A 4-2 nondivisional victory over Tri-Valley kept Cook Inlet Academy’s perfect season going as well as their string of identical results against the Warriors.
Under unseasonably warm sunny skies, the Eagles scored the game’s first four goals en route to a convincing win over Tri-Valley at the Kenai Sports Complex fields, highlighted by two goals from CIA senior co-captain Hunter Moos.
The victory kept CIA’s successful 11-1 season alive, and it also marked their third 4-2 game result over Tri-Valley this fall in the coed soccer league in Alaska.
It also had Eagles head coach Kenny Leaf feeling confident about his players.
“We’re looking pretty strong in the South (Division),” Leaf said. “I felt pretty good the way we were moving the ball around.”
The Eagles have dominated in recent years in the Borealis Conference, which is split into a north and southern division. Their only loss came in last week’s Tri-Valley tournament, a 2-0 shutout to Su-Valley.
The competition isn’t far behind, however, and CIA had to battle through a sickness Thursday that ravaged close to half the team. Several starters were substituted off the field midway through the second half with CIA holding a 4-0 lead, coughing and wheezing as they trudged off the field.
Moos was one of the players coughing, but the senior was also one of the leading strikers on the field, collecting through balls from teammates and creating space for scoring opportunities.
“Hunter’s our leading scorer and a tireless worker,” Leaf said. “He’s developed a finishing edge and in my opinion, he’s the best striker in the league.”
Moos’ penalty kick strike late in the first half came with CIA pressuring Tri-Valley goalie Sebastian Eavey. A Warriors defender mistakenly got a hand on the ball while trying to clear it out of the Tri-Valley goalie box, setting up Moos’ opportunity.
“That was an important goal to have,” Leaf said. “Any time you get the first ball into the net, it allows you to exhale and attack.”
Moos delivered it to the bottom left corner to put CIA ahead.
After the halftime break, it only took five minutes for the Eagles to score again as junior co-captain Linnaea Dohse connected on a shot to put CIA up 2-0.
Moos scored again in the 57th minute on a booted ball into the right corner, shedding a defender to get in front with clear space on goal.
CIA notched its fourth goal of the evening just two minutes later when Jiabao Leaf walloped the ball from over 25 yards out up the middle.
Tri-Valley got goals from Louis Overington in the 71st minute and Caleb Graham in the final minute to pull closer, but ran out of time to stage a serious comeback.
Cook Inlet’s John Peterson (7) and Tri-Valley’s Ben Brown battle for the ball Thursday evening at the Kenai Sports Complex. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
