Clark Fork girls finish second in final tourney

In the final showdown of the season, the Clark Fork U17 girls soccer team beat two large clubs to take second place in the 3BR tournament. The tournament was played in Kalispell earlier this month and drew teams from across the Pacific Northwest and Canada.

In the first game of the tournament, Clark Fork faced off against the Calgary Blizzard. Neither team waited for an invitation to play.

"We set up in our usual 4-3-3 and looked to control the game early with our possession-based play," said Coach Nick Lawyer. Calgary did not allow it and set up in a very aggressive 3-3-4. "That's right, four attackers," Lawyer explained.

The game was very physical right from the start, and a little bit against the run of play Clark Fork scored first. It was Thompson Falls senior Chesney Lowe who chipped the keeper on a through ball to put Clark Fork ahead. It wasn't until the final minutes of the first half that Calgary got a good look at the goal, scoring and tying the game 1-1 at the half.

Both sides again started the second half playing aggressive, attacking soccer. Goalkeeper Ava Lawyer stood on her head to deny Calgary a goal, and they hit the post four times in the second half. A free kick from Claire Wrobleski with 10 minutes to play put Clark Fork ahead, On a smart turn in midfield, Solveig Nygaard got pulled down just inside the midfield line. Wrobleski delivered a floater to the back-post that the keeper mishandled and dropped right back to Nygaard, who tucked in her second goal of the season. Clark Fork went on to win this very physical game.

In the second game of the tournament, Clark Fork faced Flathead Valley United's premier U19 girls team.

"This game was much less enjoyable for us, and we went down 3-0 by halftime," Coach Lawyer explained. "We tried a few new things in the second half, but the game ended 7-0 despite our best efforts." Flathead would go on to win the tournament and allow zero goals over four games.

The next game was a must-win for Clark Fork, who sat in third place as they faced the second-place Missoula Strikers going into the matchup. The rest of the standings were already decided by the time this game was to kick off, Lawyer noted, and a win meant Clark Fork would lock in second place. "Missoula is a top top club in the state, and they play really good soccer. We knew that in order to get anything out of this tournament we'd need to win this game," he said.

Missoula played a very calm but physical game, and it was Missoula who scored first. But Clark Fork was undeterred and responded quickly through a goal by Chesney Lowe off a long ball from the goalkeeper. Missoula again took the lead with five minutes to play left in the first half, and it was at the stroke of halftime that Wrobleski fired one in from 30 yards to make it all square at 2-2 at halftime. Both teams continued to press and press for the win, and it was off a corner kick that Lowe got her second goal of the game for Clark Fork to take the lead for the first time in the game. "It was a nervy final 10 minutes," Lawyer stated, "but we got the job done and won the game 3-2 to secure a second-place finish."

The win set up a final match against Polson for Clark Fork.

"The last game of the tournament was a dead-ringer for us. We had already locked in second place, and winning or losing this game wouldn't change anything. We had no rest between our third and fourth games, and it was our fourth soccer game in 24 hours. Needless to say we were a bit tired, and I was disappointed that our motivation wasn't there. We pushed and pushed and pushed but couldn't get past Polson's defense and ended up losing 2-0."

Flathead scored 26 goals and gave up no goals the entire tournament in their quest to the championship. Flathead was clear and away the tournament winner. They won all four of their games and scored 26 goals (and did not concede a single goal). Clark Fork took second after upset wins against Calgary and Missoula. Calgary also had two wins and two losses, and it was Clark Fork's head-to-head record that edged them into second place. Missoula and Polson each had one win.

Coach Lawyer was pleased with the tournament and the season. "This season we've really been working on our build-up play and combining with each other to create attacking and scoring opportunities. We were tough, and these girls' determination and grit is really something to be proud of. We set out to be the dark horse - we knew if we could get an early win we could build on that and we'd be in the hunt for a trophy. That's what we did, and I'm very proud of these girls for their tough play."

Lawyer added that the team for the past two seasons has been trying to build a mindset of 'being comfortable with being uncomfortable.' "That we won't always have enough time on the ball, that we can't just walk the ball up the field, that a winning mentality is something that you have to earn through hard work and commitment," he said.

The team has players from Plains, Thompson Falls and St. Regis. While most are in public school, they have some who are homeschooled. Some players are seasoned, while some have never played before. "To be able to build a successful team that plays for each other, even during difficult moments, from such diverse backgrounds and communities – to do all that is really something very special."

The club is self-funded, and the players pay and fundraise for the opportunity to play soccer and represent their communities, Lawyer stated. More than 100 area kids participated in soccer this spring.

"Interest in soccer is very strong, and our participation clearly shows that we're doing well," Lawyer said. He also noted that the past year has been extra difficult for the club and the community due to the passing of Cash Farmer and Haylee Nelson. "Both players loved soccer, and both are missed very much. Our girls' spring season started really rough. Haylee's death was devastating. We had special jerseys made to honor her memory, and we got to play this tournament in those jerseys. It makes it a little bittersweet to have such a great tournament but to do it without her. We miss her very much." He said the team is selling the special jerseys in honor of Haylee, with proceeds going toward the Haylee Elizabeth Memorial Scholarship to help kids who can't afford to play soccer be able to participate.

Donations for the scholarship fund can be mailed to Clark Fork Soccer Alliance, P.O. Box 673, Plains, MT 59859. Jerseys are $65 and can be ordered with custom names or numbers for $80. The jerseys are on display at the Bean Bug in Plains and can be purchased at Mountain West Clothing in Plains.