Crimson Bears girls run Malemutes into turf
- Klas Stolpe
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
JDHS soccer team topples Railbelt Conference foe Lathrop 4-0
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears girls soccer team continued its early-season success with a 4-0 win over Railbelt Conference rival Lathrop on Wednesday at the Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park pitch.
JDHS senior forward Peyton Wheeler led the way with two goals and the Crimson Bears' defense provided a safe haven for Crimson Bears senior goalkeepers Raynona Fraker and Tearamae Alexander as the Malemutes did not put a contending shot on frame.
“It is definitely a team effort,” Wheeler said. “The team is working really hard to win the ball in the middle and then they are distributing the ball either out or back up for me, and I am just getting on the end of it. But it is really a big team effort, not just me.”
Wheeler (14 shots during the game) and junior forward Riley Schultz (4 shots) put the first four shots against Lathrop freshman goalkeeper Kinsey Greninger. JDHS freshman Maddie Dale (7 shots) followed with a shot off the crossbar and another into Greninger’s arms.
The Crimson Bears broke into the scoring column on a Wheeler corner kick that sophomore Zoe Tagsip (2 shots) followed in to blast in for a 1-0 lead with 23 minutes left in the first half. Schultz had the assist with the first play off the corner shot.
Tagsip earned the team's Hard Hat award.
“Her and Riley (Shultz) are doing a fantastic job so far this season playing the ‘six,’ it is a lot of work,” JDHS coach Matt Dusenberry said. “And they are also having to see who should be putting pressure on the ball and who should be the attacking one of the two. Zoe ended up getting on the stat sheet with a goal and some assists, found teammates, won the ball and came with energy.”
The "six" refers to the holding-midfielder position. The reference was originated by the Dutch national teams where positions have numbers and, in some cases, jerseys reflect the position.
“I think we could, honestly, do way better,” Tagsip said. “I still feel like we did pretty good and I am really proud of our freshmen and for the way they came out today, not being scared.”
Tagsip noted the hardest part of her position.
“Running,” Tagsip said. “I am not the most conditioned person ever. Running can be a little hard for me.”
JDHS continued through the first half with a dozen shots while limiting Lathrop to just two.
Crimson Bears sophomore Ayla Erickson (7 shots) connected from 20 yards, unassisted, straight out from the Lathrop keeper for a 2-0 lead with six minutes left in the first half.
All the action at the opponent's net has meant fewer shots on the JDHS goal.
“I think we are trying to win the ball early,” Wheeler said. “Like from the ‘sixes,’ they want to win the ball first and let nothing go over them. And if it does go back our defense is really strong. They now how to distribute it out quickly so our goalie doesn’t have to work so hard.”
The JDHS defensive prowess continued in the second half, allowing Wheeler to score twice.
Five minutes into the action Wheeler took a pass from Tagsip, dribbled past a defender, faked the keeper, and dribbled just a yard away from the Malemutes' net before kicking in the 3-0 lead.
JDHS shots continued until Wheeler hit from 10 yards out, assisted by Tagsip, for the 4-0 tally with 15 minutes left to play.
JDHS senior Kenzie Simonson had four shots on goal, junior Claire Overson and freshmen Hailey Romero and Maya Mothershead one each.
“We did come into the game flat,” JDHS coach Dusenberry said. “It started in warmups. I thought we played flat for a while and then we started to get a little more energy. And we let the ball do the work and I think that opened things up for us to be able to find the net.”
He noted the team was working on “our own movements and how we should read things, and then maybe try to see them quicker and play them quicker.”
Once again the entire player rotation were credited for their team defense, especially the back field positions.
Wheeler and Erickson spent 80 minutes of action of the pitch, Tagsip 72, Schultz and sophomore Marigold Lindoff 70 apiece, sophomore Nellie Stowers 67, Dale and Simonson 60 apiece, Overson 56, senior Piper Blackgoat Diehl 55, Fraker and T. Alexander 40 apiece, Mothershead 30, junior Kate Bovitz 25, Romero 22, freshmen Emma Kovach and Mia Alexander 20 apiece, sophomore Cooper Blackgoat Diehl 13 and freshman Amaya Henderson eight.
Lathrop has lost to Colony 6-0 and Wasilla 5-0 for their 0-3 RBC standing. JDHS (4-1 overall) has a 1-0 RBC record. They have defeated Ketchikan 5-1 and 5-1 and Chugiak 3-2. Their lone loss is to Chugiak 4-3.
The two sides play again at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, followed by the Crimson Bears and Malemutes boys game.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
