Hi-Line United youth soccer team finishes year second at state cup

While they have not gotten the attention they deserve, the Hi-Line United youth soccer team has wrapped up a solid year. At this year's state cup, the Hi-Line United finished second to end the year. Along with the strong finish to the year, Hi-Line head coach Jayson Burrington believes the United also grew as a program this season.

"With a lot of new kids and talent, it's been a great season," Burrington said.

Throughout the season, the Hi-Line United had their ups and downs but was trending upward heading into the summer. Before the state cup, the United finished the regular season with a pair of games in early June. While the Hi-Line United had been playing better, they suffered a 10-3 loss to Sidney and a 5-0 loss to the Montana Rush to end the regular season.

But the United were able to turn it around and make a run in the state cup in Great Falls. They started the tournament with a 3-3 tie against Big Sky and then the United won, 4-0, against Miles City. Those results gave the United a bye all the way to the cup match.

In the cup match, the United and their opponent Kootenai played each other to a 4-4 tie. With the tie, the game went to a penalty kick shootout to determine the champion. Despite United's best efforts, Kootenai scored to win the game, 5-4, to take home the state cup. While it was a tough loss for the United, a second-place finish demonstrates that the United are a team to keep an eye on in youth soccer.