The Mariner boys and girls soccer teams both won games last Friday against the Grace Christian School Grizzlies.
In a game last Thursday against Voznesenka School, the girls junior varsity team also got some field team in varsity play, defeating the head-of-the-bay school 10-0.
The Mariner girls had a less-easy, but decisive victory of 6-1 on Friday against Grace Christian School, Anchorage. The Mariner boys also shared a victory against Grace Christian, winning 2-1.
Girls coach Mike Tozzo said he wanted to give the JV players some experience in last Thursday’s game.
“I just wanted to make sure we got some of the younger kids playing time,” he said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “We still had goals of completing passes, keeping the ball on the ground, and moving in a pattern from back to front.”
The JV team of mostly freshmen and sophomores remains undefeated, and has only allowed three goals all season.
“They’ve got a solid defense. They’ve got people who can score. In that sense the future of the program looks good,” he said.
In the Voznesenka game, Shine Carey scored one point and another on an assist with Aiyana Cline. Cline also scored twice on her own. Ava Halstead had three goals, and Sailey Rhodes, Mya Houglam, Jamie Parrish and Harmony Davidson all had one goal each.
In Friday’s game against Grace Christian, Tozzo said his strategy was to knock the Anchorage team off its pace with quick goals — a plan that worked. He also wanted to intimidate a strong senior player from Grace Christian and not let a player overwhelm the Mariners.
“We scored pretty quickly in the first five minutes,” he said.
The Mariner girls scored three goals in the first half and three in the second, with a hat trick from Mariner powerhouse Kappa Reutov.
“What we wanted to do against Grace Christian was come out really fast and put pressure on them, not allow them to move the ball around the field, and disrupt their playing style,” Tozzo said.
Reutov scored three goals and another two on assists with Sela Weisser. Eve Brau scored two goals and Zoe Stonorov scored another on an assist with Aiyana Cline.
“We were distributing the ball well, making good passes, making good decision,” Tozzo said.
Grace Christian’s one goal came from a weird play when Homer got a penalty against it in the box with a quick tap from 5 feet out of the Homer goal.
The Mariner girls head north this weekend with a tough road trip to the Valley against Palmer today, Wasilla on Friday and Houston on Saturday. Wasilla is a pretty formidable opponent, Tozzo said.
“It’s always fun to play them,” he said. “We can see where we stand with the bigger school.”
In the Mariner boys soccer game, Dexter Lowe and Phinny Weston scored goals, with an assist on Weston by Ethan Pitzman. Andrew Beveridge scored the lone goal for the Grizzlies. The boys also head north, playing Palmer today and Wasilla on Friday. The boys and girls soccer teams return to the Kenai Peninsula with a game Tuesday against Nikiski at Nikiski.
Reach Michael Armstrong at marmstrong@homernews.com.
Homer Mariner Sela Weisser goes toe-to-toe with a Grace Action player during Friday’s varsity soccer game on April 26, 2019, at the high school in Homer, Alaska. Teammate Jessica Sonnen is ready to offer back-up. (Photo by McKibben Jackinsky)
Mariners Eve Brau, left, and Brenna McCarron, right, edge a Grace Christian player out of the action during Friday’s varsity soccer game on April 26, 2019, at the high school in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by McKibben Jackinsky).
With five Grace Christian players closing in, Homer Mariner Tom Gorman, 6, keeps control of the ball during Friday’s varsity game on April 26, 2019, at the high school in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by McKibben Jackinsky)
Homer Mariner Ethan Pitzman, 15, keeps the ball in play during Friday’s game against Grace Christian, Friday, April 26, 2019, at the high school in Homer, Alaska while teammates Austin Shafford, 24, and Henry Russell, 33, keep the Grace Christian team at a distance. (Photo by McKibben Jackinsky)
In some one-on-one action at Friday’s varsity soccer game against Grace Christian, on Friday, April 26, 2019, at the high school in Homer, Alaska Mariner Daniel Reutov, 12, sends the ball down the field. (Photo by McKibben Jackinsky)
Mariner Summer McGuire has no intention of giving up control of the ball during Friday’s varsity soccer game against Grace Christian on April 26, 2019, at the high school in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by McKibben Jackinsky)
In Homer High School Mariner’s varsity soccer game against Grace Christian on Friday, April 26, 2019, at the high school in Homer, Alaska, Daniel Reutov, 12, battles for control of the ball, with teammate Ethan Pitzman, 15, ready to assist. (Photo by McKibben Jackinsky)
Mariner Summer McGuire has no intention of giving up control of the ball during Friday’s varsity soccer game against Grace Christian on April 26, 2019, at the high school in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by McKibben Jackinsky)
