Boys prep soccer: Sophomore leads Wasilla past Colony

April 27, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - It's hard to say what was the bigger factor in Wasilla's 5-1 win over Colony at Colony High School on Tuesday - the hallowing winds or the play of sophomore Aaron Sharrow.

While both teams battled the horrific winds that blew consistently toward one direction of the field for 80 minutes, Sharrow set the table for Wasilla's offensive attack, assisting on each of the five Warrior goals.

&#8220For him to come out and notch five assists is huge,” Wasilla head coach Blake Livingston said. &#8220He's one of our playmakers.”

With accurate corner kicks and strong throw-ins, Sharrow set up three Jordan Ingalls goals, and scores by John Pahkala and Joe Campbell.

With the help of Sharrow, Wasilla scored three goals within a four-minute span and held a 3-0 lead by the 15th minute.

Playing with the wind, Ingalls - Wasilla's leading scorer with eight goals in three games - found a Sharrow throw-in, and put a header past Colony goalkeeper Elliott Gilbert.

In the next minute, another Sharrow throw-in bounced through to the far side of the Colony goal, and Pahkala put the ball into an open portion of the net.

In the 14th minute, Ingalls tapped in a Sharrow corner kick.

‘His throw-in is definitely a weapon,” Livingston said. &#8220It's something we try to utilize.”

In some cases the strong winds combined with the long throw-ins by Sharrow proved to be a combination the Knights could not stop.

&#8220It bent them in a little bit,” Sharrow said. &#8220You just had to account for it.”

Colony head coach Jeremy Johnson thought, while the wind was a factor in the match, defense against the Wasilla throw-ins proved to be the difference.

&#8220All those goals came off set pieces,” Johnson said. &#8220I thought it was a lack of marking more than anything.”

Ingalls completed the hat trick by converting a Sharrow corner kick with a header in the final minute of the first half.

Campbell scored in the 79th minute of the contest, slipping a short shot past Gilbert.

Colony freshman Logan Smith shattered Wasilla goalkeeper's Andreas Baltes' hopes of a second straight shutout with a goal in the second half.

Smith put the Knights on the scoreboard with a shot off a free kick in the 45th minutes.

Wind proved to be a difficult opponent for both teams. While Wasilla played with the wind in the first half, they Warriors worked into the powerful gusts in the second.

&#8220The ball was down here the first half,” Livingston said standing in the direction the winds blew across the Colony High School football field. &#8220In the second half Colony definitely had some chances. It was nice to come out and score a few goals early.”

Sharrow said the strategy was to strike early while the Warriors were playing with the wind.

&#8220We knew we had it in the first half,” Sharrow said. &#8220We hoped it would change, but it didn't.”

Wasilla 6, Nikiski 0

Ingalls posted multiple goals for the third straight game, and led the Warriors to a 6-0 win over Nikiski at Wasilla High School on Wednesday.

Ingalls and Tylor Tingstad each scored twice, while Jimmy Sliwa and Joe Campbell also scored.

Baltes earned his second shutout of the season in the Warrior goal.

Wasilla improved to 3-0-0 with the win.

The Warriors face Soldotna today at 6 p.m. at WHS.

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