1 FORWARD, 3 BACK

JUNEAU — Holding to a one-goal lead during the final minutes of regulation, the Colony Knights started to get a little anxious.

The Knights, the No. 2 seed in the state tourney, have their sights firmly set on a trip to Saturday’s state championship game. Senior Aaron Richardson did his best to ensure the Knights’ plans weren’t derailed.

Richardson, a veteran and leader on the defensive end, led the Knights as they preserved a 2-1 win over seventh-seeded West Anchorage during the first round of the ASAA/First National Bank State Soccer Championships in Juneau on Thursday.

“Aaron did a great job at the end,” Colony head coach Jeremy Johnson said by phone from Juneau Thursday. “He’s so calm back there.”

Johnson said Richardson consistently cleared balls out of the defensive third and using his calming influence to help the Knights maintain a lead and earn the right to face host Juneau-Douglas in the state semifinals tonight at 5 p.m. at Adair-Kennedy Field in Juneau.

That calming influence may have been as big as anything as the two teams traded outstanding scoring opportunities during the final minutes, Johnson said.

Colony’s Jesse Rouse nearly put the exclamation point on the win with about three minutes to go when he ripped a shot toward the Colony net. Johnson said the West goalkeeper needed a fingertip save to stop the shot.

In the following minute, West had its chance to tie the score when the Eagles had an excellent opportunity off a corner kick. Johnson said Colony goalkeeper Jesse Krey made arguably the save of the game when he went low and to his right to make the stop.

Colony set up both of its goals with direct kicks. The Knights took the 1-0 lead during the 23rd minute when James Meaney scored, with help from a Gordon Krueger direct kick.

Krueger sent the ball in from about midfield. Meaney and Jonas Madsen both slid in for the ball, Johnson said. Meaney was able to get a foot on it and score.

Senior captain Oliver Querin gave the Knights the 2-1 lead with a header off a Logan Smith direct kick from about midfield. The key for that goal was it came just three minutes after West tied the score at 1.

“It was nice to get it back so quickly,” Johnson said.

The Knights controlled the play of the game for the first 15 minutes, Johnson said.

“We had countless chances. The goalie made some good saves,” Johnson said. “We gave it to them during that first 15. It should have been 3-0, 4-0 or 5-0.”

Juneau boys 3, Wasilla 1

JUNEAU — The host Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears moved into the second round of the state tournament with a 3-1 win over Wasilla on Thursday at Adair-Kennedy Field in Juneau.

Dustin Hout scored off a direct kick during the 68th minute to put Wasilla on the scoreboard.

Juneau moves forward to play Colony in the semifinals today at 5 p.m. Wasilla will face West Anchorage in the consolation semifinals today at 5 p.m.

Juneau girls 3, Wasilla 0

JUNEAU — Juneau-Douglas pushed Wasilla to the consolation side of the bracket with a 3-0 win over the Warriors on Thursday.

“They created a lot of good opportunities on net,” Wasilla head coach Amber Craig said by phone. “We didn’t do the same.”

Juneau scored at about the five-minute mark of the first half and took a 2-0 lead into the intermission.

With the win, Juneau moves ahead to place Dimond, which beat Soldotna 3-1. The Wasilla and Soldotna losses will create a rematch of the Northern Lights Conference title game today at 3 p.m.

“This is a chance to show them who we are,” Craig said. “We didn’t show them that (during the conference championship game).”

Soldotna used a 3-1 win over Wasilla last week to earn the NLC crown.

Service girls 7, Colony 0

JUNEAU — The two-time defending state champion Service Cougars extended their winning 3-year-old winning streak with a 7-0 win over Colony during the first round of the state tourney Thursday in Juneau.

“We did not play very well,” Colony head coach Lorie Miner said by phone. “Service is Service. You can’t knock them.”

Not only were the Knights facing the tourney favorite, but had to do so without five players. Colony has three players out with injuries. Two key members of the squad — seniors Katie Gonski and Jessica Parker — could not play due to illness.

“We went all the way, clear down the bench,” Miner said.

The path does not get any easier for the Knights. Colony meets South Anchorage today at 11 a.m. in the consolation semifinals. South was the state runner-up in 2007 and 2008, and finished third last year.

West Valley upset the Wolverines 1-0 today.

Dimond, South and Juneau push two

teams into semis

JUNEAU — Boys and girls teams from Dimond, South and Juneau will play in today’s semifinal round.

In girls’ action that didn’t include a Valley team, Dimond beat Soldotna 3-1 and West Valley edged South 1-0.

In other action on the boys’ bracket, defending state champion South beat Grace Christian 5-0 and Dimond blanked West Valley 2-0.

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