High School Sports

Juneau-Douglas girls, boys roll into state soccer semifinals

Fueled by Division II points-leader Malia Miller, the defending champion Juneau-Douglas girls soccer team breezed past the Kodiak Bears 6-0 in the first round of the state tournament Thursday.

Miller, who scored two goals and recorded an assist, triggered the Juneau onslaught by scoring two minutes into the match at Service High.

Juneau’s first-half offensive barrage continued with junior Eva Goering scoring during the eighth minute, senior Brianna Jokerst scoring during the ninth minute and Miller scoring again during the 24th minute.

The top-seeded Crimson Bears moved to 17-1, while Miller pushed her 18-match points total to 93.

Juneau coach Matt Dusenberry called for his team to ease up in the second half, but Kodiak (3-3-4) couldn’t capitalize. Juneau scored two more goals at the hands of freshman Blake Plummer in the 43rd minute and sophomore Taylor Bentley in the 60th minute to breeze into Friday’s semifinals.

The win puts Juneau in a Friday semifinal match against Kenai Central, a 3-2 winner over North Pole. Second-seeded Soldotna, which blanked Palmer 4-0, will meet Thunder Mountain in the other semifinal. Thunder Mountain held off Homer 1-0.

This is the second year of the Division II state tournament, and it’s grown from six to eight teams. A year ago the Crimson Bears received a first-round bye, but Dusenberry said he was glad this year’s team had to play its way into the semifinals.

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“It’s nice to be here and play today versus last year where we had to sit and watch everybody else play soccer,” Dusenberry said. “It’s nice to be able to get the first-game-jitters and all of that stuff out now rather than when everybody else already has a game in hand already.”

In Division II boys action, two teams from Southeast came through with first-round wins.

Juneau destroyed Palmer 6-0, and Ketchikan held off Homer 2-1. In Thursday’s late games, defending champion Kenai Central faced Grace Christian and Monroe took on Thunder Mountain.

ASAA/First National Bank state soccer tournament

Division II girls

Thursday’s results

Juneau 6, Kodiak 0

Kenai Central 3, North Pole 2

Thunder Mountain 1, Homer 0

Soldotna 4, Palmer 0

Friday’s matches (location in parenthesis)

9 a.m. — Juneau vs. Kenai Central, semifinal (Service High)

9 a.m. — Kodiak vs. North Pole, loser out (West High)

11 a.m. — Soldotna vs. Thunder Mountain, semifinal (Service High)

11 a.m. — Homer vs. Palmer, loser out (West High)

Division II boys

Thursday’s results

Juneau 6, Palmer 0

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Ketchikan 2, Homer 1

Monroe vs. Thunder Mountain, late

Kenai Central vs. Grace Christian, late

Friday’s matches (location in parenthesis)

1 p.m. — Palmer vs. Monroe-Thunder Mountain loser, loser out (Eagle River)

3 p.m. — Homer vs. Kenai-Grace loser, loser out (Eagle River)

5 p.m. — Juneau vs. Monroe-Thunder Mountain winner, semifinal (West High)

7 p.m. — Ketchikan vs. Kenai-Grace winner, semifinal (West High)

Joey Carreon

Joey Carreon covers sports for the Anchorage Daily News.

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