Colony boys finish second, Palmer boys and Colony girls third in state soccer tournaments

In 2023, the Colony Knights captured their fourth boys soccer championship in program history with a win over the South Anchorage Wolverines.

Fast forward a year.

The Knights and Wolverines met again in the final. But this time, South is taking the trophy back to Anchorage,

The Wolverines scored a 2-0 win over Colony in the ASAA/First National Bank Division I State Championship title game Saturday at Wasilla High School.

South scored both of its goals during a 10-minute span in the first half. Wolverines goalkeeper Ralf Braun sent a free kick into the box from about 40 yards out and the ball was inadvertently knocked into the net off a header from a Colony defender during the 22nd minute.

About 10 minutes later, South junior Declan Priddy scored on a rebound set up by a corner kick from the right side.

The victory marked South’s third win over Colony in 2024. The Wolverines are the only team to beat the Knights this year.

This tournament marked Colony’s eighth trip to the state title game. Colony is now 4-4 in the championship. The Knights earned titles over Juneau-Douglas in 2000, Dimond in 2014, West Anchorage in 2019 and South last year.

Colony moved into the title game with a 1-0 win over Dimond in the semis Friday. Axel Simeck scored the game-winner on a play set up by a Finn Hoffman corner kick. Mason Irsik earned the shutout in the Knights net.

The Knights, the No. 2 seed, beat Chugiak 4-1. Isaac Villa led the Knights with two goals and an assist. Johnny Figgins added a goal and an assist. Matthew Crawford also scored.

Colony also finished third in the Division I girls tournament with a 2-1 win over Lathrop. Avrie Geigerich scored both goals.

Giegerich also scored during the final minutes of the second overtime frame to push Colony to a 2-1 win over Service during the quarterfinal round of the girls tourney. Giegerich scored both goals in the Colony win to help the fifth-seeded Knights get past the fourth-seeded Cougars.

South Anchorage beat the Knights 2-0 in the semifinals.

The Palmer Moose finished third in the Division II boys state tournament.

Palmer, the No. 4 seed, used penalty kicks to score a 2-1 win over third-seeded Ketchikan in the third-place match. Fischer Adams, Storm Schadee, Parker Johnson, Michael Larsen and Aiden Kent converted during the penalty kick round.

Doland scored during regulation to tie the score. It was the second time he tied the score with a header in the tournament.

In the Division II boys semifinals, Palmer dropped a heartbreaking loss to top-seeded Soldotna.

SoHi’s Simon Willets converted a penalty kick during stoppage play near the end of regulation to give the Stars a 4-3 win over the Moose.

Aidan Houser tied the score at 3 with less than three minutes left in regulation. Houser, a Moose senior, knocked in a high shot from beyond the 20 and tucked it just underneath the crossbar. That answered Nuno Venturi’s goal, which gave SoHi a 3-2 lead with about 20 minutes left.

Cole Miller and Fischer Adams also scored for Palmer.

The Moose beat Kenai 2-1 in the first round. Doland put Palmer on the scoreboard, with a goal off a header from a corner kick. Kent scored the game-winner for PHS.

Palmer finished sixth in the Division II girls tournament. Region rival Grace Christian edged Palmer 2-1, winning with penalty kicks in a shootout.

Kaylee Gallego, Rileigh Day, Aelin Serencha, Greta Campfield and Celia Wilkins converted penalty kicks.

Gallego scored on a penalty kick during regulation to tie the score.

The Palmer girls stayed alive in the Division II tournament with a 4-3 win over Monroe Catholic in an elimination match. Gallego and Campfield scored two goals each for the Moose.

Juneau-Douglas beat Palmer 5-0 in the first round.

Contact the Frontiersman at sports@frontiersman.com.