The Homer boys soccer team went on the road to defeat Grace Christian 3-2 on Thursday in nonconference action.
The Mariners improve to 4-4-1 overall.
If Homer has had a problem this season, it has been scoring goals. In all four losses, and the one tie, the Mariners did not find the back of the net.
So connecting three times was welcome news for head coach Tyler Jeffres.
“Found some confidence in front of the goal,” Jeffres wrote in a text message.
Homer went up 2-0 with freshman Carter Kincaid scoring both goals.
Kai Waltenbaugh also scored on what Jeffres called a “30-yard screamer.” That was enough for Walden Kraseski in net.
“The team played well,” Jeffres wrote.
Homer girls 1, Grace 1
The visiting Mariners played to a tie Thursday in nonconference action.
Ruby Hill had the goal for Homer, assisted by Channing Lowney.
Soldotna girls 2, Palmer 2
The visiting Stars sit at 7-4-1 overall after coming up even with the Moose on Thursday.
The game was scoreless at the half.
Jillian Duncan, assisted by Rowan Peck and Sadie Lane, put the Stars up just two minutes into the second half.
Just two minutes later, though, Palmer had fashioned a tie.
Peck then put SoHi up 2-1 in the 63rd minute, but the Moose again came back to tie with 11 minutes left.
Soldotna boys 1, Palmer 1
The visiting Stars stand at 9-4-1 overall after a tie with the Moose on Thursday.
Palmer went out ahead thanks to an old Soldotna nemesis in Elijah Von Gunten. Von Gunten scored four goals in a victory over the Stars in the Division II state hockey final in February, and he hit the post then finished the rebound for the first strike of the game.
In the 32nd minute, Daniel Heath, a star hockey player from Soldotna, scored on a header on an assist by Simon Willets.
“We controlled the game but struggled to score,” SoHi head coach Erik Dolphin wrote in a text message. “Daniel hit the crossbar twice on headers.”
Dolphin also wrote SoHi had a goal called back. A Soldotna throw-in ended up in the back of the net, with Lane Hillyer attempting to head the ball in. The referees ruled Hillyer didn’t touch the ball. A throw-in going directly into goal doesn’t count.
“Overall, a frustrating game,” Dolphin wrote. “We should have won.”
