Captain rallies Warrior boys

ANCHORAGE — Most around the soccer pitch expect Wasilla senior Paul Sliwa to be a top player in the Northern Lights Conference this season.

On Thursday, the senior showed why.

Sliwa netted Wasilla’s final three goals to notch the hat trick and lead the Warriors to a 5-4 nonconference victory over the West Valley Wolfpack at The Dome in Anchorage on Friday.

“He took us up on his shoulders in the last 15 minutes and really dictated the outcome,” Wasilla head coach Blake Livingston said of Sliwa.

Two of Sliwa’s goals tied the score for the Warriors and a third gave Wasilla the win. With Wasilla trailing 3-2 early in the second half, sophomore Kyler Perry sent a ball through toward the West Valley goal. Sliwa caught up to create a short breakaway, and sent a quick kick into the net.

After West Valley took a 4-3 lead, Sliwa tied the score again. This time, he converted a free kick from just outside the box.

Later in the half, Perry set Sliwa up again, and the senior tallied the go-ahead score.

“He’s definitely a special player,” Livingston said. “He’s our field general.”

A pair of sophomores gave Wasilla an early 2-0 lead. Austin Frizzelle used a corner to set up a Perry goal. With the Warriors leading 1-0, Frizzelle scored unassisted to push Wasilla’s lead to a pair of goals.

Senior goalies Eli Tingstad and Chaz Davila-Rush both saw time in net for Wasilla. The Warriors also played each of the 21 athletes on the roster, Livingston said.

“We have a lot of positions we’re still sorting out,” Livingston said.

It was good to see everyone in action, Livingston said, but the longtime head coach also liked to see his team work through a challenge early in the season.

“It was probably healthy to face a little adversity,” Livingston said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.