Prep boys soccer: First-half surge leads Colony boys to win

May 18, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

COLONY - According to Colony head coach Jeremy Johnson, the Knights have had a few &#8220discussions” recently about their effort in matches.

Apparently, something from the talks stuck with the Knights.

Colony scored four first-half goals en route to a 4-0 win over Palmer at Colony High School on Thursday.

&#8220They finally decided they needed to put a little more heart in it,” Johnson said after the win. &#8220We knew we had a pretty skilled team, but I didn't feel like we have been putting in the effort.”

Senior Nathan Kowalczk, junior Tim Jaronik, sophomore Bridger Van Ness and freshman Oliver Querin each scored for the Knights.

Kowalczk, Colony's senior captain playing in his final game on the CHS football field, scored in the ninth minute to help the Knights capture the momentum.

With a crowd of Knights in front of the Moose net, Kowalczk knocked a ball into the back of the goal.

Just three minutes later, Jaronik gave the Knights the two-goal advantage.

Sophomore Cody Fritz set up the Jaronik goal. Fritz set a short pass backward to Jaronik, who blasted the ball into the Palmer net.

Jaronik used a looping cross to set up Colony's fourth goal.

Late in the first half, Jaronik streaked down the right side of the field and beat a pair of Palmer defenders. In what looked like simply an effort to keep the ball in play, Jaronik sent a high pass toward the Palmer net. The ball sailed over the head of Moose goalkeeper Vinney Salls, and Querin was at the backside of the net to knock in the rebound.

Van Ness used a high arcing shot to register his goal. In the 24th minute of play, the sophomore sent a lofting kick into the upper right corner of the net.

Freshman Gordon Krueger had a goal disallowed in the second half. The delayed, and slightly controversial, call came moments after Krueger knocked a header into the Moose net.

Freshman Elliot Gilbert earned the shutout in goal for the Knights.

Colony is now 2-0-1 in the North Division of the Northern Lights Conference, and now prepares for its regular-season ending showdown with undefeated Wasilla at Wasilla High School on Saturday.

Wasilla is 3-0-0 in North Division play, and defeated Colony 5-1 in a nonconference match early in the season.

In that game, Wasilla used set pieces to score each of its five goals. Johnson said stopping those plays are crucial if the Knights hope to knock off the Warriors.

&#8220We really need to control them on their set plays,” Johnson said. &#8220That's what they beat us on last time - their throw-ins and corner kicks. Nobody scored on the actual run of play.”

The Valley rivals meet at noon Saturday at Wasilla High School.

Colony 11, Houston 0

Nine different players scored as the Knights rolled to an 11-0 win over the Houston Hawks at Houston High School on Tuesday.

Oliver Querin and Cody Fritz each posted a pair of goals for CHS.

Nutt Jaruvongvanich, Timm Fuechtenicht, Dylan Crawford, Xavier Irwin, Aaron Richardson, Gordon Krueger and Jess McKee also scored.

Jessie Krey and Elliot Gilbert shared the shutout in the Colony net.

Gilbert played the first 20 minutes, while Krey was in net for the final 60 minutes of regulation.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.