Crimson Bears’ girls fall as Mustangs kick stoppage time goal
- Klas Stolpe
- 6 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé dealt a 4-3 loss
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
A late goal in stoppage time on the Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park soccer pitch gave the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears girls their first loss of the season on Saturday, 4-3, to the Chugiak Mustangs.
JDHS, now with three wins and one loss, and Chugiak (4-2) went toe-to-toe through the 80-plus minutes of action only to see the state’s leading scorer, Chugiak senior Mary Jo Landon, hit from 20 yards out with roughly 90 seconds left to secure the Mustangs’ win.
“It is great to be in games like this if we are thinking long term to the end of the season,” JDHS coach Matt Dusenberry said. “We hope to be in matches where we are battling and having to experience being put under and having to fight back for a result.”
Chugiak held an early advantage in possession and had the first four shots attempted, including a one-on-one attack on JDHS senior keeper Raynona Fraker that was harmlessly tucked away.
The Crimson Bears scored first on a tricky lob shot by sophomore defender Zoe Tagsip that Chugiak junior keeper Solveig Alcaraz caught, dropped and rolled onto across the scoring line with 32 minutes left in the first half.
Chugiak freshman Brooklynne Haigh hit a curving corner kick to tie the game at 1-1 with 11 minutes left in the half, and sophomore Arrianna Lubeck made it 2-1 with a double move and a stroke off her left foot with under seven minutes to play.
JDHS sophomore midfielder/forward Ayla Erickson blasted a shot from 20 yards out in first-half stoppage time to tie the game at 2-2. But Chugiak’s Landon responded by scoring her 15th goal of the season, putting two moves on defenders for a 3-2 lead.
In the second half JDHS senior Peyton Wheeler intercepted a rolling pass from the Chugiak keeper and promptly returned the ball to her via the back of the net for a 3-3 tie with 13 minutes remaining in the match.
Both teams exchanged runs and shots down through stoppage time and, with less than two minutes remaining, Chugiak’s Landon scored her 16th goal of the season from 20 yards out for the 4-3 advantage.
Each team had a missed shot and a corner in the final minute of play.
“It is unfortunate it didn’t go our way today, but I thought the kids don’t have anything to hang their heads about,” Dusenberry said. “They gave themselves opportunities…it is always unfortunate when we are trying out new things with each other and new positions and new people. We made a few mistakes that were to their benefit and I’m sure they would say they made a few mistakes that were to our benefit too. It is early in the season, so to be sitting at 3-1 you can’t complain too much to be able to have two kind of intense games for us here at home.”
Sophomore central defender Nellie Stowers earned the team’s Hard Hat award.
“She moved here from Hawaii, a Coast Guard family,” Dusenberry said. “She is new to the center back position from where she has played, but we noticed right away she was kind of a communicator and an organizer, and wasn’t afraid of things. That is perfect for a center back. She earned the award because of her tenacity, hard work, organization and just winning balls. Just being Nellie.”
JDHS, in the Division I Railbelt Conference showed it could compete with a top team from the powerful Division I Cook Inlet Conference. The Crimson Bears are marking opponents quickly and efficiently and can play physical if need be.
“Our defense definitely learned a lot this weekend,” JDHS junior forward/midfielder Riley Schultz said. “Because we had a lot of pressure. We also have a few new players in our defense so they kind of just got comfortable and, also, I had to play out of the back. I get more comfortable in the back, especially with our goalies as well…Most of the time our defensive mindset is to play out of the back. We want to play quick balls or, if they are pressing really hard, just to get it out quickly. Get it out and up so we can play safely.”
Schultz, Tagsip, Wheeler, Stowers, senior defender/midfielder Kenzie Simonson, sophomore defender Marigold Lindoff and junior defender Kate Bovitz and were on the pitch for the entire 80 minutes. Erickson and freshman forward Maddie Dale played 70 minutes apiece, junior froward Clairee Overson 65, freshman midfielder Hailey Romero 11, sophomore midfielder Gracie Snyder, and freshmen defender Emma Kovach and midfielder Maya Mothershead 10 each.
Erickson had four shots, Tagsip and Dale three apiece and Wheeler one. Fraker had eight saves in goal through the 80 minutes.
JDHS had defeated Chugiak 3-2 on Friday. The Crimson Bears will host the Lathrop Malemutes at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday and 3:15 p.m. Thursday, on the AKMP pitch.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
