Prep Soccer: Windauer Nets Another Hat Trick, Flathead Girls Drop Another Top Team

Josie Windauer made the most of Columbia Falls’ limited scoring chances with three more goals as the Wildkats finished off a season sweep of their rivals from Whitefish with a 3-0 win at Flip Darling Memorial Field in Columbia Falls on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Windauer scored twice in the first half and once more midway through the second half to pull within five goals of the school’s single-season record. The senior is the state’s leading scorer with 25 goals, five assists and 55 total points. Columbia Falls (8-1-0, 5-0-0 Northern A) has lost only once this season, 3-1 at defending state champion Billings Central on Sept. 20, and can clinch the conference title with a victory in any of their next three matches. The Wildkats took down the Bulldogs (5-4-0, 3-2-0) in Whitefish on Sept. 3.

Whitefish’s boys got a scare in the night game at Flip Darling but persevered for a 1-0 win to run their unbeaten streak to 24 matches. Sam Menicke scored the Bulldogs’ goal in the 54th minute to secure the victory, the first Whitefish (9-0-0, 5-0-0) win this year by fewer than three goals. The defending state champions have won 12 straight, dating back to a 3-3 tie with Polson on Oct. 4, 2018. Their closest 2019 match before Tuesday was also against the Wildcats (4-4-1, 3-2-0), a 5-2 season-opening win on Sept. 3.

In Class AA, Flathead’s girls took down the first-place team in the Western AA conference for the second time in as many matches. One week after handing in-town rival Glacier its first loss, the Bravettes did the same to Missoula Hellgate, upending the Knights 3-2 in Missoula. Flathead (5-3-1) still trails both teams in the league standings but climbed within three points of the Wolfpack (6-1-1) and four of the Knights (6-1-2).

The Flathead boys (5-4-0) could spring no such upset in their own match in Missoula on Tuesday, falling 3-0 to the league-leading Knights. Hellgate (7-0-2) has shut out its last three opponents.