Wasilla, Colony girls play to tie; CHS boys win

WASILLA — After allowing three goals in a 10-minute span during the last meeting with Wasilla, Colony head coach Lorie Miner knew the Knights would have to bring a different approach the next time they saw the Warriors.

On the defensive side, the plan worked great for the Knights. But as for as the offense, the Valley rivals reached a stalemate.

Colony and Wasilla played to a scoreless draw Friday evening at Wasilla High School.

“We changed our formation for this game specifically to adapt to (Wasilla’s) speed on the outside and the top,” Miner said after the match. “We dominated that game. We dominated and controlled the field the entire time.”

On offense, Miner said the Knights moved the ball ahead, but failed to finish.

“We felt like we should have had more opportunities,” Miner said.

But she was happy with her team’s play.

“(Wasilla) had to work their butts off to come out with that tie,” Miner said.

Wasilla head coach Patrick O’Neill the Warriors need to use the experience against a tough rival and put it toward the team’s preparation for the upcoming Northern Lights Conference Championships, which start Thursday in Kenai.

“It was a good wake-up call for the girls,” O’Neill said of the Warriors, who beat Colony 5-2 earlier this year. “That game definitely had playoff intensity.”

Like Miner, O’Neill has happy with his team’s play on defense. Also like Miner, O’Neill stressed the need to finish.

“It’s a lesson for our girls. If we don’t finish our opportunities, it’s going to be tough to get through the region.”

Wasilla did earn the top seed in the NLC North, despite the tie. Colony in the No. 2 seed, followed by Grace Christian and Palmer. Wasilla and Colony are both 3-0-1 in NLC North Division play, but Wasilla’s season over Colony earlier this season — a game scheduled as a nondivision match — is the tiebreaker.

The bracket is expected to be released Monday. See the Tuesday edition of the Frontiersman for a NLC tournament schedule.

Colony boys cruise to No. 1 seed

Colony used a pair of lopsided victories to grab the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NLC tournament.

The Knights scored five first-half goals during a 6-0 victory over Palmer Saturday afternoon at Colony High School.

Ben Sande enjoyed a five-point match, netting a hat trick and two assists. Sande factored into all five first-half goals, and three during a three-minute span.

In the 29th minute, Sande took a through ball from Kyle Dearborn and scored to give the Knights a 3-0 lead. A minute later, Sande returned the favor, sending a ball through for Dearborn, who scored. In the next minute, Sande netted his third goal of the game.

Sande set up Colony’s first goal of the match, dribbling down the left side. He sent a pass across the face of the goal, and Alex Valdez tapped it in from the backdoor to give the Knights the 1-0 lead. Soon after, the duo traded roles, with Valdez delivered the pass across to feed Sande for the score.

Cade Johnstone added a goal in the second half for the Knights.

Chance Fannon and Quinn Larson split the shutout in net for Colony.

Friday, Colony scored four second-half goals during a 5-0 win over Wasilla at Wasilla High.

Sande, Valdez, Johnstone and Cameron Shaw each scored during the second half. Noah Krozel scored in the first for the Knights.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.