Rain, wind, even some snow at higher elevations didn’t stop the Mariner boys soccer team from scoring a 3-1 win over the Wasilla Warriors at Friday’s game in Homer. Following the boys’ victory, the Mariner girls lost a fierce and close battle, with a final score of Wasilla 2, Homer 1.

“Yes the weather was nasty, but I think that was the first time the boys’ soccer team has prevailed against the Wasilla team for the last seven years,” said Homer Head Coach Warren Waldorf. “Wasilla is always a good team.”

Playing on Homer High’s upper field, the game was deadlocked 0-0 at the end of the first half. 

“We ducked into the field house at half time and I gave them a few pointers that might help in the second half,” said Waldorf. 

Whatever those pointers were, they were for the team’s ears only.

“Those are proprietary secrets,” said Waldorf, laughing.

And it worked. 

“They came out and scored in just inside of the first four minutes. And then again the seventh minute and the 17th minute,” said Waldorf. 

Kenneth Schneider broke the ice with the first goal for the Mariners, with an assist from Quinn Daugharty. Max Mangue followed up four minutes later, with a hand from Daugharty. Schneider sent the ball into the net a second time, assisted by Jake Worsfold, giving the Mariners a 3-0 lead. 

With three minutes remaining, Wasilla scored its one and only goal.

“At that point it was meaningless because there were only three minutes left in the game,” said Waldorf.

The Mariners are playing with a team of 17, but Waldorf only had 13 on the bench for Friday’s game.

“I was down four players. One, I think, was ineligibility and the rest for injury or sickness,” he said.  

Scrimmaging with Kenai last week, the Mariners scored a 3-1 win in the Kenai field. 

In the Mariner girls first conference game last Friday, the two teams were tied 1-1, until Wasilla made their winning score in the second half of the game. 

Today, the Mariner boys and girls soccer teams take on Houston in Homer, with the girls varsity at 4 p.m. and the boys varsity at 6 p.m. Friday is more at-home games, with the Mariners playing Colony.

Waldorf anticipates the Colony game will be “a big one.”

“They’ve played a lot of games already. … They’re one of the top teams in the state. … Hopefully we’ll keep it fairly close,” said Waldorf.

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.
jackinsky@homernews.com.