Warriors make a statement

April 22, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz

Frontiersman

WASILLA -With 12 seniors and nine starters returning from a squad that advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament last year, Wasilla wanted to make the statement - the Warriors are going to be a force to deal with - in the season opener against Palmer on Friday.

&#8220We came in talking about how we wanted to send a message,” Wasilla senior Jordan Ingalls said after his team's 4-0 win over the Moose at WHS. &#8220I think we did that pretty well.”

While delivering that message, Ingalls posted a hat trick in the win, and the sturdy Warrior defense pretty much completely shut down the young Moose squad.

While Ingalls enjoyed many of the heroics on offense, he left the credit for the defense.

&#8220Our defense played perfectly. They didn't let much through,” Ingalls said. &#8220We build our team from the back.”

Wasilla head coach Blake Livingston credited the likes of seniors Jeff Champion, Michael Maestas and David Kellner-Rode with leading the defensive effort.

&#8220For us, it all starts in back,” Livingston said. &#8220I thought those guys did a great job.”

It was a back-and-forth game for about the 15 minutes of play, but midway through the first half the Warriors settled into their defensive gameplan.

In the second half there were long stretches where the ball didn't leave Wasilla's offensive zone.

&#8220We definitely play possession a lot more than we used to,” Ingalls said. &#8220We're used to have a bunch of athletes suit up. But now that we've been building all these years, we've got all soccer

players.”

The ability to maintain possession allowed the Warrior offense to put consistent pressure on the Palmer net, and Moose keeper Vinney Salls.

Ingalls gave the Warriors the 1-0 advantage in the 10th minute by using a header to convert a long Tylor Tingstad pass.

&#8220Tylor (had) the beautiful cross, and that header -

that's just Jordan,” Livingston said.

Streaking down the left side of the field, about 25 yards from the Moose goal, Tingstad sent a deep pass to Ingalls, who was crashing the Palmer net. With only a few feet to work with, Ingalls squeezed the header between the post and Salls.

&#8220(Tylor) put the ball in perfectly,” Ingalls said. &#8220All I had to do was put a head on it.”

Ingalls said a goal of his team was to take advantage of the outsides on the field, and that score was a ideal example.

&#8220We talked about Palmer putting all of their good guys in the middle, and talked about playing the outsides,” Ingalls said.

Ingalls gave Wasilla the 2-0 lead nine minutes after his first score.

Junior Jimmy Sliwa pushed the ball up the field to Ingalls, who was right in front of the net and in position to grab the score.

Ingalls completed his hat trick early in the second half.

Senior John Pahkala put a shot on net and Salls made the save, but the ball got away from the Palmer keeper and Ingalls was there to convert the rebound.

Pahkala had two assists in the game.

The midfielder also set up Wasilla's fourth goal, a Joe Barkley score.

Late in regulation, Barkley followed a Pahkala corner kick into the Palmer net.

&#8220It was a grinder goal,”

Livingston said.

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