Any hopes of an undefeated season were dashed Friday afternoon for the Juneau-Douglas High School boys soccer team. The senior-laden squad lost 1-0 to West Valley of the Mid-Alaska Conference at Adair Kennedy Field in their first of two games against the Wolfpack this weekend.
After dominating possession through the first 20 minutes of play, the Crimson Bears slowly watched West Valley assert themselves back in the game.
With under two minutes remaining in the first half, junior Joey Vanhorn — who hobbled off the field the day before with an apparent ankle injury — sliced up the middle of the field on a counterattack. Jaime Moreno made the initial save on Vanhorn’s shot, but as Salar Peirovi cleared the ball, it ricocheted off West Valley’s Alwayne Anglin and into the net.
Michael White took several mid-range free kicks for the Crimson Bears in the second half, but the Wolfpack were quick to clear the ball from the box.
Just when it seemed all hope was lost with the clock approaching the 80th minute, Ben Undurraga got a step on his man to a ball kicked softly in the direction of Wolfpack goalie Mekhi Omnik.
“I knew [Omnik] was going to come out but I thought I could make it,” Undurraga said. “I got caught up with the defender. He kind of gave me a little grab right at the end.”
Undurraga collided with Omnik as the goalie went to secure the ball outside of his box. Both players were shaken up on the play. Undurraga subbed out and spent the rest of the game icing his left knee.
“It just feels like a ball a fire right now, honestly,” he said.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
