Dimond’s Dereck Ortega scored his 14th goal to lift the Lynx on Friday. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
The Dimond boys soccer team is making up for lost time.
Although the Lynx are regular qualifiers for the ASAA Division I state tournament, they haven’t played for a title since 2021.
That changed on Friday after Dimond beat defending champion West Anchorage 3-1 in the state semifinals in the Valley, advancing to Saturday’s final against West Valley.
Lynx leading scorers Dereck Ortega and Tai-Tai Mateaki joined Nasir Poshka in the scoring column and goalkeeper Henry Kendall made 11 saves to punch Dimond’s ticket to the big game.
Prep Soccer
ASAA/First National Bank Alaska
D1 State Tournament
Friday’s scores
GIRLS
Semifinals
Wasilla 2, Chugiak 1
South 4, Dimond 0
Consolation
Juneau 4, Service 0
Colony 1, West Valley 0
BOYS
Semifinals
Dimond 3, West 1
West Valley 2, Juneau 0
Consolation
Colony 3, Service 1
South 4, Chugiak 3
⚽
Saturday’s schedule
GIRLS
6:30pm Title Game
#1 South vs. #6 Wasilla
1:15pm Third Place
#5 Dimond vs. #2 Chugiak
1:15pm Fourth Place
#4 Colony vs. #3 Juneau
BOYS
4:30pm Title Game
#1 West Valley vs. #2 Dimond
11:30am Third Place
#5 Juneau vs. #3 West
11:30am Fourth Place
#4 Colony vs. #6 South
Dimond’s Max Millwood added an assist, while West’s goal was scored by Xander Blue and assisted by Luca Driscoll.
It was Ortega’s 24th goal in 18 games this season, while Mateaki tickled the twine for the 14th time. Poshka’s goal was his sixth.
The win extended Dimond’s 18-game unbeaten streak, with the only blemish coming in a 1-1 tie against West in the season opener way back on March 26.
In May, the Lynx beat West 5-2 and they did it again on Friday in the final four.
The West Valley Wolfpack are just as hot as they come into Saturday’s final riding a 15-game heater.
The Fairbanks squad suffered its lone setback on April 16, falling 2-0 to Dimond.
The Wolverines are usually in celly mode this time of the year. Photo courtesy of SAHS girls soccer
On the girls side, unbeaten South Anchorage will face upstart Wasilla for the state championship.
South improved to 19-0 after blanking Dimond 4-0 for its seventh consecutive shutout. The defending state champs have outscored opponents 42-0 during that stretch.
The last team to score on the Wolverines was Dimond on May 12, when South won 2-1.
Wasilla upset No. 2 seed Chugiak 2-1 in Friday’s semifinals, thanks to goals from Makenna Hanson and Lainey Kroon. Keeper Larkynn Miner was strong between the pipes.
The Warriors (12-4-3) enter the state final playing their best soccer of the season. Wasilla started the season by losing three of five before turning things around.
Chugiak’s Mary Jo Landon bagged her 37th goal of the season to get the ‘Stangs on the board.
