MAT-SU — After losing 15 players to graduation two years ago, the only thing Colony head coach Jeremy Johnson could do was put a pile of underclassmen on the pitch.

There was a learning curve and a few growing pains, but now the Knights are reaping the benefits.

Colony boasts eight seniors and all 11 starters return from a 2008 squad that finished third in the Northern Lights Conference and sixth in the ASAA state tournament.

ROBERT DeBERRY/Frontiersman Colony senior Collin Murphy, right moves in to steal the ball from Bridger Van Ness during a Colony High soccer practice Friday at Curtis Menard Multi-Use Sports Complex in Wasilla.

“We don’t know if we’re the best team, but we feel we’re a really deep team,” Johnson said.

The Knights could argue they actually return about 14 starters.

The “official” starting lineup includes the likes of seniors Collin Murphy, Weston Patrick and Bridger Van Ness, the 2008 NLC Player of the Year.

But the Knights also have seniors Cody Fritz, Jesse McKey and Tim Jaronik, reserves who see as much action as the starters.

“A lot of guys aren’t necessarily starting, but they all get equal playing time,” Johnson said.

The Knights also have a loaded junior class which includes Oliver Querin, Logan Smith, Jesse Rouse, Aaron Richardson, Chris Bardsley and goalies Elliot Gilbert and Jesse Krey.

Smith, Bardsley, Rouse and Van Ness were all named first-team All-NLC last season. Querin landed a spot on the second team.

If the upperclassmen are not enough, the Knights also have sophomore James Meaney, who led CHS with 15 goals as a freshman.

The Knights have the depth and the skill, but now, Johnson said, it’s simply a matter of combining that with consistency and hard work, with hope of making a deep run in the conference and state tournaments.

Palmer Moose

Palmer may not sport the depth Colony does, but the Moose do return a solid  nucleus of veteran talent.

Senior Phillip Jansen, a starter on defense since his sophomore season, is the captain.

Leading the Moose up front is junior forward Zach Zegzdryn.

“They will step up and be our leaders,” Palmer head coach Kevin Dearborn said of Jansen and Zegzdryn.

The Moose also have senior sweeper Donovan Hard, senior forward Steven Williams, junior midfielder Ben Ballard and junior forward Brennan Bohman.

In goal this season is freshman Brandon Wolsterman.

Williams and Wolsterman both factored heavily into Palmer’s 2-0 win over Wasilla in its season-opener at The Dome on Friday. Williams scored twice and Wolsterman recorded the shutout in his first career start.

Dearborn said Wolsterman is Palmer’s everyday goalie and will be shielded by a senior-laden defense.

“We’re solid in back,” Dearborn said.

Overall Dearborn is expecting Palmer to field a well-rounded team as the Moose hope to erase the thoughts of a 2008 NLC tournament in which they were eliminated in the first round of play.

Wasilla Warriors

Wasilla could have the youngest NLC boys squad in the Valley. The Warriors, who were also bounced during the first round of the single-elimination NLC tourney last year, return just three seniors.

The Wasilla senior class is small, but each earned all-conference accolades last spring.

Senior midfielder Aaron Sharrow was named first-team all-conference for the second straight year last season. Seniors Tillerman Kroon and Bradley Primmer were named to the second team in 2008.

Sharrow and Kroon will lead the Warriors in the middle this year, and Primmer will be the anchor on the back line.

“We’re pretty young, but our three seniors are all real solid,” Wasilla head coach Blake Livingston said.

Among the forwards returning are Matthew Friese and Jose Sorto. Livingston is also excited about a newcomer to the squad, junior Borja Angoitia, a foreign exchange student from Spain.

Angoitia could play at forward or in the midfield for Wasilla.

Goalkeeper Eli Tingstad leads solid group of sophomores.

“We feel pretty solidified as far as our keeper,” Livingston said of Tingstad, who started every game for Wasilla as a freshman.

Sophomore midfielder Paul Sliwa is also expected to contribute.

Overall, Livingston said the Warriors will be looking for leadership from the seniors and steady maturation of the younger group.

“The biggest key is for those seniors to really exhibit the leadership necessary for success, to lead by example,” Livingston said. “Another key is for a lot of those younger guys to make that adjustment to soccer at the varsity level.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.