Wasilla girls make school history; WHS girls, Colony boys advance to soccer state title games

ANCHORAGE — As the final shooter, Wasilla sophomore Reese Sande stepped up to the ball, Warriors goalkeeper Aleks Kvalheim anxiously watched from a spot near the back line.

As Sande tucked her shot low in the right corner of the net, there was a brief pause followed by an eruption of emotion.

The Warriors had just made school history.

Wasilla edged West Anchorage 4-3 in penalty kicks during the tiebreaking shootout in the ASAA/First National Bank Division I Girls State Soccer Championships semifinals Friday night at Service High School in Anchorage, and the Warriors earned their first trip to the state championship game.

“My heart dropped,” Kvalheim said. “I was so stoked we won.”

Sande said for a moment she thought she might of missed the net.

“No one said anything, so I thought I lost it. Then I looked back at the team and everyone started screaming,” Sande said. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this happy for a team.”

Alexis Friesen, Nicole Catlett and Abby Crawford each scored in the shootout for the Warriors before Sande drilled the match-winner. Kvalheim made a match-saving stop during the shootout, diving to her left to reach out to make a two-hand save on a rocket ripped by West’s Sylvia Xoivong. That’s in addition to a handful of huge saves during 110 minutes of scoreless soccer. Among her biggest saves came in the final minute of the first half when she denied West’s Isabella Roberts on a short breakaway.

“That was her game,” Sande said of Kvalheim. “She was MVP.”

Friday was not the first time Kvalheim found herself in a shootout in a big situation. During her freshman season, Kvalheim was in net during Wasilla’s shootout victory in the Northern Lights Conference championship game. Kvalheim said there is pressure, but she’s not the only one the pressure is on.

“It’s kind of 50-50, because you have someone shooting on you,” Kvalheim said. “It’s their mistake or yours.”

After the win, Sande said she believes the Warriors proved something Friday.

“We stepped it up. We kind of showed what the Valley can do,” Sande said. “I think they underestimated our grit and power.”

Wasilla head coach Patrick O’Neill said the Warriors certainly showed their grit against the Eagles.

“They’re an exceptional team,” O’Neill said of the Eagles. “They play so tough to the ball. We told (our players) at halftime, it was going to take all the grit and determination.”

O’Neill lauded his team’s effort in the win.

“This is an unbelievably resilient group,” O’Neill said.

He said he’s also proud of the way his players stepped up against one of Alaska’s elite teams.

“It shows we belong in this competition,” O’Neill said. “The girls would not be denied.”

Wasilla needed to power through 80 minutes of regulation, a pair of 10-minute overtime periods, and two five-minute sudden death periods before finding a way to win in the shootout.

The key?

“Our fight,” Kvalheim said. “We never give up.”

And the win gives the Warriors an opportunity they may have not thought possible. Wasilla will play South Anchorage for the Division I state title Saturday at 5 p.m. at Service.

“I had dreams,” Kvalheim said of playing for a state title. “But I guess dreams do come true, right?”

Knights cruise to title game

The Colony Knights advance to the boys’ state title game for the fifth time in school history with a 9-1 win over Lathrop in the Division I semifinals Friday afternoon at Service High School in Anchorage.

Noah Krozel and Kyle Dearborn each scored twice in the win. Dearborn added three assists. Martin Jones, Sullivan Menard, Shawn McMillan, Mikey Shower and Simon Streuli also scored.

Colony will face Dimond Saturday at 7 p.m. in the championship. It’s a rematch of the 2014 state title game won by the Knights 3-2. Colony also won a state title in 2000.

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