It was a beautiful day for a high school soccer game on the hillside in South Anchorage as the sun shined bright over the field where two familiar foes took the pitch against each other for first time in nearly 11 months.
The last time the Service and Dimond high school boys soccer teams faced each other it was in the final game of the 2021 postseason. The Cougars upset the top ranked and previously undefeated Lynx 1-0 and Dimond had the eventual rematch circled on their collective calendars ever since.
“It was the same game as the state final last year that we lost so we knew we had to come out with some force,” Dimond senior JinSei Mateaki said.
This time around, no one came away victorious as they played to a 1-1 draw Tuesday with both goals coming in the first half.
“These two schools bring the best out of each other and that is what we should expect and that is only going to make us better” Dimond coach Will Lucero said.
Dimond struck first on a penalty kick from Mateaki but Service would knot the game up a few minutes later when junior Breckin Fett was credited with a the tying goal after a direct hit off a Lynx player resulted in the ball finding the back of the net.
“We created an opportunity to where we were going to goal and they fouled us,” Lucero said. “That goal that they got, our player came across and unfortunately it was a deflection in which the ball went in.”
It was the first goal that Dimond senior keeper Thor Yeager allowed this season. The Lynx record now stands at 4-0-3 and the reigning state champions’ record now sits at 3-2-3. Service head coach Dan Rufner credited the both goalies for their stout play throughout the game but especially in the scoreless second half.
“I give man of the match (award) to both keepers,” Rufner said. “They both made fantastic saves to keep both teams in it.”
Dimond in particular had several scoring opportunities but couldn’t convert any in the second half.
“We were a better team that second half and we just couldn’t get the ball in net,” Lucero said.
Even though Rufner would’ve like for his team to have came out on top, he was proud of the effort that his players put forth and glad they didn’t lose ground in the race for the top spot in the Cook Inlet Conference standings.
“We’re not disappointed,” Rufner said. “I thought we played a good game and we knew it’d be close. Yes we wanted the win, that would’ve helped us but everything is so close. They beat West, we tied West. I think state cup is going to be phenomenal this year just because I think it is going to be a real toss up between anyone.”
The Dimond players were especially let down by the game’s result given that they had been looking forward for their first crack at some payback all school year.
“We’re disappointed that we didn’t come out with the win but there will be other opportunities to beat them,” Mateaki said.