The Victory Slide into State

The Libby Logger Boys soccer team defeated Colombia Falls last Saturday in the second round of the State finals in Libby, advancing the Loggers to their first-ever state championship berth.

"I am so proud of these young men," coach Mike Wickstrom said. "They put in the work, applied themselves, and made Logger history."

Although the Wildcats took an early lead that lasted the half, scoring a penalty kick 17 minutes into the game, seven minutes into the second half, senior Riley Hoyer tucked a shot into the corner of the net to even the score at 1-1.

Fifteen minutes later, junior Cyrus Maloney delivered a pass to Hoyer, who pounded the shot into the net, clinching the lead for the Loggers.

Columbia Falls answered with a goal five minutes later, which tied the match to the end of regulation play.

Heading into two 10 minute overtimes, Logger coach Wickstrom appraised the mid-fielders to see if they could go another 20 minutes at such a relentless pace.

"Matt Wickstrom was pumped, Cyrus Maloney was ready for more, and Evan May and Kyle Berke were hungry. Tired was not an option," Wickstrom said.

Both the first and second overtimes came and went with no goals by either team.

In the next stage, called a shoot out, each team took turns shooting balls at the goal keeper. Although Logger keeper Tad Downey had a stellar game with 8 saves, Hoyer was Libby's pick for goal keeper, someone who Columbia Falls had not seen, nor studied, according to Wickstrom.

Libby won the shoot out in sudden death, 4-3.

Wickstrom called the band and cheerleaders "the wind in our sails," adding "I'd like to dedicate this win to the Logger fans. Even the referees said they had never seen nor heard anything like what the Logger nation brought to our game."