Whether or not by design, it’s only sensible the final act of the high school soccer season belonged to the royalty that is the girls teams from Dimond and South. Of the now 22 officially sanctioned state tournaments, one of the two programs have accounted for more than 63% of the championships.
This time around, the Lynx further cemented their queen status by dominating to a third consecutive Division I title and fifth in six seasons. Junior Tatum Porter scored in the first 15 seconds of play and sophomore Mai Mateaki added an insurance goal in the 75th as Dimond dispatched South 2-0 on a scintillatingly sunny Saturday evening at Service High.
“I knew I wanted to go out with a bang, my last year and all,” said Dimond senior Keegyn Applegate, one of many do-everything Lynx up and down the pitch. “I was going to cry whether it was a win or loss because of the excitement of it all.
“I wanted to win one last one with this team because it’s the last time I’ll be seeing them.”
Dimond’s Keegyn Applegate. Photo by Matt Nevala/Alaska Sports Report
In March, Applegate and South senior Dot Tieszen both signed national letters of intent with NCAA Division I George Mason University. Saturday, Applegate joined Porter and Mateaki on the attack to the tune of 24 scoring chances against Wolverines super-sophomore goalkeeper Ayris Gonzalez to South’s five.
The aforementioned Lynx also helped out on the back end, joining senior center back and player-of-the-game Xiomara Chavez and others to keep South almost exclusively away from junior keeper Lauren Sulte. Many of the Lynx soccer players are also part of the school’s superior flag football team in the fall, which has won multiple Cook Inlet Conference championships.
Shots on goal finished 11-2 in favor of Dimond. Veteran Service boys coach Dan Rufner likened the performance to a football team spending the whole game on offense and in the red zone or a hockey team outshooting its opponent by 30.
“All in all, I’m disappointed in the outcome because I felt we did our job but just didn’t execute fully,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve got to give Dimond the credit it deserves. (It) played amazingly.”
Photo by Matt Nevala/Alaska Sports Report
Saturday’s title meeting marked the sixth time the archrivals faced off in the final (2005, 2011, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022). The 2020 state tournament didn’t happen – thanks COVID-19 pandemic.
Dimond is 4-2 in the championship series.
In something of a soccer rarity, Porter’s goal seconds into the action caught everyone in attendance off guard. She positioned herself along the far-right side of the goal box and surprised even herself by scoring so soon.
“I didn’t even mean to, but I’ll take it,” she said.
Retiring Dimond coach Tim Valesko stood nearby and said it best.
“Best (crossing pass) in the world is the one that goes in the back of the net, huh?” he said.
Photo by Matt Nevala/Alaska Sports Report
The Lynx spent the next hour-plus of real time coming at South and Gonzalez in waves. The Wolverines blocked shots and cleared balls on the regular, while Gonzalez stayed in some semblance of control.
Mateaki scored twice in last season’s 4-3 overtime victory against South. She finally cracked the Gonzalez code late in the second half on an unorthodox play. In a mess of humanity in the goal box, Mateaki headed the ball with her back to the net. She turned around just in time to see it bounce past Gonzalez into the left corner.
“Mai always has these spontaneous goals you never see coming,” Applegate said.
Another chapter in the heralded Dimond-South girls soccer rivalry came to an entertaining close. History was made for the Lynx. Gonzalez’s effort should also long be remembered in local sports circles.
“I’m going to jump in a lake after all this,” she said.
Fair to say, the Memorial Day weekend rest is well deserved.
Alaska School Activities Association/First National Bank Alaska
Division I Soccer State Championships
All-Tournament Team
Girls
Frida Vargas, West Anchorage
Tatum Porter, Dimond
Zoe Witter, Service
Madison McDonald, South Anchorage
Hannah Aemisegger, Lathrop
Meadow Lewis, Chugiak
Mai Mateaki, Dimond
Sumiko Ramos, Service
Keegyn Applegate, Dimond
Dot Tieszen, South Anchorage
Annika Colberg, West Anchorage
Faith Hughes, South Anchorage