Goals for the Pfile

WASILLA -- With few seniors on the squad, the Colony girls' soccer team knew going into the 2004 season, contributions were needed from the underclassmen.

One underclassman has contributed in a big way.

Sophomore Megan Pfile scored a pair of unanswered goals in the first half to lead Colony to a 2-1 win over Valley foe Wasilla at Wasilla High School on Monday and followed with a hat trick in the Knights' 3-0 win over Palmer on Tuesday.

Pfile has scored five consecutive goals in two crucial wins for Colony.

Colony head coach Lorie Miner said she is not surprised by the sophomore's play on the offensive end after Pfile applied herself.

"We saw it in her last year," Miner said. "She has shown the ability to play this game at the high level."

The Knights lost several key players from their 2003 Region III title-winning team.

"It helps fill the void for Kristina Klapperich not playing," Miner said.

"This is definitely a rebuilding year," Colony senior captain Jessica Tuomi said. "There are a lot of new players."

Tuomi said despite the lack of experience at the varsity level, a corps of younger players, led by Pfile, is starting to step up and contribute -- and Pfile has established herself as a legitimate goal-scorer in the program. Pfile said she is beginning to feel more comfortable in her new role.

After Wasilla took a 1-0 lead, Pfile redirected a free kick to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the first half Pfile sent a header into the Wasilla net to tie the Knights the lead. Kelsey Johnson assisted on both Colony goals.

After Colony took the 2-1 lead, the squads traded momentum with neither team taking the upper hand for the remainder of the contest.

Tuomi said following the game, the Colony coaching staff spoke of the need to improve consistency and communication-- and used poetry to voice the message.

"(Assistant coach) Ed (Powell) wrote a poem about that," Tuomi said. "Ed said if we erase about 15 minutes of the game, we would be on top of things."

In the win over Palmer Pfile struck near the end of the first half and added a pair of second-half goals.

Brieta Clemmer started in net for the Knights and earned the shutout against the Moose.

"It was a good game, I thought both teams had pretty solid opportunities," Palmer head coach Brian Fish said.