Montague girls soccer hands Newaygo its first loss, Rice leads Wildcats

Lilly Rice scored two goals to lead Montague to a 3-1 victory over previously undefeated Newaygo.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 8:57pm

A cubist, geometric painting depicting a girls' soccer match, with overlapping planes of green grass, white uniforms, and a vibrant red soccer ball, capturing the dynamic energy of the sport.Montague's victory over previously undefeated Newaygo showcases the competitive spirit and dynamic action of girls' high school soccer.Montague Today

The Montague girls soccer team handed Newaygo its first loss of the season on Saturday, winning 3-1 behind a pair of goals from Lilly Rice. The game was scoreless at halftime, but Newaygo struck first early in the second half. However, Rice tied the game, Ava Crow converted a penalty kick to give Montague the lead, and Rice added another goal to seal the victory for the Wildcats.

Why it matters

This was an important early-season matchup between two strong teams in the CSAA-Blue conference. Montague's win over the previously undefeated Lions establishes them as a contender in the league race, while Newaygo's first loss of the year creates an opportunity for other teams to gain ground.

The details

Montague and Newaygo were scoreless through the first half, but the Lions struck first three minutes into the second half to take a 1-0 lead. However, Lilly Rice quickly tied the game for the Wildcats. Ava Crow then converted a penalty kick to give Montague a 2-1 advantage, and Rice added an insurance goal to make the final score 3-1.

  • The game was played on Saturday, April 19, 2026.
  • Newaygo scored the opening goal three minutes into the second half.
  • Lilly Rice scored the tying goal for Montague shortly after Newaygo's goal.

The players

Lilly Rice

A Montague player who scored two goals in the Wildcats' 3-1 victory over Newaygo.

Ava Crow

A Montague player who converted a penalty kick to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead over Newaygo.

Montague

The girls soccer team from Montague, Michigan that defeated previously unbeaten Newaygo 3-1.

Newaygo

The girls soccer team from Newaygo, Michigan that suffered its first loss of the season against Montague.

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What’s next

Montague (2-2, 0-1) will travel to Muskegon on Monday for their next game. Newaygo (4-1, 1-0) will host Tri County on Monday in a CSAA-Blue conference matchup.

The takeaway

Montague's victory over previously undefeated Newaygo establishes the Wildcats as a contender in the CSAA-Blue conference race. The loss creates an opportunity for other teams to gain ground on the Lions, who had been the frontrunner in the league.