intensity and won the majority of the balls.

“Give them credit,” said coach Greg Trenerry. “They played harder than us. We made some big mistakes on defense.”

Despite the loss, Trenerry said the seniors should be happy with what they accomplished over the course of their careers.

The Kats will lose 11 seniors. They end the season at 6-1-1 in conference play and 8-3-2 overall.

Laurel 1 2 — 3

Columbia Falls 1 0 — 1

CF—Madison Snyder (Ellie Johnson), 20:00

LRL—Raquel Jimenez (unassisted), 30:00

LRL—Ashtyn Hoppel (Jimenez), 48:00

LRL—Jessica Elmer (Maysa Walters), 61:00

Shots on goal — Laurel 7, Columbia Falls 7. Saves — Laurel 5 (Paige O’Toole), Columbia Falls 4 (Allyson Gimbel). Corner kicks — Laurel 5, Columbia Falls 4. Fouls — Laurel 6, Columbia Falls 4. Cards — None.