Girls Soccer: Valentine, Gilden go wild in win over Wildkats

Throughout this girls soccer season, Anna Valentine and Jaime Gilden have demonstrated an uncanny nose for the net. And on Tuesday in a Northern A clash with Columbia Falls, the Lady Logger pair put on their latest offensive clinic in a 6-3 victory.

Valentine and Gilden each recorded hat tricks in the win. Valentine also had a pair of assists.

Leading 2-1 to start the second half, Valentine scored three straight goals over an 18-minute period to put the game out of reach.

“She could’ve had more but that’s what I like about Anna … she’s not selfish,” Libby coach Matt Warner said of the senior.

The Lady Loggers were entangled in a close game through the first 40 minutes. Gilden scored 10 minutes into the contest but the Wildkats countered with a McKenzie Kizer goal only four minutes later. Gilden’s second goal occurred in the 30th minute with an assist to Valentine.

“They were watching (in the first half) and then they started playing the game and it made a difference,” Warner said.

Valentine’s goals came in the 43rd, 53rd and 61st minutes – all unassisted. Gilden then scored her third goal in the 75th minute.

Columbia Falls scored twice over the final eight minutes. Kizer scored her second and in the closing two minutes, McKenzie Reeve found the net.

Audra Poppen went 70 minutes in goal for the Loggers with Jenny Johnson playing the final 10. The Libby keepers had five and three saves, respectively.

“The defense played another good game,” Warner said. “Audra had some great saves.”

Libby improves to 5-0 in the Northern A and 8-0 overall. The Loggers will host Bigfork at 11 a.m. Saturday.