In this May 19 photo, Juneau-Douglas’s keeper Alex Mallott deflects the ball during Kayhi’s 1-0 victory over Juneau-Douglas at Fawn Mountain. Photo by Christopher Mullen Ketchikan Daily News

In this May 19 photo, Juneau-Douglas’s keeper Alex Mallott deflects the ball during Kayhi’s 1-0 victory over Juneau-Douglas at Fawn Mountain. Photo by Christopher Mullen Ketchikan Daily News

Crimson Bears make state soccer pitch their own in opening round

JDHS girls and boys defeat Homer in quarterfinal openers

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears girls and boys soccer teams owned the 2023 ASAA Soccer State Championships pitch on Thursday, at West Anchorage High School, defeating Homer in both matches in the quarterfinals to advance to semifinal matches on Friday.

The JDHS girls topped the Lady Mariners 4-0 and the boys followed with their own 4-0 thrashing of the Mariners.

“We just got over some nerves and decided to play,” JDHS girls coach Matt Dusenberry said. “We realized it was just another game and there was nothing special we needed to do. We just needed to come out and match their intensity and good things would happen after that and they did for us.”

A taste of nerves early in the match quickly subsided as junior Cadence Plummer put in her first of three goals, nestling a shot in at roughly the 20 minute mark assisted by sophomore Milina Mazon for a 1-0 first half advantage.

Plummer muscled her way through a crowd to start the second half and made the score 2-0 unassisted.

In this May 19 photo, Juneau Douglas’s Cadence Plummer (12) and Kayhi’s Aspen Bauer (7) battle for the ball during Juneau-Douglas and Kayhi’s 1-1 tie at Fawn Mountain. Photo by Christopher Mullen Ketchikan Daily News

In this May 19 photo, Juneau Douglas’s Cadence Plummer (12) and Kayhi’s Aspen Bauer (7) battle for the ball during Juneau-Douglas and Kayhi’s 1-1 tie at Fawn Mountain. Photo by Christopher Mullen Ketchikan Daily News

“It means a lot to us just because most of our team is new to state,” Plummer said after the win. “It meant a lot just because it was the first win and it helps to set the mood for the entire tournament, helps everyone relax. They (first timers) are a lot more comfortable playing now and I’m just really happy that they are comfortable enough to play their hardest out there.”

Plummer also got into the assist stats, winning a ball and playing a perfect pass into the Homer box for freshman Peyton Wheeler to connect on for her first career state goal and a 3-0 lead.

“We have been working on it,” Dusenberry said. “We talked about the uniqueness of the Ketchikan goalie and how to look up and see and to place it where the goalie isn’t and Peyton did a good job of getting there and doing that today.”

Sophomore Adelyn Buss won a ball defensively and threaded it into Plummer who took on two backs to take it in and score for the 4-0 final.

“1-0 at the half certainly the other team is going to be thinking they have a chance,” Dusenberry said. “But when we scored our next two, wishing three minutes of each other it kind of took the wind out of the sails of the other team. You could see our kids shoulders relax and they knew they could play.”

Natalie Travis earned the team’s Hard Hat Award for calming her teammates nerves during the opening sections of the first half when the Crimson Bears were making uncharacteristic mistakes.

The JDHS girls, the tournament’s No. 4 seed, will face the No. 1 seed Kenai Kardinals in a semifinal Friday at 1 p.m. Kenai defeated No. 8 Nikiski 10-0. Other scores included No. 3 North Pole defeating #6 Grace Christian 4-2 and No. 2 Soldotna topping No. 7 Houston 3-1.

On the boys side of the pitch the Crimson Bears wasted little time putting a ball in the net, scoring three goals in the opening minutes of play.

“It was a little too easy too early,” JDHS boys coach Gary Lehnhart said. “I don’t know if I have ever seen that happen before. We just came out like we were shot out of a cannon. We scored three times in the first four minutes and then we didn’t score again until the 72nd minute.”

JDHS sophomore Kai Ciambor received a pass from senior Tayten Bennetsen to open the match and dribbled it in for a shot and a 1-0 lead.

Two minutes later Ciambor dropped a pass to sophomore Kellen Chester who shot it in.

“Kind of like a through ball,” said Lehnhart. “All three of our opening goals were kind of similar. Kind of played through the box and guys ran on to them and knocked them in.”

Buss ran onto a pass from Ciambor for the third goal.

“He kind of knocked it down and beat the goalkeeper,” Lehnhart said. “We continued to create chances but then slowly we lost our urgency. I substituted quite a bit. Then in the second half I put our starters back in and they kind of had it going again but started missing the shots. I think the whole thing kind of degenerated from there so I took them out of the game and put other guys in and got some more energy.”

JDHS freshman Jesper Bennetsen put in the final tally. Buss cross the ball in off a corner kick and Bennetsen put his head to it for a striking goal.

“That was fun to see,” Lehnhart said.

Lehnhart also noted Jesper Bennetsen for his defensive work in the game and for the season.

“He has just gotten better and better and better,” he said. “He played the whole game.”

JDHS, the No. 1 seed advances to a semifinal against Southeast rival Ketchikan, the No. 4 seed, at 3 p.m. Friday. Kayhi defeated Kenai 1-0.

“They are a good team,” said Lehnhart. “This is their best team ever. They are definitely tough to play. And it is hard to play a team for the fifth time. That’s a lot. But we had to do it last year with TM too.”

In other boys action No. 3 seed Soldotna topped No. 6 Grace 2-0 and No. 2 Palmer tipped No. 7 North Pole 3-2.

More in Sports

The Holiday Cup has been a community favorite event for years. This 2014 photo shows the Jolly Saint Kicks and Reigning Snowballs players in action. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Holiday Cup soccer action brings community spirit to the pitch

Every Christmas name imaginable heads a cast of futbol characters starting Wednesday.

Members of the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears girls and boys basketball teams pose above and below the new signage and plaque for the George Houston Gymnasium on Monday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
George Houston Gymnasium adds another touch of class

Second phase of renaming honor for former coach brings in more red.

A pygmy owl in the snow outside the doorstep of a Juneau home. (Photo by Denise Carroll)
On the Trails: Pygmy owls

This little owl was quite frequently detected in the trees at the… Continue reading

Smokin’ Old Geezers Jesse Stringer, Brandon Ivanowicz, Steve Ricci, Juan Orozco Jr., John Bursell and John Nagel at the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships on Saturday at University Place, Washington. (Photo courtesy S.O.G.)
Smokin’ Old Geezers compete at national club cross-country championships

Group of adult Juneau runners hope to inspire others to challenge themselves.

Hayden Aube and Ivan Shockley go head to head on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, during the Region V wrestling tournament in Haines. Eleven Crimson Bears earned individual titles, 12 placed second meaning that 23 are headed to state in Anchorage next weekend. (Rashah McChesney/Chilkat Valley News)
Crimson Bears wrestlers snare Region V championship

11 earn individual titles, 12 place second, 23 head to state

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior goalie Caleb Friend (1) controls the net as Soldotna’s Daniel Heath (10) and JDHS senior Loren Platt (26) play a puck during the Crimson Bears 2-0 win over the Stars on Saturday at Treadwell Ice Arena. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
JDHS’ Friend holds clean sheet in 2-0 win over Soldotna

Northern Lights Conference battle shines on Crimson Bears, not Stars

Soldotna’s Keegan Myrick and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Caden Morris battle for a puck during Friday’s 4-3 Crimson Bears’ loss to the visiting Stars at Treadwell Ice Arena. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Stars eclipse Crimson Bears

JDHS hockey team falls to visiting Soldotna skaters.

The Walter Washington Center in downtown Washington, D.C., hosted the 25,000 scientists who attended the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union from Dec. 9-13, 2024. (Photo by Ned Rozell)
Alaska Science Forum: More familiar news of the North

WASHINGTON, D.C. — I am once again elbow-to-elbow with thousands of scientists,… Continue reading

The 2024-25 Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears Girls Basketball team. Standing, from left-to-right, senior Kerra Baxter (22), junior Gwen Nizich (11), freshman Lydia Goins (15), senior Addison Wilson (10), sophomore Layla Tokuoka (14), junior Cambry Lockhart (3), sophomore June Troxel (5), senior Mary Johnson (4), freshman Sadie Lockhart (13), sophomore Bergen Erickson (12), freshman Athena Warr (21) and senior Cailynn Baxter (23). Seated l-r: Senior manager Nadia Wilson, head coach Tanya Nizich, assistant coaches Jasmine James, Angie Kemp, Nicole Fenumiai, and junior manager Jadyn Cook. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Crimson Bears girls basketball has roster for state title

Combining of two schools sets high expectations, but region and state are daunting.

Most Read