The Homer varsity girls will play a home game against the Voznesenka soccer team at 4 p.m. Friday. Boys and girls varsity then face off against Seward at noon and 3 p.m. Saturday. Seniors will be recognized during Saturday’s games, the last home games of the season for the Mariners.
Boys and girls varsity soccer came out with two wins and a loss at the end of three back-to-back games at home against Palmer, Colony and Houston from May 5 to May 7.
The visiting Homer soccer teams swept Nikiski on May 10. The Homer boys won 5-1, while the Mariners girls notched a 5-0 decision.
The games also kept clarifying the postseason picture in the Northern Lights Conference Southern Division.
The Homer boys are now 1-3 in the division and 6-7 overall. Homer can clinch the division No. 4 seed at the conference tournament if it can beat Seward on Saturday.
On the girls side, Homer is 8-5 overall and 2-2 in the division. If the Mariners beat Seward on Saturday, the Mariners go in as the division No. 3 seed.
Homer boys 5, Nikiski 1
In the Tuesday boys game, Simon Dye had a hat trick to put him over 20 goals for the season, according to Homer coach Warren Waldorf. Charles Rohr and Charlie Menke also scored.
Waldorf said midfielders Oliver Beck, Nouredine Mama, Rohr and Dye are playing great, but the coach continues to worry about how his young team will do against the more mature teams that await.
Homer girls 5, Nikiski 0
In the girls game, Uliana Reutov and Sam Draves each scored twice, while Desiree Clary added a tally. Ali McCarron had the shutout in goal.
Homer coach Mike Tozzo said his team was sluggish in taking a 1-0 lead after the first half.
“They regrouped and the seniors took control and we put four more goals in the net,” Tozzo said. “They played really well in the second half, they way we need to be playing going into the conference tournament.”
Tozzo said Clary played in her first game of the season. He said it was great to see her score and added she will be a good asset going forward.
Homer girls 7, Palmer 1
The host Homer girls soccer team bounced back from a Friday loss to Colony by defeating Palmer 7-1 on Saturday in Northern Lights Conference play to move to 7-5 overall.
Rachel Ellert had four goals for the Mariners, while Uliana Reutov, Sam Draves and Andie Sonnen added strikes. Ali McCarron held down the fort in net.
“The girls were demoralized after last night, but they came back today regrouped and refocused,” Tozzo said.
Tozzo said he played everybody Saturday, and there was not a drop in production no matter who was on the field.
Homer boys 7, Palmer 0
The host Mariners moved to 5-7 overall by shutting out the Moose in Northern Lights Conference play.
JV goalie Hoxie Parks, subbing for injured varsity goalie Kenzington Cortez, had the shutout in net. Charles Rohr had four goals for Homer, while Simon Dye had two and Dexter Lowe added a tally.
Waldorf said his team’s performance in three straight games was a good sign with the conference tournament looming.
“I just had some guys play three full games in the midfield,” Waldorf said. “They were still making good decisions today and were still quick on the ball. They’re fit.”
Colony boys 2, Homer 0
The Knights scored in a span of two minutes early in the second half to pick up the Northern Lights Conference victory Friday evening in Homer.
The Mariners dropped to 4-7 overall with the loss.
Homer goalie Kenzington Cortez started in net, but found a foot to the chin that required a few stitches. Charles Rohr took over for Cortez the remainder of the game. Waldorf said Colony controlled the pace and found more goal-scoring opportunities, but after Cortez had to leave, the Mariners defensive line was missing Rohr, who plays a key role.
“We gotta have him to back up the work of the midfielders,” Waldorf said.
After the Mariners managed to hold Colony scoreless by halftime, Ben Sande and Alex Valdez both scored in the 49th and 51st minutes, respectively.
Colony girls 7, Homer 1
The Knights had a field day en route to the NLC win Friday in Homer.
With the loss, the Mariners dropped to 6-5 overall.
Colony took a 5-0 lead into halftime, then tacked on two more in the second half. Homer scored its lone goal with five minutes remaining in regulation with a strike from Rachel Ellert.
“It was definitely an eye opener and a learning experience for the girls,” said Homer coach Mike Tozzo.
Homer girls 3, Houston 0
The Mariners received a hat trick from Uliana Reutov in defeating the Hawks on Thursday and moving to 6-4 overall.
Even though Reutov had the hat trick, Tozzo said goalie Ali McCarron was the player of the match.
McCarron saved a penalty kick, then the point-blank attempt off the rebound. She also saved a breakaway in the second half.
“She’s a freshman, but she’s playing much older than that,” Tozzo said.
He said the team, led by Megan Pitzman, Rachel Ellert and Sam Draves, passed well. Homer normally completes 65 to 75 passes per half, but hit just over 350 in this match.
The Mariners host Colony at 6 p.m. today and Palmer at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Homer boys 9, Houston 0
After a scoreless first half, the host Mariners poured it on in the second half for the Thursday victory.
“We’re just trying to knock it around and figure out how to get along,” Homer coach Warren Waldorf said after improving to 4-6 overall.
Simon Dye had five goals for the Mariners, while Dexter Lowe, Charles Rohr and Oliver Beck added tallies.
Homer hosts Colony at 4 p.m today and Palmer at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Waldorf said the Mariners could see the Knights in the first round of the conference tournament, so the game will be a good learning opportunity.
Homer News reporter Anna Frost contributed to this report.
Charles Rohr catches the ball, thwarting a Colony goal attempt, during the boys varsity May 6 home game. Rohr took over the goalie box during the second half of the game after goalie Kenzington Cortez took a foot to his chin from a Colony player, an injury which required medical attention.-Photo by Anna Frost, Homer News
Kaela Jiron blocks a Palmer goal attempt in a single leap during the Mariners May 7 home game against Palmer.-Photo by Anna Frost, Homer News
Mariah Vantrease rushes to take the ball away from a Palmer player during the girls varsity game at Homer High on Saturday, May 7.-Photo by Anna Frost; Homer News
Rachel Ellert kicks the ball into the goal, despite Palmer defense and goalie efforts. The Mariner girls beat Palmer 7-1 on Saturday, May 7.-Photo by Anna Frost; Homer News
