Peyton Weir set the tone with an unassisted goal with 7:28 left in the first half, giving Alpena a 1-0 lead heading into the break.

The Wildcats controlled possession throughout the half and prevented the Blue Devils from recording a single shot on goal. Alpena tallied six shots on goal in the opening 40 minutes.

The offense came alive in the second half, with Faith Dragiewicz scoring twice in the first five minutes — once off an assist from Kelsie Mousseau and again unassisted — to stretch the lead to 3-0. Mousseau added a goal of her own on a penalty kick with 25:15 left in the match.

Despite a yellow card issued to Anna Skiba at the 23:42 mark, Alpena continued to dominate.

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Faith Dragiewicz dribbles the ball in the first half of Thursday’s soccer game in Alpena. Dragiewicz contributed to the Wildcats’ 6-0 win over Sault Area.

Weir scored again with 16:47 remaining, followed by a final goal from Skiba off a pass from Sophie Kindt with 3:37 left.

The Wildcats ended the game with 15 shots on goal while holding the Sault to zero.

“We did a good job of moving off the ball tonight and our passing looked great,” said head coach Gregg Supiran after the win. “With that possession, we kept them from really seeing any chance at goal tonight.”

Supiran praised Weir’s efforts, especially her first-half goal.

“She’s done a great job as an outside back and as a new player to the team,” he said. “That first goal really helped settle us and set the tone for the rest of the game.”

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Keira Paad kicks the ball in a soccer game on Thursday. Alpena won 6-0.

At halftime, Supiran encouraged his team to quicken their pace and take more chances.

“I just told them they needed to continue to move off the ball, play a little quicker, and take shots,” Supiran said. “And that’s what we did.”

Looking ahead to Tuesday’s matchup, Supiran emphasized discipline and finishing.

“Petoskey is a tough team,” he said about the Wildcats’ Tuesday opponent. “We’ve played them well before, but we’ll be focusing on staying sharp defensively and making the most of our opportunities.”

Alpena now prepares to face Petoskey on Tuesday in what’s expected to be a competitive district semifinal clash.