Girls soccer: Knights use late goal to edge Warriors

WASILLA — If the first week of the prep soccer season is any indication, there should be some solid competition among three of the Valley’s girls soccer squads.

Just two days after playing to a 3-3 tie with Palmer, Colony used a goal in the final minute to edge Wasilla 5-4 at Wasilla High School on Thursday.

Junior Tara Garrod bounced a shot off the hands of Wasilla goalkeeper Sammy Becker during the final minute of play to give the Knights the win. Despite Becker’s efforts to make the save, Garrod’s shot deflected of the Wasilla keeper’s fingers and slowly rolled into the corner of the net.

The score capped a two-goal match for Garrod. Sophomore Jessica Farrell also scored twice for CHS, and junior co-captain Tara Murray added a score.

Colony head coach Lorie Miner said her team’s success on offense, is far different than the struggles the Knights had last year.

“We couldn’t get anyone to shoot last year,” Miner said.

Miner said it’s the eagerness of her players to be effective on the offensive end that has the CHS coaching staff excited.

Trailing 1-0 after the first minute of play, Farrell such an indirect kick underneath the crossbar to tie the score at 1-1.

Garrod scored her first goal of the game in the 38th minute to give the Knights a 3-2 lead. Colony took a 4-2 advantage in opening minute of the second half.

Despite trailing by two goals early in the second half, the Warriors scored a pair of second-half goals to tie the game.

Although the Knights were able to post the game-winner in the final minute, Wasilla head coach Katie Broeder was also pleased with the offensive success of her squad.

“I’m glad we scored four goals in our first game,” Broeder said. “That’s a lot of goals to be scoring. I’m glad we’re finishing the ball, we’re crashing.”

Kendra Miner, Amy Jo Coonrod, Holly Peterson and Ashlynn Frizzelle each scored for WHS.

Miner — the daughter of the CHS head coach — redirected a Rachel Kennedy pass into the CHS net 1 minute and 24 seconds into the game to give the Warriors the early 1-0 lead.

Coonrod sent a high, arcing shot from the corner into the back of the net midway through the first half to give Wasilla the 2-1 lead.

Peterson used a hard kick from the midfield to cut Colony’s lead to one goal, and Frizzelle tied the game with a goal late in regulation.

Much of the WHS offensive output came courtesy of underclassmen.

“My young kids really stepped up today,” Broeder said. “Three out of those four goals were scored by freshman.”

Miner, Coonrod and Frizzelle are all freshman. Broeder said freshman also accounted for three assists in the match.

While she was happy with success on offense, Broeder said the Warriors do have some things to work on.

“We had some breakdowns defensively,” Broeder said. “We’re going to have to work on that.”

Going into the 2008 season, Broeder knew the Warriors would lack experience on the back end.

“We’ve got fairly new people and a new keeper back there,” Broeder said. “Sammy Becker, our keeper, did an excellent job.”

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