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The Juneau-Douglas High School boys soccer team's season came to an emotional end Saturday at Anchorage Football Stadium as South Anchorage captured the state championship 3-2 in overtime.
South beats JDHS boys in OT for state title 052106 sports 3 JuneauEmpire The Juneau-Douglas High School boys soccer team's season came to an emotional end Saturday at Anchorage Football Stadium as South Anchorage captured the state championship 3-2 in overtime.
Marc Lester / Anchorage Daily News
  So close: Juneau-Douglas High School's Andrew Flansaas holds his head in his hand after falling 3-2 in overtime loss to South Anchorage in the state title game Saturday at Anchorage Football Stadium.
Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News
  Golden goal: South Anchorage's Cameron Richardson puts the ball past Juneau-Douglas High School goalkeeper Matt Walton in overtime to put the Wolverines ahead for good in the state championship game Saturday in Anchorage.
Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News
  Gaining possession: Juneau-Douglas High School senior Jamaal Bailey controls the ball in the first half of Saturday's match against South Anchorage in the state championship game at Anchorage Football Stadium.

South beats JDHS boys in OT for state title

Wolverines score two minutes into extra period for the win

ANCHORAGE - The Juneau-Douglas High School boys soccer team's season came to an emotional end Saturday at Anchorage Football Stadium as South Anchorage captured the state championship 3-2 in overtime.

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South scored in the 82nd minute when Cameron Richardson fielded a ball kicked behind the Crimson Bears' defense and lofted a goal over JDHS goalkeeper Matt Walton's head.

The Wolverines then played keep-away for the remainder of the extra period as JDHS couldn't get the equalizing goal.

"It just wasn't our day," JDHS coach Gary Lehnhart said.

South seized a 2-0 lead in the first half.

Spencer Augustine scored the Wolverine's first goal in the 18th minute, slipping past the JDHS defense and firing a shot past Walton.

Four minutes later, Cameron Richardson made the score 2-0 when he buried a shot off Will Zeigahn's assist.

Juneau came close to scoring in the 38th minute when a free kick by Kabil Seesan sailed through a crowd of Wolverines and was headed just wide of the goal.

"We started to play to the score," Lehnhart said of the first half. "We looked at the mountain and it was too big."

Injuries played a major role in the first half, with five Juneau players having to leave the game for brief periods of time.

Seesan left with a back injury. Dylan Ashe left after a flailing arm caught him in the head. Colin Flynn suffered a sprained ankle. Dominic Smith left with a bruised hip, and Alex Schirmer left with a bloody nose.

Despite the injuries and two-goal deficit, JDHS showed its fighting spirit by rebounding in the second half.

Juneau scored its first goal in the 51st minute on an alert play by Jamaal Bailey. The senior gathered up a rebound when South goalkeeper Andrew Hitz made an initial save off a JDHS shot. Hitz couldn't stop Bailey's shot, however, as JDHS cut South's lead in half.

Five minutes later, South defenseman Devin Williams tried to pass the ball back to Hitz, who bobbled the ball and lost control. Ashe pounced on the loose ball, dribbled around the fallen Hitz and deposited the ball into the open net.

Ashe's goal forced overtime, but a state title wasn't to be for the Crimson Bears.

"We played with a lot of heart," Bailey said.

Friday's Semifinal

Juneau-Douglas 1, West Anchorage 0 2OT

The Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears pulled it out Friday against the West Anchorage Eagles in a thriller that went to double overtime, 1-0.

Kabil Seesan ended the game in the 107th minute when his free kick beat West goalkeeper Jeff Leddy.

"It was a marathon," JDHS coach Gary Lehnhart said. "We thought we were cursed. We had the wind against us in the first overtime. Then in the second overtime it switched against us again."

West Anchorage was clearly the aggressor in the game but just couldn't find a way to beat JDHS goalkeeper Matt Walton.

Walton and Leddy were both selected as players of the game due to their strong performances.

West dominated the game offensively, taking 12 shots during regulation to Juneau-Douglas' five.

The Eagles created several scoring opportunities in the first half, including a wide-open shot by Daniel Hardy in the 10th minute that sailed just over the crossbar.

In the 31st minute, Walton made a jumping fingertip save on a header by West's Garrett Potter.

The second half went similarly, with West outshooting Juneau 5-2.

The game then moved into the first overtime, which consisted of two ten-minute periods.

The first 10 minutes featured both teams trading offensive blows. West's Kendall Hardy nearly put his side ahead, but rocketed a shot off the left goal post. Walton controlled the rebound to preserve the clean sheet.

West maintained control in the second 10 minutes, but failed to mount any serious offensive threats.

The game then moved to two five-minute, sudden-death periods.

Seesan nearly ended the game with a header, but Leddy responded with a fingertip save. Seesan then delivered the golden goal to push JDHS to the finals.

In Friday's other semifinal, top-seeded South Anchorage beat Wasilla 4-1.


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