Knights sweep rival Moose

PALMER — Sports can be all about responding to a little adversity. Both Colony squads did that Monday evening while hosting rival Palmer.

After a tough 40 minutes, the Colony boys answered with five second-half goals during a 6-0 win over Palmer. In girls action, Colony watched the Moose strike early. But the Knights grabbed the 5-1 win with five unanswered goals.

Sparked by Chris Olsen’s goal in the 42nd minute, Colony enjoyed its five-goal second half against the Moose.

“We definitely kept possession a lot better in the midfield. We were able to move the ball around, and adjust better to what they were doing,” said Harrison Menard, who used his second-half goal to give the Knights a 3-0 lead.

Colony head coach Jeremy Johnson said his squad was able to adjust to Palmer’s defensive game plan in the second half.

“We were able to have an actual discussion with the boys at halftime about the offside trap,” Johnson said. “They were pushing their flat line up really hard, and we kept getting guys caught a yard offside, half-yard offside. We just had to adjust our runs a little bit, so when the ball was being played, we were in the onside position.”

While the Knights had a more difficult time during the first 40 minutes, Menard said the Knights were able to adapt.

“It was pretty tough. We had to keep our cool and maintain what we were trying to do,” Menard said.

Colony struck early in the second half. Olsen scored in the 42nd minute, on a goal set up by a Jake Spannegel corner kick. Minutes later, Menard, running up the right side of the field, took a pass from the midfield and ripped a shot from just outside the penalty box, off the far post into the net.

Nick Blohm gave Colony a 4-0 lead, knocking in a header off a long pass from Tanner Menard, from the right side. Kyle Bolam and John Kander also scored second-half goals for Colony.

Andrew Knowles gave the Knights an early lead, scoring a goal set up by a Spannegal corner kick in the 23rd minute.

The Colony girls quickly found themselves down a goal, but responded with five answered to score the Northern Lights Conference win.

Palmer senior Lily Cullers gave the Moose the 1-0 lead during the first minute. Cullers, coming up the left side, took a pass from the midfield and booted a high kick into the far side of the Colony net.

Colony answered in the following minute with a Peyton Johnstone goal.

Johnstone, Zoe Hixenbaugh and Savannah Nash also scored during the first half.

Hixenbaugh knocked in a ball following a cross from Ali Baker. Nash’s goal was set up by a Rebecca Mackey corner kick.