Soccer in March???

The snow is still falling. And depending on where in the state you are, there might just be some ash falling too. But prep soccer squads hit the turf for the first time on Friday.

Yes, Friday. March 27 to be exact.

You think I’m crazy, right?

What’s the catch, you ask?

The catch: it was four Anchorage area squads that took the field inside the big city’s comfortable climate controlled shell known as The Dome at Change Point.

The Dimond girls edged East Anchorage 1-0 and the Chugiak girls walloped Bartlett 9-0 on Friday in the first prep soccer games of the year in Alaska.

So mark this day on your calendar soccer fans — March 27. But how long will Valley fans have to wait for their prep soccer squads hit the pitch?

The dome-less and turf-less Valley teams will have to wait about a month. And that’s if the snow melts by then.

The Colony boys are the first team on the soccer schedule with a planned trip to the big city to face Service at Anchorage Football Stadium on April 15. The Houston boys and girls squads have a road date in Kenai on April 18. The Wasilla girls start the season on April 20 at Chugiak. The Palmer boys and girls are slated to host Skyview on April 23. The Wasilla boys and Colony girls have the latest start dates of the year with each of their first games on April 24.

So that means teams from Dimond, East, Chugiak and Bartlett have games at least 22 days before any Valley squad takes the field.

Advantage Anchorage? I’d think so.

Seems to me as if the Valley soccer teams are getting the raw end of this deal once again.

— Jeremiah Bartz