The Juneau-Douglas High School Crimson Bears girls soccer team suffered a 4-0 loss to South Anchorage on Saturday, following a 5-0 defeat the previous day, but the squad showed clear signs of progress and cohesion on the field.
All twelve players who featured in the Saturday match were honored with the Hard Hat award, a recognition from the coaching staff for effort despite the scoreboard.
A Lesson in Defense
Midfielder Riley Schultz, who logged the full 80 minutes, explained that the team shifted from trying to defend individually to functioning as a unified unit, a change that showed up in tighter defensive organization.
South Anchorage, the top seed heading into the state tournament, leaned on a technical style and strong chemistry, with forward Ali Boshell striking twice and contributions from Addison Bailey and Brooklyn Shankar.
Coach Scott Hickox highlighted the opponent’s focus on technical work and team chemistry, noting that the match served as a valuable test for the Bears.
Looking Ahead
Despite the setbacks, the Bears remain first in their conference and have demonstrated they can compete with a stronger side, a position that bodes well for the upcoming tournament. Key contributors such as Peyton Wheeler, Kenzie Simonson, Kate Bovitz, Nellie Stowers, Marigold Lindoff, Ayla Erickson, Maddie Dale and others will look to build on the lessons learned and finish the season strong.