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After winning championships in each of the past three State Cup soccer tournaments, the Juneau Soccer Club teams came up empty this year.
Juneau Soccer Club shut out in State Cup 081604 sports 6 The Juneau Empire Online After winning championships in each of the past three State Cup soccer tournaments, the Juneau Soccer Club teams came up empty this year.

Juneau Soccer Club shut out in State Cup

Xtratuffs, Riptide, Orcas fall short in their respective championship games

After winning championships in each of the past three State Cup soccer tournaments, the Juneau Soccer Club teams came up empty this year.

Three of the eight JSC teams reached their respective championship games, but none came away with a title Saturday in Anchorage. Another team reached the semifinals but didn't get to the championship.

The title-game losses ended a streak that had seen the club win six championships over the past three years, with those teams advancing to the Far West Regional Tournaments held the following June at various locations around the country. This past June, three Juneau teams went to Spokane, Wash., for the regional tournaments.

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In a repeat of the past two state championship games for their age divisions, the two-time defending champion Juneau Xtratuffs U15 girls team came up short in its bid for a third straight title. The Xtratuffs lost 2-1 to the Alaska Goldstrikers of Anchorage when the Goldstrikers scored the game-winning goal with two minutes left in regulation.

"They played as hard as humanly possible and had fun," Xtratuffs coach Tom Rutecki said. "As they came off the field after the game, they were all holding up two fingers and shouting, 'We're No. 2!'"

In other championship games involving JSC teams, the Cook Inlet Soccer Club Falcons beat the defending champion Juneau Riptide 4-1 in the boys U15 division and the Goldstrikers knocked off the Juneau Orcas 5-1 in the boys U17 division.

In the game between the Xtratuffs and Goldstrikers, Juneau fell behind in the game's eighth minute when the Goldstrikers took a corner kick and the ball went in off a Juneau defender. The halftime score was 1-0.

Early in the second half, Juneau tied the game when Margaret Sekona scored on a play set up by Elizabeth Haney and Isabel Waldman. The Xtratuffs had a chance to take the lead midway through the second half when Sekona received a pass from Lindsey Daniel, but her shot went wide of the net and the sprawled out-of-position goalkeeper, Rutecki said.

The two teams appeared to be headed toward another overtime game - the teams played to a 1-1 tie in round-robin action - when the Goldstrikers' Alev Kelter, who had just been on the sidelines getting some water, returned to the contest and scored the game-winning goal with two minutes to play.

The Goldstrikers will head to Denver in June for the regional. The Xtratuffs were playing in their fourth straight championship game in the State Cup.

In the game between the Riptide and the Falcons, the Falcons jumped out to an early 1-0 lead but Juneau countered when Colin Flynn scored an unassisted goal just before the half ended in a 1-1 tie. The Falcons scored twice early in the second half, and it was too much for Juneau.

"The kids played hard, but ran out of gas trying to catch up," Riptide coach Rod Flynn said. "The guys had a great tournament run, but came up short in the championship game.

No details were available about the U17 boys title game between the Goldstrikers and the Orcas.

In Friday's semifinal action, the Xtratuffs needed overtime to beat the CISC Peregrines 3-1.

Sekona scored midway through the first half and the Peregrines notched the tying goal in the final seconds of regulation. That forced a double-overtime situation, with two 15-minute overtime periods that are played out regardless of scoring.

Waldman scored the go-ahead goal late in the first overtime on assists from Lindsey Collins and Amanda Soto. Sekona added an insurance goal early in the second overtime when she dribbled through four defenders and scored on a play set up by Lauren Verrelli and Nellie Metcalf.

Also on Friday, the Riptide blanked the Flaming Lizards of Fairbanks 6-0 to earn a berth in the title game. Sam Greely scored three goals to lead the Riptide, while Dominic Smith and Mark Reid had a goal and an assist each, Jesse West had a goal and Colin Flynn had two assists.

Juneau's JD United U13 boys team also played a semifinal game on Friday against the Kenai Peninsula Soccer Club Spitfire, but no score was available from the Spitfire's victory. The Spitfire went on to win the title in that division.


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