Soccer sweep

WHITEFISH - The Whitefish High School boys and girls soccer teams can finally exhale.

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs swept their homecoming doubleheader from Columbia Falls on Tuesday night, but both matches were tense until the very end.

The Bulldogs beat the Wildcats 2-1 to begin the night and the Lady Bulldogs snuck by the Wildkats 1-0 under the lights on Whitefish's football field.

Bulldogs 2, Wildcats 1

The Bulldogs clinched the Northern A title and No. 1 seed in the state tournament by beating the Wildcats by one goal for the second time this season.

Whitefish took command early, but nearly lost control at the end and hung on to escape with a win to remain undefeated.

Junior forward Preston Taylor scored on a header off an assist by Ian Hosek in the 19th minute to give Whitefish a 1-0 lead and Giuliano Tassara Levy added an unassisted goal in the 37th minute. Tassara Levy dribbled toward Columbia Falls' right post, used fancy footwork to break free from a defender and scored to give Whitefish a 2-0 halftime lead.

But Columbia Falls (4-5-1, 1-2-1) played a passionate second half, applying plenty of early pressure and stifling Whitefish's offense for 40 minutes.

The Wildcats didn't score until the 79th minute when Jonathan Torres notched an unassisted goal, but they made things interesting with a flurry of late shots.

Columbia Falls coach Peter Browne said a few defensive miscues cost the Wildcats a chance to win.

"You can't turn your back on the ball defensively," Browne said. "We did that twice and it cost us two goals."

Browne said the Wildcats are a young, rebuilding team and they showed positive signs by hanging close with Whitefish and battling back at the end.

The Wildcats had 10 shots on target, compared to seven for Whitefish.

"Whitefish is a good team, they've got a solid core of kids," Browne said. "I thought we played well. We can play with those guys."

Whitefish coach O'Brien Byrd said he had to remind his players they won the match because things got so tense at the end.

"They're playing their buddies and it's getting emotional," Byrd said. "The kids will never forget these games - good crowd, good venue, the lights."

Byrd said Whitefish continued to try to score and didn't try to run out the clock until Columbia Falls scored to make it a one-goal game.

Byrd said sweeper Tyler Gardner couldn't practice this week because he threw his back out, but "he just turned in a gutsy performance."

Whitefish senior goalkeeper Shane Dowaliby was brilliant with 11 saves. Torres scored by floating a shot just over an outstretched Dowaliby.

"Columbia Falls - we know it's going to be a good game no matter what," Dowaliby said. "They're a very intense team."

Dowaliby said it actually felt nice to win a gritty defensive struggle following so many blowout wins against other teams.

"It's always fun to come out of a hard-fought game and just know that we can win one of those," Dowaliby said.

Byrd said winning close games usually feel great, but not in this case.

"Any other game except Columbia Falls," Byrd said. "Either coach would savor a blowout over a barnburner."

Columbia Falls 0 1 - 1

Whitefish 2 0 - 2

Columbia Falls - Jonathan Torres, 78:59

Whitefish - Preston Taylor (Ian Hosek), 18:43; Giuliano Tassara Levy, 36:15

Shots on goal - Columbia Falls 10, Whitefish 7

Corner kicks - Columbia Falls 3, Whitefish 1

Goalie saves - Columbia Falls 5 (George Kimerly), Whitefish 11 (Shane Dowaliby)

Total fouls - Columbia Falls 9, Whitefish 10

Yellow cards - Columbia Falls 0, Whitefish 2

Red cards - Columbia Falls 0, Whitefish 1

Lady Bulldogs 1, Wildkats 0

Columbia Falls and Whitefish battled through a physical, scoreless contest for most of the match, but Kaitlyn Sleichter scored on a Jen Joern assist in the 73rd minute from just outside the 18-yard box .

When the Lady Bulldogs won 3-0 at Columbia Falls two weeks ago, Whitefish coach Lini Reading said the final score wasn't indicative of the match and there was no way Whitefish is three goals better than Columbia Falls.

Reading was right as the Whitefish-Columbia Falls rematch was even in nearly every facet. Columbia Falls had 10 shots on target compared to nine for Whitefish and goalkeepers Colyne Hislop of Columbia Falls and Kirstin NallyMadigan of Whitefish put on a collective clinic while minding the nets. They each had seven saves.

"This was the game we expected," Reading said. "This is the Columbia Falls we know - very aggressive, playing more as a team."

Reading said the Wildkats outplayed Whitefish in the first half, but the Lady Bulldogs did a nice job of setting down and putting pressure on Columbia Falls in the second half.

Columbia Falls coach Greg Trenerry couldn't fault his team's effort.

"The girls played great," Trenerry said. "It's just one of those tough, tough games that somebody's going to win on one little goal with one little mistake."

The Wildkats had a chance to tie the game when Amber Lampman broke toward NallyMadigan in the 79th minute, but NallyMadigan charged Lampman and smothered the ball with her body.

NallyMadigan said she didn't really think through the play, she just relied on her instincts and hustled to close down the shooting angle.

"I totally trust my defense," NallyMadigan said. "A game's a game to me and I don't let the stressfulness get to me because then I think about making errors."

Columbia Falls 0 0 - 0

Whitefish 0 1 - 1

Whitefish - Kaitlyn Sleichter (Jen Joern), 73:00

Shots on goal - Columbia Falls 10, Whitefish 9

Corner kicks - Columbia Falls 4, Whitefish 0

Goalie saves - Columbia Falls 7 (Colyne Hislop), Whitefish 7 (Kirstin NallyMadigan)

Total fouls - Columbia Falls 10, Whitefish 8

Cards - None