Palmer girls score first state soccer win since 2007

ANCHORAGE — Palmer senior Kiley Fish wasn’t sure if she’d ever have the chance to play in a state tournament game.

Thursday, Fish and her Moose teammates had that opportunity. And they took advantage of it.

Palmer advanced to the state semifinals with a 6-2 win over North Pole during the first day of the ASAA/First National Bank Division II Girls State Soccer Championships at Service High School in Anchorage.

“I never thought we’d get this far,” Fish, a four-year varsity player, said after the win.

It’s been 11 years since Palmer made an appearance in a state tournament. Fish’s dad, Brian, was the head coach, and Fish and her senior classmates were about 7 years old. Palmer finished sixth in the 2007 tourney, and scored a 1-0 win over rival Wasilla.

“It feels pretty amazing,” Fish said.

Palmer’s win came in Alaska’s first Division II girls’ soccer state tournament match. Prep soccer had been a single classification sport in Alaska until ASAA reclassified soccer during the offseason. The Moose are now among 19 Division II programs in the state, and one of two squads to earn state tournament bids in the five-team Northern Lights Conference.

“I was excited,” Fish said of the change. “I thought it gave us more of an opportunity to compete.”

Palmer head coach Harmony Chadwick said she’s excited that her players finally had the opportunity to celebrate this type of accomplishment.

“We get counted out a lot,” Chadwick said. “It felt so good, awesome. They’ve worked so hard for this.”

Delaney Shults netted a hat trick, Catherine Uschmann tallied a pair of goals and Fish added a goal during the win over the Patriots.

Palmer took an almost immediate lead in the win, with Shults scoring the first of her three goals during the first minute of play. Uschmann knocked a shot through the North Pole keeper’s hands seven minutes later to give Palmer the quick 2-0 lead.

“We had to attack first. I think that really stepped up our game along the way,” Fish said.

Shults deflected a shot off a North Pole player into the net during the 16th minute to push Palmer’s lead to 3-0, but the Patriots had a quick answer. Less than a minute later, North Pole’s Danielle Robinson broke away along the right side of the field and snuck a shot inside the far post.

Palmer and North Pole met in nonconference action during the regular season, and the teams played to a wild 5-5 tie.

“We scored quick goals the first time,” Chadwick said. “That’s what made me nervous.”

But the Moose had enough scoring this time. Fish set up a Shults goal with a pass from the midfield during the 25th minute, and booted a shot from about 30 yards out late in the first half to give Palmer a 5-1 lead.

Kailey Fowlkes added a goal for North Pole in the final minutes of the first half.

Uschmann added another goal for the Moose in the second half.

Victoria Banks, Palmer’s reserve goalkeeper, stepped in for injured starter Shaleen Tolbert and made a number of key saves for the Moose.

“She did great,” Chadwick said. “It’s second nature to her.”

Overall, Chadwick said communication was key to the victory.

“It really helped them pass the ball well,” Chadwick said. “We took advantage in the first half, passing and the long balls.”

The Moose face Juneau-Douglas in the semis Friday at 1 p.m. at Eagle River.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.