The Kenai Central boys and the Juneau girls extended their reigns as Alaska’s Division II soccer champions on Saturday.
Kenai used a sudden-death goal by Leif Lofquist to beat Juneau 3-2 in a thriller at Service High. The Kardinals sent the game into overtime in an unlikely fashion when goalkeeper Braedon Pitsch ventured away from the net and delivered a game-tying goal.
The Juneau girls were in no need of such dramatics in their 5-1 championship-match romp over Soldotna.
This year marked the second for the Division II state tournament — before last year, all of Alaska’s soccer teams competed in a single classification.
The boys championship match was a replay of last year’s title tilt, in which Kenai Central blanked Juneau 3-0. The Juneau girls got their first title a year ago by shutting out Grace Christian, 3-0.
In Saturday’s third-place games, the Ketchikan boys defeated Thunder Mountain 5-3 and the Thunder Mountain girls stopped Kenai 3-1.
The Homer Mariners posted wins in both of Saturday’s fourth-place games, with the girls nipping North Pole 3-2 and the boys fending off Monroe 1-0.
ASAA/First National Bank state soccer championships
Division II boys
Saturday’s results
Championship – Kenai Central 3, Juneau 2 (OT)
Third place – Ketchikan 5, Thunder Mountain 3
Fourth place – Homer 1, Monroe 0
Friday’s results
Juneau 1, Thunder Mountain 0 (semifinal)
Kenai Central 2, Ketchikan 0 (semifinal)
Monroe 3, Palmer 1 (loser out)
Homer 2, Grace Christian 1 (loser out)
All-tournament team
Damien Reebler, Kenai Central
Leif Lofquist, Kenai Central
Kanon Goetz, Juneau-Douglas
Jackson Norberg, Juneau-Douglas
Brayden Linne, Ketchikan
Eyoab Knapp, Homer
Jacob Babcock, Thunder Mountain
Apollo Jasper, Ketchikan
Nathan Walsh, Monroe Catholic
Jacob Goldstein, Juneau-Douglas
Braedon Pitsch, Kenai Central
Paul Kopp, Grace Christian
Division II girls
Saturday’s results
Championship – Juneau 5, Soldotna 1
Third place – Thunder Mountain 3, Kenai 1
Fourth place – Homer 3, North Pole 2
Friday’s results
Juneau 5, Kenai Central 0 (semifinal)
Soldotna 3, Thunder Mountain 1 (semifinal)
North Pole 2, Kodiak 0 (loser out)
Homer 4, Palmer 0 (loser out)
All-tournament team
Shaylin Cesar, Juneau-Douglas
Malia Miller, Juneau-Douglas
Taylor Bentley, Juneau-Douglas
Meijan Leaf, Soldotna
Ryann Cannava, Soldotna
Keann Villanueva, Thunder Mountain
Kapitolina Reutor, Homer
Alissa Maw, Kenai Central
Breeauna O'Rear, North Pole
Elizabeth Knapp, Thunder Mountain
Bethany Morris, Kenai Central
Eva Goering, Juneau-Douglas