Soldotna then just missed the

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including 2023’s state title. The Stars placed third last year behind JDHS and Kenai. JDHS won the DII title in 2022.

“We’re hopefully going to get it this year,” McDonald said. “We’re going to work hard for it.”

JDHS worked hard to counter on the very next possession as Travis played a perfect pass ahead to Wheeler who hit a hard shot that Soldotna’s Queen managed to get a hand on but could not stop and it tied the game at 1-1.

JDHS would have seven more shots before the first half ended.

Soldotna started the second half by putting a shot off the JDHS crossbar.

JDHS would be awarded a penalty kick on their next possession. Erickson rocketed a shot that Soldotna’s Queen blocked and then retrieved before the Crimson Bears could get to it.

JDHS goal wide and the next four shots were all missed by the Crimson Bears as the ebb and flow of action favored neither team.

Soldotna would take a 2-1 lead midway through country wise email marketing list the second half as sophomore midfielder Jillian Duncan struck from 28 yards out.

JDHS’ Schultz, sophomore Alyssa Travis, Wheeler and sophomore Clairee Overson all had shots that were covered by Soldotna’s Queen as time ran down and with two minutes left the Stars Lane and sophomore Rowan Peck both missed the Crimson Bears net high.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Milina Mazon (11), junior Kenzie Simonson, junior Peyton Wheeler and sophomore Riley Schultz (8) celebrate a goal by Wheeler during the Crimson Bears’ 2-1 loss to the Stars on Thursday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park. (Klas Stolpe/ Juneau Empire)
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Milina Mazon (11), junior Kenzie Simonson, junior Peyton Wheeler and sophomore Riley Schultz (8) celebrate a goal by Wheeler during the Crimson Bears’ 2-1 loss to the Stars on Thursday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park. (Klas Stolpe/ Juneau Empire)

A last hard shot by Wheeler just missed the top of the Soldotna goal as time expired.

JDHS junior defending midfielder Kenzie Simonson earned the team’s Hard Hat Award for her endurance.

“I got this because every game I play the whole 80 minutes,” Simonson said. “And coach basically said I put a lot of good work in so I stay on the field…Tonight wasn’t the result we wanted but I think we put a lot of good work in and even though it wasn’t what we wanted to happen we played pretty good and we did what we could and now we just have to keep moving forward.”

JDHS will play at Lathrop and West Valley next weekend on a road trip to Fairbanks.