Local soccer squads busy on the Peninsula

May 6,2007

By JEFF HELMINIAK/ Peninsula Clarion, MATT TUNSETH/Frontiersman and JEREMIAH BARTZ/Frontiersman

KENAI - The Kenai Central girls and boys soccer teams kept their undefeated records intact after games against Colony on Friday and Palmer on Saturday.

The Kenai girls came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Colony 6-2 on Friday before holding off Palmer 2-1 on Saturday. Kenai improved to 4-0-1 while Palmer dropped to 3-2-2.

The Kenai boys tied Colony at 1 on Friday, allowing their first goal of the season, before coming back to claim a 2-0 victory over Palmer on Saturday. Palmer fell to 4-3 while Kenai stands at 2-0-3. It is the first time since 2002 Kenai finished undefeated against teams from the Valley in the regular season.

In the Friday girls game, Colony grabbed a 1-0 lead 15 minutes into the game on a direct kick. Kenai answered a short while later, but the goal was called back due to a push. At the 20-minute mark, the Knights used a direct kick to take a 2-0 lead.

&#8220I felt right away we were the better team,” Kenai coach Dan Verkuilen said. &#8220We just had to fight through the half where we had the wind in our face.”

At the 25- and 35-minute marks, Kenai freshman Casey Coupchiak scored the first of her four goals to get the Kards even headed into the second half. The goals were assisted by Taylor Brewer and Shelby Daly. In the second half, Kari Frates and Kaylee Grant converted penalty kicks to give Kenai some breathing room. Coupchiak then finished off the Knights, scoring on assists from Frates and Daly.

Saturday, it was the Kenai girls getting off to a fast start. Seven minutes into the game, Brewer sent a cross into the box that was just out of reach of Coupchiak. Kenai's Sheena Anderson was right behind Coupchiak, though, and converted the open chance. In the 26th minute, Brewer collected the ball 15 yards on Palmer's side of the midfield stripe and dribble through the Moose defense for a goal.

&#8220We did not play up to our potential today,” Palmer coach Brian Fish said. &#8220I'm not sure if it was three games in three days, or an early Saturday game, or what it was.”

At halftime, Verkuilen told his team that conference champions know how to close out games with 2-0 leads. The coach said it was disappointing that Palmer then came out and controlled the first part of the half. Three minutes into the second half, Ashley Swetzof played a corner kick onto the head of Claire Woodings, but Woodings' sound header was right at Kenai goalie Lacie Wortham. Nine minutes into the half, Palmer sophomore Tess Anderson beat a bunch of Kenai defenders in carrying the ball half the length of the field for a open and successful attempt on Wortham. Anderson was injured in a Thursday game against Skyview and didn't play in a Friday game against Soldotna. Saturday, she was able to play for just 25 minutes due to injury.

&#8220We let down a little when we were up 2-0,” said Brewer, the Kenai captain who will play soccer at Eastern Washington University next fall. &#8220At the start of the second half, they were ready to come at us.”

After Anderson's goal, Kenai settled down and finished off the victory. Brewer said the weekend sweep is satisfying, but also said Kenai's work is not done yet.

&#8220We're undefeated, but we still need to get better as a team,” said Brewer, one of only four returning starters for the Kardinals. &#8220We have a lot of individual talent, but we need more teamwork. We need to work on give-and-goes and knowing where everybody is on the field. We're not there yet.”

In Friday's boys game, Colony became the first team to score on Kenai this year when the Knights converted a penalty kick in the 25th minute. Just 10 minutes later, Kenai tied the game when Dominick Eubank scored on an assist from Tyler Smith.

On Saturday, both teams were short-handed. Kenai had two starters out because of the SATs. The Kardinals lost starter McKenan Steinbeck to an ankle injury on Friday, then had Josh Werba go down with an ankle injury 25 minutes into Saturday's game. Kenai coach David Landry said both players could possibly be done for the season.

A combination of the SATs, a red card on Friday and injury also had Palmer four starters short on Saturday.

The Kardinals were forced to start freshman Bryson Lowe in goal. The goalie responded with a shutout despite an injured finger.

&#8220He did an outstanding job,” Landry said.

Landry also was pleased with the work of forwards Justin Calhoun, Kristian Larson and Michael Morin.

&#8220We're looking for offense, and offense is getting the right combinations up front,” Landry said. &#8220Those three did a good job creating shots.”

After a scoreless first half, Kenai scored four minutes into the second half. Dusty Ward played a corner kick into the box. After Palmer goalie Vinney Salls left his line, Devin Boyle was able to flick the ball onto the head of Calhoun, who converted on the scramble in front of the net. In the 34th minute, Reed Ehrhardt played a ball into the box that Palmer failed to clear. Calhoun picked up the failed clearance and volleyed the ball into the back of the net.

&#8220Our goalie had come out on both of those balls,” Palmer coach Kevin Dearborn said. &#8220When the goalie comes out, he's got to get the ball. Otherwise, it leads to all of that garbage in front of the net.”

After losing Werba, Landry said the Kenai defense, led by Josh Lazaro, was still pretty solid. Palmer still got opportunities, only to pound those chances into the chest of Lowe or wide of the net.

&#8220We had our opportunities, we just didn't put them away,” Dearborn said.

Colony girls 8, Nikiski 1

Tara Murray, Katie Gonski, Jessica Farrell and April Bleicher each scored twice Thursday as the Knights got their three-game Kenai Peninsula road trip off to a solid start with an 8-1 victory over the Bulldogs at Nikiski.

With the win, Colony improved to 2-3-1 overall and 2-1-1 in Northern Lights Conference play.

Colony boys 3, Nikiski 0

Exchange students Timm Fuechtenicht (Germany) and Nutt Jaruvongvanich (Thailand) each scored in the opening 15 minutes of play to key Colony's 3-0 Northern Lights Conference victory over Nikiski Thursday.

Senior Nathan Kowalczk added a second half goal to help the Knights improve to 4-2-0 on the season and 3-2-0 in the NLC.

Colony coach Jeremy Johnson said the game presented a challenge to his squad, which had until Thursday not played on a full-sized soccer field. Games in the Mat-Su Valley are played on converted football fields, and are narrower by about five yards than Kenai Peninsula fields.

&#8220It's nice because you really spread the game out, but we're not used to that kind of running yet,” Johnson said.

Homer girls 5, Wasilla 3

Wasilla junior Randi Smith posted her second hat trick of the season. But Homer was able to post five second-half goals, and score a 5-3 win over the Warriors at Homer High School on Friday.

Smith, who also notched the hat trick in a win over Nikiski earlier this year, scored in the fifth minute to give her team a 1-0 lead, and again in the 32nd minute to give the Warriors the two-goal advantage.

Smith scored again in the 69th minute.

Claire Sikaniac posted the hat trick, and added two assists for the Mariners.

Wasilla boys 5, Homer 0

Senior Jordan Ingalls scored three first-half goals to lead the Warriors to a 5-0 win over the Homer Mariners at Homer High School on Friday.

Ingalls knocked in a shot off an Adam Friese pass to give WHS the lead in the 14th minute, and scored again in the following minute.

He converted a penalty kick in the 39th minute.

Seniors John Pahkala and Aaron Bean scored in the second half.

Soldotna boys 3, Colony 0

Soldotna posted three first-half goals, and earned a 3-0 win over Colony at Soldotna High School on Saturday.

Christos Asimakopolous gave the Stars an early lead in the fifth minute, and Blaine Carver scored three minutes later for SHS.

B.J. Carver notched Soldotna's final score in the 35th minute.

Colony girls 1, Soldotna 1

Colony and Soldotna played to a 1-1 tie at Soldotna High School on Saturday.

April Bleicher scored in the 60th minute to tie the game for the Knights.

Colony finished the road trip 1-1-1.

&#8220You win some, you lose some, and you just have to learn from your mistakes,” Colony head coach Lorie Miner said.

Houston girls 3, Nikiski 1

Houston scored just its second win in school history, a 3-1 victory over Nikiski at Nikiski High School on Saturday.

The Hawks' girls soccer program is more than a decade old.

Dana Ranum, Casey Newman and Ariel Katzenberger each scored for the Hawks.

Houston suffered a 2-0 loss to Seward on Friday. The Hawks' first win came against the Seahawks last year at HHS.

Houston boys 0, Seward 0

Houston and Seward played to a scoreless tie at Seward High School on Friday. It marked the Hawks' first non-loss of the year.

Nikiski beat Houston 5-0 on Saturday.

Soldotna boys 3, Palmer 0

The Soldotna Stars scored a 3-0 win over the Palmer Moose on Friday at Soldotna High School. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak.

Palmer girls 2, Soldotna 1

Palmer scored a pair of second half goals to score a 2-1 win over Soldotna on Friday at Soldotna High School.

Claire Woodings tallied a score to tie the game at 1-1.

Krysta Theisen grabbed the game-winner.

Wasilla girls 1, Skyview 0

Freshman Rachel Kennedy scored in the 58th minute to give the Warriors a 1-0 win over the Skyview Panthers at Skyview High School on Saturday.

The victory snapped a two -game losing streak.

Wasilla boys 3, Skyview 0

Senior Jordan Ingalls broke the Wasilla High School scoring record with two goals in the Warriors' 3-0 win over Skyview in Soldotna on Saturday. Ingalls now has 18 goals, surpassing the previous record of 17.

Aaron Sharrow also scored for Wasilla, which went 2-0 on its Kenai Peninsula road trip to remain undefeated on the season.