The Homer soccer program came out ahead in its first Peninsula Conference meeting of the 2018 season Tuesday night at home.
The Homer girls tied 1-1 with Soldotna, while the Mariner boys picked up a 5-1 win over the Stars in the night cap.
Against a powerhouse team like SoHi, the Mariner girls held their own well, and Homer head coach Mike Tozzo took notice.
“If that game is indicative of how the conference is going to go this year, it’s going to be an interesting year,” Tozzo said.
SoHi struck in the first minute of the game before the teams hardly had a chance to settle in, as Haley Buckbee converted on an assist from Whitney Wortham to put SoHi ahead 1-0.
In a rare showing, both teams missed on penalty kicks, one by SoHi in the first half and another by Homer in the second. Eventually, the Mariners found a way to tie it, getting a goal from Andie Sonnen, assisted by Eve Brau, in the 63rd minute.
“I feel like Soldotna definitely controlled possession in the first half,” Tozzo said. “They came out and scored right away and it almost deflated us in a way, and it took a little while for us to mentally to get back in the game and decide it wasn’t over.”
In the boys game, Homer’s offense came out strong, getting two goals each from Charles Rohr and Daniel Reutov and another from Simon Dye to stake out a 5-0 lead at halftime. Senior Oliver Beck chucked in four assists for Homer.
Soldotna did not get on the board until late in the game, when Eli Sheridan scored unassisted in the final minutes.
SoHi head coach Darryl Byerley said the Stars managed to settle down after a rough first half, but the damage done early was too much to come back from.
“It was a game of two halves,” Byerley said. “The first half was all Homers’.”
Tuesday’s games won’t count for conference seeding, but the results could come back to determine tiebreakers at the end of the season. Homer plays home again next Tuesday against Nikiski, while SoHi travels Friday and Saturday for a two-game slate against nonconference foe Colony and conference opponent Palmer.
