Wasilla Lake Christian hosting co-ed state soccer tourney

PALMER — Most high school soccer players are accustomed to hitting the field during the spring months. But one local school’s soccer season falls during the fall months.

Wasilla Lake Christian is hosting the ASAA Co-Ed State Soccer Tournament at the Sherrod Soccer Complex in Palmer this weekend.

“We’re the complete opposite,” Wasilla Lake soccer coach Michelle Sande said of her team’s season compared to the seasons for schools such as Palmer, Colony, Houston and Wasilla. “We start out with the nice weather. They finish with the nice weather.”

Wasilla Lake is one of eight teams competing in the tourney, which started Thursday afternoon. Cook Inlet Academy, Delta, Lumen Christi, Tri Valley, Susitna Valley, Holy Rosary and Nenana are also in the field of teams.

Sande said the fall soccer season at Wasilla Lake is celebrated like football at the big Valley schools. Of the 40 students at the school, 18 are on the co-ed soccer team. Wasilla Lake continues play today at 10 a.m. against Nenana. Since nearly half the school will be playing at the game, school officials will be bringing all of the students to the field to watch the game.

Wasilla Lake opened its tournament with a 3-3 tie against Tri Valley. Senior Braden Thorn, junior Jake Palmberg and sophomore Dustie Flanders scored goals for Wasilla Lake.

The team will play twice today. In addition to the Nenena match, Wasilla Lake will play Cook Inlet Academy at 3:45 p.m.

There are eight matches scheduled for today. Results from the first two days of the tournament will determine seeding for Saturday’s action. Matches start today at 9:30 a.m. The final match of the day is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

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