Using a goal and an assist from Bailey Butcher and additional goals from Morgan Hooe and Kylie Street, the Wolverines dominated the Lynx in a 3-0 win.
"It's the best ending you could ask for," said South senior team captain Elizabeth Matthews. "I think this was definitely one of our best games."
One day removed from a 110-minute semifinal shootout victory over Chugiak, the Lynx never mounted much of a charge aside from a few early scoring opportunities. But Dimond coach Terry Curran said he didn't think fatigue was a factor in Saturday's loss.
"We were just out of our game," he said. "We gave it a good effort. That's all you can ask."
Butcher put the Wolverines on the board in the 13th minute when she capitalized on an unexpected opportunity. With Dimond trying to clear the ball out of its zone, the ball somehow came to Butcher, who deposited a shot from close range.
"That was actually a mistake on their part," Butcher said. "Right place, right time."
South's second goal was the prettiest, a bomb from Hooe in the 69th minute. Kaitlyn Zanders set up Hooe with a nice pass to the left side of the field and Hooe let fly from about 30 yards out with the wind at her back. The ball zipped into the netting at the far post, all but sealing the victory.
The teamwork was superb throughout the match, said Butcher.
"If somebody made a mistake, it didn't matter because somebody was there to get it back," she said.
Nowhere did the teamwork show up more than on defense. Nearly every time it looked like Dimond was breaking through for a possible run to the net, a South defender seemed to come in and disrupt the flow of the play.
"We have the most amazing defense," senior team captain Lexy Cardwell said. "No matter what, we trust each other."
South's third goal came with just a few minutes remaining when Street headed a pass from Butcher over the goal line from close range.
Butcher said the Wolverines felt a little nervous before the match because they knew the match could go either way. But once the match began, the whole team settled into a groove, she said.
"I think all of us played with great confidence and composure," Butcher said. "We all played with our hearts."
Reach Jeremy Peters at jpeters@adn.com or 257-4335.
ASAA/First National Bank
State soccer championships
All-state team
Chugiak -- Kelly Cobb, Holly Brehmer. Dimond -- Lizzie Gogolowski, Bobbye Pendleton, Alexis Rogers. Juneau -- Sarah Tarver, Dorothy Rogers. Solana Ashe. South -- Bailey Butcher, Colleen Carpenter, Morgan Hooe, Sarah Johnson. Wasilla -- Kendra Minor. West Valley -- Malia Simpson.
Third place
Juneau 2, Chugiak 1
Fourth place
West Valley 2, Wasilla 0
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