Whitefish, Columbia Falls battle to 1-1 draw
One struggle has plagued the Whitefish boys soccer team this season — finishing in front of the net.
The rivalry game in Columbia Falls Thursday told the same story, only this time the Bulldogs faced a similarly skilled team in the Wildcats. The two teams battled on the pitch, but neither could find a go-ahead goal in the second half resulting in a 1-1 draw.
“C-Falls came out strong, they gave us their best,” Bulldog coach John Lacey said. “They’re a much improved team this year, they’re going to be a challenge for a lot of teams.”
“It took us a while to settle in. We ended up getting a goal, but our first half was not our strongest,” he added.
Bulldog senior forward Marvin Kimera scored off a Brandon Mendoza feed in the 8th minute to give Whitefish the early lead. But it wouldn’t last long as Columbia Falls midfielder Walt Nichols fired an equalizer into the back of the net in the 20th minute.
“They got the goal to tie it up… and the last 20 minutes of the first half we were kind of shell shocked I think,” Lacey recalled. “We played a much stronger second half, but the problem was we continued to have the same difficulty we’ve had for all of our games with problems in front of the goal.”
The game against Columbia Falls is always an important one for Whitefish, as Lacey explained it carries much more weight than many other games. With the rivalry there’s obviously emotions involved and an intense atmosphere, so he wasn’t surprised that the Wildcats gave them some trouble.
Whitefish finished the game outshooting Columbia Falls 18-9, but Lacey said the Bulldogs lacked the final touch. The teams played a close game, each having opportunities to win, but in the end settled for a tie.
“Just missed way too many chances, and in a close game those missed opportunities to put the ball in the net are the difference between ties and wins,” Lacey said.
The coach explained his players are making all the right moves to create great chances though, and he is encouraged that his team is getting good looks on goal. Finishing is a continual focus during training and Lacey is hopeful that soon goals will accompany the great teamwork he has seen thus far.
“We’re going to have to break out of this slump where we’ve been doing 99% of the work great and then missing on the final touch… It has come up in every single game, all four of our games, not finishing the opportunities we’ve created,” he said.
This week the Bulldogs look forward to playing two more games. They were set to travel to Polson to face the Pirates on Tuesday after press time. Then on Thursday will host Stevensville at Smith Fields with kickoff at 3 p.m.
Whitefish 1, Columbia Falls 1 (1-1 half)
W - Marvin Kimera (Brandon Mendoza) 8:00
C - Walt Nichols 20:00
Shots on goal — Col. Falls 9, Whitefish 18. Keeper saves — Col. Falls 17 (Bryce Dunham), Whitefish 8 (Will Peppmeier); Corner kicks — Whitefish 9, Col. Falls 7; Fouls — Whitefish 15, Col. Falls 9.