The soccer hotbed that is the Flathead Valley has another chance to enjoy the beautiful game.

Evergreen State, Carroll College and Spokane Falls Community College come to town Saturday for the Glacier Park College Soccer Showcase at Legends Stadium.

“It's been about nine or 10 years since we had men's college teams up here,” Columbia Falls boys soccer coach O’Brien Byrd said.

The Valley has seen success with the women’s game making a pair of appearances in August the past two years in front of sellout crowds in Columbia Falls.

Byrd says that with the help of Discover Kalispell, the Showcase hopes to bring an early spring tourism boost to the community and help to inspire Flathead Valley youth to pick up the sport.

“We have an incredible soccer culture but no real avenue to truly inspire them with high-level soccer unless we bring events like this to the Valley,” Byrd said.

Carroll College was the first choice for the event, Byrd said. The Saints are the closest men’s team to Kalispell in the state.

The next choice was another local tie with Evergreen State.

The Geoducks from Olympia, Wash. feature a pair of Wildcats alumni in sophomores Walt Nichols and Finley Sundberg.

“Selfishly, I can’t wait to see those boys suit up and play one more time,” Byrd said. “Maybe the last time in their backyard.”

After getting two teams to come play, it wasn’t hard to fill the third spot.

“We connected the dots and found another program in the area,” Byrd said. “Spokane Falls Community College recruits kids in the area. They were an easy phone call to make.”

Byrd said in all they reached out to four programs and three said yes.

“These college programs are hungry to get out of the normal spring schedule and enhance their college kids experience and get great competition,” he said.

Pair up a trio of games with a Sunday soccer clinic from Carroll and you have spring soccer weekend that’s sure to draw a crowd.

The best part of it all: tickets to see the games are free and available online at gpcss.org. Sunday’s clinic still has spots available Byrd added, the cost is $50.

Don’t expect this event to be one-and-done either.

Much like the women’s showcase that has taken Columbia Falls by storm over the past two summers, there’s a lot of traction behind making this a yearly event.

“We have had lots of communication from other colleges from all over the country for the August event and now these teams want to do this again,” Byrd said. “GPCSS is a nonprofit organization to bring high-level soccer here to inspire the next generations.”

So, in a year where the World Cup is on US soil, why not lace up your boots and head out to Legends Stadium where games are slated to kick off at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Reporter Jon Allen can be reached at 406-758-4426 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.