WHITEFISH — For the fourth time in program history, the Whitefish girls soccer team hoisted the Class A state championship trophy.
It was the first championship under coach Kelly Ordway, who took over the job in 2024 with the goal of getting the team back to the top.
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“I'm just so proud of the girls, I'm so happy for them,” Ordway said. “They've been working for years and years and years, driving all over the region and putting in so many hours of effort. It's so fun to see this come to fruition for them. It's so well deserved.”
The Bulldogs won 2-1 in the match against reigning champion Columbia Falls, with one goal from Grace Sliman, who celebrated the win and her birthday.
Safe to say it's a birthday she will never forget.
“It's probably No. 1,” Sliman said. “It's been really exciting, honestly, I just looked down at the ball, saw it at my feet, and just kicked. And it went in the goal. It was pretty hyped.”
The atmosphere was also impressive, with two different Flathead Valley communities gathering in one spot to watch two teams that are very familiar with each other.
“We really enjoy that. It's nice having such strong competition that we get to play against regularly,” Ordway said. “We care a lot about these ladies on the other team as well. They're phenomenal players. We had a little bit of a different game plan this time, and it was effective, so we're pretty happy about that. “
Whitefish built a championship team on strong chemistry and a high skill set.
Goalkeeper Marlis Nargi said an entire season of intense practices helped the Bulldogs get ready for the big stage.
“There's not a single girl on this field that did not deserve this win,” Nargi said. “Not only the field, the bench, every single person has put in every ounce of their possible effort during practice, and it shows because you see, I wouldn't be able to block the shots that I did this game if my teammates didn't give me good shots to block in practice. They put in everything they possibly can, and I am lucky that they do that for me.”
