WHITEFISH — In a state championship showdown between two Flathead Valley teams that lived up to the hype Saturday, Whitefish dethroned rival Columbia Falls 2-1 to win the Class A girls soccer state title.
The action began early for Whitefish with a birthday celebration for Grace Sliman, who found the back of the net early in the game on a ball that was deflected off the goalkeeper.
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The Bulldogs played a strong defensive game throughout, including impressive goal play from Marlis Nargi, who made multiple key saves throughout the match, keeping the Wildkats on their heels.
It looked like Whitefish was going to run away with the win after Jenna Kimble put a second ball in the net for the Bulldogs to take a 2-0 lead.
However, the defending champs would not go down that easily. In the late minutes, a corner kick opportunity found June Johnston in the box, and Columbia Falls scored its only goal of the match.
That's where this one ended with a 2-1 victory that crowned a new champion in Whitefish, bringing the program its fourth title in its history and the first under head coach Kelly Ordway.
