Girls soccer: Wasilla nets win over Colony

PALMER - Last season the Wasilla girls soccer squad did something it had never done before.

Wasilla beat Colony.

And now the Warriors can say they beat the Knights two years in a row.

Wasilla used four unanswered goals to score a 4-1 win over their Valley rivals on Friday at Colony High School.

Cseasalie Lease scored twice to lead Wasilla. Courtnie Husmann and Haley George also posted goals for the Warriors (1-0-1).

Colony notched its lone score early in the first half, and saw its lead disappear in the second. Wasilla head coach Katie Broeder said the Warriors took what they were doing wrong in the first half, made changes, and came out strong in the second.

Lease scored the first of her two goals early in the second half to tie the score at 1-1. Later in the half, Wasilla capitalized off a Colony mistake to take a one-goal lead.

Husmann, a WHS sophomore, sent a pass across the field and to the front of the Knight goal. One of the Colony players tried to clear the ball out, but inadvertently knocked the ball in. Broeder said she doesn't feel the Colony mistake was what pushed the momentum her team's way. If Broeder saw anything, it was the reluctance of Colony after the play. What Broeder did know - she did not want that play to be the difference in the game. She told Wasilla assistant coach Amber Craig, &#8220That goal better not be the deciding factor.”

Colony head coach Lorie Miner felt the mistake did sort of set the tone for a very young Colony team making its season debut.

&#8220We just shut down on ourselves, and let them take over the game,” Miner said.

Despite that play and the loss, Miner was very proud of a varsity team that includes eight freshman.

&#8220We have a roster full of freshman, and they did an awesome job,” Miner said. &#8220I was really impressed with how they were.”

With the 2-1 lead, Lease scored again in the second half. The junior striker beat Colony goalkeeper Sydney Stoltenberg on a one-on-one play for the second time in a game.

With about 10 minutes remaining in the contest, George booted a ball over Stoltenberg's head to give Wasilla the three-goal advantage.

Sophomore Dani Haley was the keeper of record for the Warriors.

Earlier in the week, Wasilla and Palmer played to a 1-1 tie. Junior Britta Hanson scored for the Warriors.

After a pair of road games, Wasilla makes its home debut on Thursday, hosting the Soldotna Stars at 4 p.m. on Veterans Memorial Field.

Colony (0-1-0) hosts Soldotna on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at CHS.