JDHS soccer teams battle through Wednesday road games
- Klas Stolpe
- 9 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Crimson Bears play at Fairbanks' West Valley, girls win 1-0, boys fall 1-0
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
Sunny skies greeted the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé girls and boys varsity soccer teams on the road at Fairbanks on Wednesday as the Crimson Bears battled Railbelt Conference foes West Valley Wolfpack.
The JDHS girls took to the pitch first and went through a scoreless first half before junior striker Claire Overson scored in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Overson took a pass across the pitch from senior striker Peyton Wheeler, battling through traffic to get her foot on the ball and put it in the back of the net.
That goal would stand for the win. JDHS improves to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the RBC. West Valley is 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the RBC.
“Some of us remember last season and it wasn’t the strongest season for us,” JDHS girls coach Matt Dusenberry said. “So I think the girls are feeling like this is a new chapter for them. It is nice to build confidence in our play. We are looking forward to being able to play tomorrow and if we get a result than we are really helping ourselves…One of our goals was making sure we qualify for state this year.”
JDHS did not make the state cut last season, finishing fifth in the RBC at 2-6 (5-9-1 overall). Four losses to end the season — to Lathrop, West Valley (by a goal), and two to Wasilla (one via a goal) — kept them out of the state playoffs.
“There is lots of season to be played,” Dusenberry said. “But to see our conference have a bit of success right now against ASD (Anchorage School District) teams and Chugiak having success playing some of the top teams as well, our conference is looking like four teams from our conference and four from ASD will be in state this year. But that is based on early results. All of that can change.”
Senior goalkeeper Tearamae Alexander earned the team’s Hard Hat award for the game. Alexander was faced with a one-on-one attack from West Valley’s top striker in the box and got a foot on the ball to deflect it away. She recorded seven saves in the game.
“We weren’t sure what was going to happen with the goalkeeping position this year,” Dusenberry said. “And Tearamae, who has been a field player her whole career, willingly volunteered to work with coach Phil (Subeldia) to learn the goalkeeping position...Tearamae had a great save tonight. She didn’t get her hands on it, but she stayed low and got a kick save, which was awesome.”
Wheeler, junior Riley Schultz and sophomore Ayla Erickson had four shots each. With a travel roster, Wheeler, Schultz, Erickson, senior Kenzie Simonson and sophomores Nellie Stowers and Marigold Lindoff played 80 minutes each. Senior Pipler Blackgoat Diehl 78, sophomore Zoe Tagsip 75, freshman Maya Mothershead 57, freshman Mia Alexander 27, junior Kate Bovitz 19 and freshman Hailey Romero nine.
Dusenberry noted that the team played well after traveling all day. Aside from the normal starting roster, freshman midfielder Maya Mothershead filled from the start for freshman striker Maddie Dale who is attending a state club wrestling championship.
The JDHS boys played their strongest opponent of the season to date and, despite a day of travel, were in the thick of play throughout.
West Valley scored a goal in the first eight minutes of action and that would stand. Wolfpack sophomore Jonas Wilhelm put the shot in, assisted by senior Koen Aitken.
“We got on our heels,” JDHS coach Gary Lehnhart said. “They are an old team. They are an experienced team. I knew we were going to have trouble with the way they play and we chased the ball all over the place. Our inexperience really showed. We got quite and they overwhelmed us a bit.”
JDHS sophomore goalkeeper Callan Walker prevented what could have been a major deficit with stoppage time in the first half. West Valley had the run of the pitch and the opportunity to reach a passed ball for a one-on-one shot, but Walker found another gear, left the goal mouth, and smothered the ball. Walker would tally four saves in the game.
“That kid made an incredible run,” Lehnhart said. “I pointed that out to our kids, he ran by three of our guys. Actually that was kind of the impetus behind us playing so much better in the second half…We had subbed liberally in the first half and I told them I was disappointed that one of their players that had played the whole half was running by all of us who were supposed to be fresh.”
The JDHS defense continues to be an admirable part of the Crimson Bears.
Lehnhart noted that freshmen Elijah Edgar, Imanol Vera and Andrew Koverdan, and senior Kaiden Odenheimer all provided solid work off the bench in the first half.
“I thought we got better with our subs actually,” Lehnhart said. “That is good to see. And then in the second half we played much better. We grew up a little bit today. Never like to lose, but you like to see your team get better. We have a ways to go because there are other teams as good as or better than West Valley. But it was a step in the right direction.”
JDHS is now 2-1 in the Railbelt (3-1-1 overall) and West Valley is 3-0 (3-1 overall). The two teams play again on Thursday.
“If we come away with a win I would be ecstatic,” Lehnhart said. “But at this point of the season I am more concerned about whether we are learning from our mistakes and making progress as a team, in both the way we play together and the way we play in general...It can play in our favor if we start realizing we have things to learn and we are an unfinished product.”
Vera received the team’s Lunch Box award for doing all the little things from the #10 position. The freshman relieved standout junior center-midfielder Maddox Carroll who is still recovering — and playing — through an injury.
“I just had a gut feeling that he could do it,” Lehnhart said. “I wouldn’t normally put a freshman in that situation, but he went in there and did the job in a really satisfactory manner...And against a team like that with some really talented mids he more than held his own.”
Senior Jesper Bennetsen totaled 80 minutes of action and continues to provide the performance expected from the Crimson Bears. Junior Ibrahima Diouf played 70, senior Ethan Van Kirk 65, senior Noah Ault 65, junior Sam Mazon 62, senior Elliot Welch 60, Carroll 60, sophomore Troy Edgar 60, senior Kevin Flores-Lopes 55, Vera 45, sophomore Bryce Haygood 43, senior Erik Thompson 40, K. Odenheimer 40, E. Edgar 33 and Koverdan 30.
The JDHS boys and girls will play West Valley again on Thursday and North Pole on Friday.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
