Soldotna Stars need help to edge Knights 4-3

PALMER — Colony put five balls into the back of the net Friday night.

The only problem was two of those scores came in their own goal.

Sparked by a pair of early Colony own goals, Soldotna posted a 4-3 win over the Knights at Colony High School.

“We made a few key mistakes,” Colony head coach Jeremy Johnson said. “That’s why we lost the match.”

Despite the loss, Johnson said he felt good about the play of his team, which outshot Soldotna 20-6 in the match.

“That’s the most positive we can feel about the loss,” Johnson said.

After Colony put itself in a two-goal hole by knocking a pair of kicks into its own net during the first 25 minutes of play, Colony scored twice within a three-minute span to tie the game at 2-2.

“To their credit, the boys fought back,” Johnson said.

The Northern Lights Conference rivals traded goals late in the half to tie the game at 3-3, but despite a number of quality chances, the Knights couldn’t crack Soldotna goalkeeper Daniel Geller during the final 40 minutes of play.

“They had some good opportunities, they just didn’t connect with them,” Soldotna head coach Jeff Siemers said. “We had some real good goalkeeping as well as (real good play from) our defensive line.”

Blaine Carver, who posted the hat trick for the second consecutive night, led the Stars with three goals. Carver followed in Colony’s first own goal during the second minute, gave the Stars the 3-2 lead in the 32nd and scored the game-winner when he sprinted up the right side of the field and put a shot into the far side of the net two minutes into the second half.

“We gave up that unfortunate goal in the second half,” Johnson said of Soldotna’s fourth goal of the game.

Dawson Pearson, who booted a free kick from about 40 yards out during the 25th minute, was credited for Colony’s second own goal of the game.

Thanks to the CHS miscues, Soldotna led 1-0 after the second minute and 2-0 at the 25th. Siemers said it’s good to get the early lead, regardless of how the goal is scored.

“Anytime we can score first, it’s going to feel good,” Siemers said.

Colony needed just two minutes to answer Pearson’s score. After a Colony shot bounced off the crossbar during the 27th minute, Knights senior Tim Jaronik crashed the net to cut Soldotna’s lead to one.

Three minutes later, sophomore James Meaney used a header to knock an Oliver Querin corner kick past Geller.

After Carver gave Soldotna the temporary 3-2 lead during the 32nd minute, Colony’s Aaron Richardson sent a hard shot into the net to tie the game at 3-3.

During the final 10 minutes of the game, Colony had a handful of chances to tie the game. Senior Cody Fritz sent a hard shot just to the left of the far post during the 75th minute. On the ensuing Colony possession, senior Collin Murphy used a header to redirect a long free kick, but that shot was scooped up by Geller.

The Soldotna keeper fumbled a hard shot by Bridger Van Ness with two minutes to play, but was able to grab the ball before Murphy crashed the net.

During the final minute, a Richardson free kick sailed just over the goal.

“They out-possesed us in the last 10 minutes or so,” Siemers said. “They had a really good push, but Daniel Geller had a good game with a lot of good saves.”

Colony 5, Kenai 1

PALMER — Colony used three first-half goals to post a 5-1 win over Kenai at Colony High School on Saturday.

Aaron Richardson scored on an early penalty kick, and Jesse McKee and Logan Smith added first-half goals.

Dylan Crawford and James Meaney scored in the second half for the Knights, who improved to 8-1-1 overall.

Kenai (3-2-2) scored its lone goal in the second half.

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