Prep soccer: Warriors sweep Palmer

ANCHORGE — When Paul Sliwa, the 2011 Northern Lights Conference Player of the Year, graduated last year, the Wasilla Warriors lost a player who could carry his team offensively in any match.

But it looks like the Warriors have another athlete eager to fill the void.

Junior Kyler Perry scored four goals to lead the Warriors to a 6-1 win over rival Palmer Wednesday at The Dome in Anchorage.

“Kyler is such a dynamic player. He presents a lot of problems for the other side,” Wasilla head coach Blake Livingston said. “He does feel some weight on his shoulders, but he also seems to embrace it.”

Perry scored a pair of early goals to give his team the 2-0 lead, and had a hat trick by halftime. The junior scored his fourth goal during the second half.

“He was doing a little bit of everything,” Livingston said. “He put in a stellar performance.”

Cash McGregor and Ethan Keenan also scored for Wasilla.

Palmer, which converted a penalty kick late in the game, had a key opportunity early, Livingston said. Palmer’s Nick Blohm hit a post on a free kick within the first five minutes of play.

“He scores from there, and it might have been a different game,” Livingston said.

Perry later gave the Warriors the 1-0 lead.

“Once we scored our first goal, we just gained the momentum,” Livingston said.

The Warriors improved to 1-2-0 with the win.

Wasilla girls 3, Palmer 0

ANCHORAGE — Wasilla scored three times during the second half to earn a 3-0 win over the Palmer Moose at The Dome in Anchorage Wednesday morning.

Despite the score, Palmer head coach Harmony Chadwick was pleased with her team, which was making its 2012 debut.

“(The score) does not reflect how fabulous of a game it was between both teams,” Chadwick said.

Freshman Alexa Starr, who bagged the game-winner against Colony last week, added two goals an assist during the win over the Moose. Josie Fletcher also scored for Wasilla.

First-year head coach Patrick O’Neill said halftime adjustments helped Wasilla have more success on the offensive end during the second half.

“The played kind of a tight formation. We talked at halftime and told them to relax and take time, stay spread out and have some good attacking chances,” O’Neill said.

Fletcher gave the Warriors the 1-0 lead about 15 minutes into the second half. Fletcher took a cross from Starr, and knocked the ball into the back of the net.

Later in the match, Starr came down the left side of the field and blasted a shot inside the near post from about 12 yards out. Starr capped the scoring, with another shot from the left side of the field, just inside the box.

Palmer’s best chance may have come with an Elliot Perkins shot in the second half. Perkins knocked a shot off the post.

“That could have been game changing,” Chadwick said.

O’Neill agreed.

“That could have changed momentum. They were gaining confidence in the first half,” O’Neill said.

Crystal Branson earned the shutout in the Wasilla goal.

Full week of soccer ahead

MAT-SU — The Mat-Su Valley could see its first full week of prep soccer next week.

Palmer girls soccer coach Harmony Chadwick said conditions are good at Palmer High, and the Moose are expected to host Houston Tuesday.

The girls will play at 4 p.m., and the boys will play at 6 p.m.

Colony and Palmer are scheduled to play in Anchorage at The Dome on Wednesday, with the boys meeting at 10:30 a.m. and the girls facing off at 12:30 p.m.

Palmer is also scheduled to host Skyview on Friday and Homer on Saturday.

Wasilla is scheduled to host Homer on Thursday, travel to Anchorage to face Grace Christian School on Friday and host Houston on Saturday.

Colony is scheduled to host Homer on Friday and Skyview on Saturday.

Houston has home games scheduled against Skyview on Thursday and Nikiski on Friday. Earlier this week, the head coaches of the Houston boys and girls soccer teams said a significant amount of snow was still standing on the team’s game field.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.