Warriors extend streak

WASILLA — Kenai kept calling Borja Angoitia’s number. “Watch No. 9,” echoed from the Kardinals sideline throughout the game. But when Wasilla called upon Angoitia, the junior striker answered.

Angoitia scored the match-winning goal during the final minute of play to give the Warriors the 3-2 win over the Kenai Kardinals at Wasilla High’s Veterans Memorial Field on Thursday.

“People just ignored him for whatever reason,” Kenai head coach David Landry said of Angoitia, who tallied his second-game winner in three days. “If you see somebody open, you got to put somebody on him.”

Angoitia, who scored the lone goal of the match during a 1-0 win over Palmer on Tuesday, found enough space to make an adjustment on the ball and use a high kick with his right leg to knock a Tillerman Kroon indirect free kick from center field into the upper right side of the goal.

“You can’t really teach that last finish,” Wasilla head coach Blake Livingston said. “Tillerman sent a great ball into the box. Fortunately, Borja was there on the receiving end.”

Jose Sorto and Bradley Primmer also scored to help Wasilla improve to 4-2-1 overall.

Cody Woodcock and Michael Morin scored for Kenai (2-1-2).

Kenai took the lead twice during the first half.

Set up by a Justin Callhoun throw-in, Woodcock pushed a lazy shot over the finger tips of Wasilla goalkeeper Eli Tingstad to give the Kards the 1-0 advantage during the 20th minute.

After Sorto scored during the 29th minute, Morin used a header to knock in a Javier Gueri cross from the right side to give Kenai the 2-1 lead during the 38th minute.

Primmer tied the game for the Warriors at 2-2 when he hammered home the rebound of an Angoitia shot four minutes into the second half.

“Borja got a pretty good hit on it and (Bradley) was in the right spot,” Livingston said. “Opportunistic.”

Angoitia’s shot on the play followed a Paul Sliwa corner kick.

Matthew Friese set up Sorta’s goal in the first half. Friese was able to drive the ball deep into the box and dropped a quick pass over to Sorta, who buried a shot into the far side of the Kenai net.

After Primmer’s goal, the Northern Lights Conference rivals played more than 35 minutes of scoreless soccer.

“I think both sides battled evenly,” Landry said. “We’re a young side, this is only our fifth game. We’re still learning what we’re capable of doing and what we’re incapable of doing.”

Landry said the Kardinals, who play Wasilla, Palmer and Colony during a three-day stay in the Valley, hope to use this weekend as a primer for the upcoming NLC Championships tournament. Wasilla, which has won four straight after settling for a tie during its first three matches of the season, is hoping to build on the victory.

“Kenai is a quality side. This was a really good test for us,” Livingston said. “Hopefully we can carry this momentum.”

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