Spring snowfall threw the high school soccer weekend into chaos in the Anchorage and Valley regions as teams scrambled to find suitable fields to compete on.
Both Kenai Central teams had games against Grace Christian canceled, while both Seward teams had games with Redington and Houston scrapped entirely.
The Soldotna boys and girls got in games with Grace Christian, but moved locations to the indoor confines of The Dome in Anchorage.
Nikiski had to scrap a pair of varsity games Friday with Houston and Saturday with Redington, but the Bulldogs managed to get something out of the weekend with rescheduled games Saturday afternoon with Houston.
Nikiski boys 4, Houston 2
The Nikiski boys won a rescheduled game Saturday against Houston, pushing the Bulldogs to 2-2 overall this year.
Gavin White netted two second-half goals to break a tie and secure the win for Nikiski. In the first half, Isaiah Gray and Michael Mysing scored for Nikiski, but Houston answered each time to forge a 2-2 tie at halftime. Houston tallied one goal on a penalty kick.
“I think we underestimated (Houston), but I yelled at them at halftime,” said Nikiski head coach Harrison Deveer. “The first half was really competitive, but the second half the guys really stepped up.”
Nikiski girls 1, Houston 1
The Bulldogs beat the Hawks to move to 0-3-1 this year.
Tawnisha Freeman scored for Nikiski with an assist from America Jeffreys. Jeffreys tallied two goals in a 3-3 tie Thursday against Palmer.
Thunder Mountain boys 2, Homer 1
Ethan Pitzman scored for Homer in a nonconference game Saturday in Juneau, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Falcons.
Clayton Beachy made six saves on eight shots in goal for the Mariners, who dropped to 3-3-2 overall in 2019.
Homer girls 0, Thunder Mountain 0
Ali McCarron helped carry the Homer girls to a scoreless draw Saturday in Juneau. The team’s fourth tie result of the year left the Mariners at 3-1-4 overall.
FRIDAY
Juneau girls 11, Homer 0
The Mariners fell in a lopsided score Friday evening to the Crimson Bears in a nonconference game in Juneau. The loss was Homer’s first of the season.
Juneau’s Michaela Bentley led the Crimson Bears with four goals and an assist, while Malia Miller added three goals with an assist and Eva Goering scored twice.
Juneau boys 2, Homer 1
The Crimson Bears secured a nonconference win Friday night over the Mariners between two Div. II opponents.
Soldotna girls 4, Grace 0
The Stars crafted a shutout over the Grizzlies Friday afternoon at The Dome in Anchorage after the game was moved due to a spring snowfall.
Ryann Cannava, Meijan Leaf, Rhys Cannava and Jordan Strausbaugh all tallied goals for SoHi (4-1-1 overall). Rhys Cannava scored hers on a penalty kick, and the Stars also got assists from Haley Buckbee, Sierra Kuntz and each of the Cannavas.
Katie Delker and Margarida Mendoca shared the clean sheet in goal.
Soldotna boys 3, Grace 0
Josh Heiber tallied two goals for SoHi in Friday’s nonconference win over the Grizzlies.
Alex Montague also scored for the Stars (5-2 overall), and Heiber and Montague each also notched an assist, along with Kaleb Swank.
Hunter Woodward earned the shutout in goal.
