Prep boys soccer: Warriors roll to NLC title

May 27, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - In its final game of the regular season, the Wasilla boys saw their undefeated season spoiled by cross-Valley rival Colony. After hoisting the Northern Lights Conference tournament trophy Saturday, Wasilla players said that loss was the best thing that could have happened to them.

&#8220We didn't really feel like a family,” Wasilla senior - and NLC Player of the Year - Jordan Ingalls said of the Colony loss. &#8220It was a reality check.”

Wasilla's team spirit was on display early and often in Saturday's championship win over Kenai Central, as three different players scored in the Warriors' dominant 3-0 championship win.

Wasilla midfielder John Pahkala headed in an Aaron Sharrow throw in the 21st minute to put the Warriors up 1-0 and effectively end any hopes of a Kardinal miracle. Wasilla was simply too fast and physical for Kenai, which was playing in its first NLC final.

&#8220Wasilla is clearly the best team in the region,” Kenai coach Dave Landry said following the game.

Landry said he wasn't disappointed in the game's outcome, noting that Kenai still earned a berth in the state tournament next weekend.

&#8220We're still playing next week,” Landry said. &#8220I'm not disappointed.”

Wasilla went up 2-0 after midfielder Vladimir Dahl was tripped in the box by Kenai goalie Justin Wisnewski. Dahl took the ensuing penalty himself, calmly ripping his shot past Kenai's all-conference keeper to give the Warriors the big halftime lead.

Ingalls put the finishing touches on the win early in the second half, streaking past the Kenai defense in the first minute for his 24th goal of the season, adding to his Wasilla single-season record.

&#8220Jordan is amazing,” midfielder Aaron Sharrow said following the game.

Sharrow said that Wasilla was a team on a mission during the tournament, and wasn't about to have a let down against the Kardinals, a team that had tied Wasilla earlier this year.

&#8220We just really wanted this one,” Sharrow said.

Wasilla coach Blake Livingston said the win was the perfect way to erase the memory of the Colony defeat.

&#8220It couldn't have gone any better for us,” he said.

Wasilla dominated the tournament on both offense and defense, allowing just one goal while scoring 12 of their own.

&#8220They really started things today in the back,” Livingston said, singling out defenders David Kellner-Rode and Jeff Champion, along with goalie Andreas Baltes, as keys to the team's success.

Also playing well on the back line Saturday was defender Tyler Johannes, who used his height and powerful left foot to frustrate Kenai's front line.

With its defense handling any Kenai attacks, Wasilla was able to dominate in the midfield, with Sharrow, Pahkala and Jimmy Sliwa controlling the tempo and shuttling the ball forward to Ingalls and Aaron Bean up front.

&#8220I thought the guys did a really good job of utilizing our strengths,” Livingston said.

Livingston said he believes his team has a chance to make some noise at state.

&#8220I think we're definitely heading in the right direction,” he said.

That includes playing as a team, something Wasilla players credited with their impressive run through the tourney. Despite being singled out as the star of the tourney, Ingalls said the team title meant much more to him.

&#8220It feels a lot better than the MVP,” he said.

The senior striker said the title was made even more special because of the fact it came on the Warriors' home turf.

&#8220It's our last game at Veterans Field, so it was a good way to go out,” Ingalls said.

With state now ahead, Ingalls said he believes the Warriors now know how important the team concept is to their success.

&#8220We've got to stay close knit,” he said. &#8220We're the tightest group Wasilla has ever had.”

Wasilla 6, Skyview 0

Wasilla wasted little time in its first-round game against Skyview Friday afternoon, scoring less than two minutes into the contest en route to a 6-0 rout of the Panthers at Wasilla High School.

Jordan Ingalls scored in the second and 49th minutes to lead the Warriors. Also scoring for Wasilla in the win were Aaron Bean in the 14th minute, Michael Maestas in the 37th, Joe Barkley in the 60th and Vladimir Dahl in the 75th.

Wasilla 3, Soldotna 1

Aaron Bean sent a slow rolling shot toward the Soldotna net Friday evening and groaned, turning away from the ball and running back downfield. Seconds later, the Wasilla midfielder wore a look of disbelief as his teammates congratulated him on what turned out to be the game-winning goal.

&#8220I didn't even see it go in,” Bean said following Wasilla's 3-1 defeat of the Stars in the semifinals of the Northern Lights Conference soccer tournament at Wasilla High School.

Had he been watching, Bean would have seen Soldotna goalkeeper Dan Geller's anguish as the ball slipped through his fingers and into the back of the net.

&#8220It took me three or four minutes of people telling me that I'd scored for me to believe it,” Bean said.

The victory enabled Wasilla to earn a berth in the state tournament and defeat a red-hot SoHi team that had won nine consecutive games following a loss to the Warriors last month in Wasilla.

&#8220One of our goals this year was to make state,” Wasilla coach Blake Livingston said. &#8220This stamped our ticket.”

While Bean's goal may have been relatively easy, the rest of Friday's slugfest with the Stars was far from it. Four yellow cards were handed out in the opening half for rough play as the teams came out swinging.

&#8220They play blue-collar soccer just like we do,” Bean said.

Soldotna took the lead early on when midfielder Anthony Griglione slipped a pass through to orward Blaine Carver, who dribbled up the left side and fired a shot over the left shoulder of Wasilla keeper Andreas Baltes.

Refusing to collapse, however, Wasilla kept the pressure on, eventually earning a penalty kick when midfielder Aaron Sharrow was taken down in the box. NLC goal-scoring leader Jordan Ingalls had no trouble converting the penalty to even things up at 1-1 heading into the intermission.

The pace remained fast and furious in the second half, with players from both teams routinely going to the ground, only to pop back up and get back into the action. Despite a wealth of contact, however, there was hardly any diving and very few tackles that could be considered malicious. There was also plenty of skillful passing and dribbling, much to the delight of a loud and energetic crowd.

&#8220It was really physical out there,” Bean said. &#8220That's soccer in Alaska.”

Followingš the win, Blake Livingston praised his team's ability to play as a unit and work together to defeat a dangerous SoHi squad.

&#8220We feel like we're 22 players strong,” Livingston said.

He also said he was proud of his team's energy level in the semifinals, considering it was the Warriors' second game of the day.

&#8220Playing 160 minutes in one day is tough,” he said.

Five Warrior boys

named All-NLC

Senior Jordan Ingalls, who scored a school-record 21 goals during the regular season led a list of five Warriors on the 2007 All-Northern Lights Conference team.

Ingalls was also named the conference's most valuable player.

Colony's Jeremy Johnson earned coach of the year honors.

All-Northern Lights Conference team

Boys

Nathan Kowalzck, Colony, def; Bridger Van Ness, Colony, mid; Adam Headings, Grace, def; Justin Wisniewski, Kenai Central, g; Haakan Bohman, Palmer, d; Thomas Witthake, Seward, mid; Zach Walgenbach, Skyview, d; Christos Asimakopoulos, Soldotna, fwd; Kyle Van Ryzin, Soldotna, mid; Jimmy Sliwa, Wasilla, mid; John Pahkala, mid, Wasilla; Jeff Champion, Wasilla, def; Aaron Sharrow, Wasilla, mid; Jordan Ingalls, Wasilla, fwd.

MVP: Ingalls

Coach of the Year: Jeremy Johnson, Colony

Girls

Kara Larson, Colony, fwd; Sydney Stoltenberg, Colony, def; Taylor Brewer, Kenai Central, mid; Casey Coupchiak, Kenai Central, fwd; Megan Przeczewski, Grace, mid; Rachel Lucia, Grace, mid; Tess Anderson, Palmer, fwd; Jessica Wyckoff, Palmer, mid; Nicole Van Ryzin, Skyview, mid; Lauren Sennette, Soldotna, mid; Holly Perkins, Soldotna, mid; Csesalie Lease, Wasilla, mid; Erika Gavenus, Homer, def; Claire Siekaniec, Homer, mid.

MVP: Siekaniec

Coach of the Year: Brian Fish, Palmer

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