Building off last season

Kodiak was swept to finish third in the Northern Lights Conference with a 2-4 record, 2-5 overall. Palmer claimed the conference’s second automatic berth to the state tournament with the two wins. 

Falling short of achieving postseason play was tough on the players and the coach.   

“It has fueled our desire to come out and train,” said Amaya, entering his second year as Kodiak’s coach. “These kids were hitting it back up in November and December. They wanted to get back out on the field. … We want to win.” 

The team is using last season as a spring into this season, which kicks at 5 p.m. today against Kenai at the Kenai Invitational Cup.  

“We are picking back up where we left off last season. I believe the strategy that we had was good; we didn’t just have enough time to practice it,” Amaya said. 

Adding more matches to this season’s schedule was a priority for Amaya. Kodiak Island Borough School District activities director Debbie Rohrer made that happen. Last year’s seven-game schedule ballooned to 12 games this season.

That’s huge for a program entering its ninth season as a sanctioned high school sport.  

“It is more exposure,” Amaya said. “A lot of the teams in our league that we face have a 16- or 17-game seasons.”

Returning is last season’s top goal scorer Isaiah Panthin, who accounted for six of his team’s 11 goals. He assisted on three other goals. 

All of Kodiak’s scoring happened in the first two games, as Kodiak was blanked in the final five games, including 4-0 and 5-0 losses to Palmer that eliminated the Bears from the eight-team state field. 

“He has taken to heart the results from last year,” Amaya said. “We all left with a bitter taste in our mouth.”

The young coach pointed out that it will take Panthin’s play and the entire team’s efforts to compete in the tough Northern Lights Conference featuring Grace Christian, Redington and Houston. Reigning NLC champion Grace placed third at state a year ago, while runner-up Palmer was fourth. 

Joining Panthin as captain is junior Angus Bruce. Amaya also highlighted senior Noah Coulter and juniors Noah Schrof, Nathaniel Kiefer and Theron Glover as impact players. 

Replacing all-conference goalie Colyer Trenery will be Dexter Smith.

When asked about the team’s identity, Amaya said “perseverance.” 

“These kids have been through a lot and are not afforded the same opportunities as some of the teams in our league,” he said. “Perseverance is a great way to identify us.” 

Amaya, a Coast Guard member transferring to California in August, has bittersweet emotions about this being his last season as coach. However, he expects his squad to be in contention at the end of May.  

“We wouldn’t be playing if we didn’t have that attitude,” he said. “We have to go in thinking we are going to win every game. Will it come out like that, who knows. We have to go out and put out the performance.”