Prep boys soccer: Early deficit hurts WHS

ANCHORAGE — On a chilly afternoon at Anchorage Football Stadium, Grace Christian’s Patty Ekstrom was as hot as it gets.

Ekstrom, a senior forward, picked up a first-half hat trick, scoring all three of his goals in the first 30 minutes to help the Grizzlies upend Wasilla 3-2 in Northern Lights Conference play.

“Grace is a quality side,” Wasilla coach Blake Livingston said after watching Ekstrom slice through his team’s shaky defense early and often for the Grizzlies.

Ekstrom put the Grizzlies up 1-0 just five minutes into the game, taking advantage of poor communication on the back line for his first strike of the game. He then did the same at the 20-minute mark, and once again 10 minutes later.

“They took advantage in the first half, and we had some breakdowns,” Livingston said of his squad, which fell to 1-1-1 on the season.

After seeing its hopes of remaining undefeated nearly dashed in all of a half-hour, the Warriors gamely fought back, controlling much of the run of play from that point on. In fact, following Ekstrom’s third goal, Grace rarely was able to move the ball into the Wasilla half of the field.

Wasilla’s refusal to fold after falling behind eventually started to pay dividends, with senior forward Joe Barkley drawing a penalty kick when Grace goalie Caleb Davis was ruled to have interfered with Barkley’s run into the box.

Because players must leave the field following a yellow card, Grace backup goalie Taylor West was forced to enter the game to face junior Aaron Sharrow’s penalty kick, which sailed cleanly inside the post to cut the lead to 3-1, 10 minutes into the second half.

Nine minutes later, it was Barkley again forcing the action, this time getting on the end of a long, looping cross from fellow senior Harvey Finch to make it 3-2 with more than 30 minutes left to play.

“We dug ourselves out of a hole,” Livingston said.

Well, almost.

Grace fell into a defensive formation after Barkely’s goal, continually thwarting Wasilla runs by forcing the action outside and protecting Davis’ line the rest of the way.

Livingston said the loss shows his team — which won the NLC and advanced to the state tournament a year ago — still has a ways to go before hitting the stride it reached last season.

“We’re still trying to find our chemistry,” he said.

And with the Warriors playing only their third game of the season, Livingston said it’s too early in the season to start pushing the panic button.

“You’re going to have these growing pains,” the coach said.

Wasilla hosts NLC foe Skyview today at 5 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Field.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com

GRACE CHRISTIAN 3, WASILLA 2

Thursday, Anchorage Football Stadium

Grace (3) — Ekstrom (5), Ekstrom (20), Ekstrom (30).

Wasilla (2) — Sharrow (50, pk), Barkley, (59).

Yellow cards — Wasilla 2, Grace 2.