Questionable call sparks Bulldogs

PALMER -- Well into Colony's season opener with Nikiski on Friday, it looked as if the Knight soccer squad was well on their way to starting the season off with a win.

Nick Russell notched a hat trick for Nikiski to help the Bulldogs erase an early 3-0 deficit and salvage a 3-3 tie. Russell scored all of his goals in the second half.

With a 3-0 lead early in the second half, the Knights settled back into their defensive game with a lead that nearly everyone thought would hold up.

Before the Knights could get too comfortable with their lead, the Bulldogs began to quickly charge back.

Midway through the second half, Russell scored his first of three goals to cut the Colony lead to 3-1. Russell put in a header past Knight goaltender Ian Walton off an inbound pass.

Controversy surrounded the play as many believed that Russell was offside on the play. Referees did not make the call and the goal stood.

"Bottom line was they missed the offside," Colony head coach Jeremy Johnson said. "In my opinion the kid was offside. The ref made the call and it stands.

"It gave them a spark."

According to soccer rules there must be a defensive player in between the closest offensive player to the goal and the goal when the ball is passed in.

Russell scored his second goal minutes later on a play similar to his first score. Russell took the inbound pass and put a header past Walton to cut the score to 3-2.

Russell tied the game and completed his hat trick with less than two minutes remaining in the contest.

Jared Sherman opened the scoring for Colony in the first half. Colony's Landon Swank booted the ball to Bryan Tomlinson from his midfield position and Tomlinson pushed the ball to Sherman. The Colony striker beat a Nikiski defensemen and the Bulldog keeper.

Tomlinson gave Colony a 2-0 lead when he put a shot in the bottom right side of the Nikiski goal.

Sherman scored his second goal of the contest early in the second half. Nick Van Kirk kicked a hard shot toward the Nikiski net that was stopped by a diving Bulldog keeper. The Van Kirk shot bounced off the chest of the leaping keeper and Sherman picked up the loose ball. The senior booted the ball into the left side of the net.

Colony's best chance to break the 3-3 tie came very late in the contest with a one-on-one opportunity for Swank. The Colony senior took the ball up close to the Nikiski net, but his bid to break the tie was stuffed by the Bulldog keeper.

Colony finished 12-5-1 last season. The Knights finished first in the region during the regular season and second in the region tournament. Colony placed fourth in the state tournament.

Among the leaders for Colony will be Van Kirk, Sherman, Swank and defenseman Joe Moss.