Welcome back to the state tournament.
That’s a happy message for teams, players,
coaches, officials and fans as fall state tournaments are being played for the
first time in two years. Covid-19 wiped out all state tournaments in the autumn
of 2020, but there is a definite sense of celebration this year.
For soccer teams that played at U.S. Bank
Stadium two seasons ago, returning to the big glass-walled barn in downtown
Minneapolis this week is equal parts relief and treat.
“Last year
we could have gone to the state tournament; we won our section but we didn't
get to because it was canceled,” said Centennial senior Allyson Hamski, who
scored with 41 seconds to play as the Cougars defeated Rosemount 1-0 in
Thursday’s Class 3A girls semifinals. “Obviously, we were just so excited that
there was going to be a state tournament and we wanted to go all the way. So we're
glad to be here. And was our goal from the start the season.”
Centennial, the state runner-up two years
ago, will meet Stillwater in Saturday’s championship game.
The Rosemount
girls, who finished third in 2019 (after losing to Centennial 2-1 in double overtime
in the semifinals), were thrilled at the prospect of going back to state in
2021.
“There was
definite excitement,” said Irish coach Gretchen Stramel. “They were so excited
as a team, it was kind of a focus all year long. It felt like forever until we
were able to get here, and you come here and it happens so fast, there's so
much to take in.”
For players who saw action at U.S. Bank
Stadium two years ago, that experience was valuable this time around.
“I think
that was an advantage for us today, having guys who have been here before,”
said Holy Angels boys soccer coach James See after the Stars defeated Mahtomedi
3-2 in Wednesday’s Class 2A semifinals. “I think that helped us and calmed us
down a little bit, but also to see the confidence and the swagger that these
guys brought forth. It really kind of calmed the nerves for some of our younger
guys as we were taking the trek down 35W (seven miles from the school in
Richfield).”
Holy Angels senior
Aidan Smith, who scored all three goals Wednesday, had some advice for younger
teammates who were new to playing in the big ballpark.
“When we
were riding the bus here it was kind of funny. We drove through the tunnel, seeing
everyone's faces like, ‘Oh my god, we're at U.S. Bank.’ I've done this before,
we've gone through all these steps before. So having that feeling this time
around, being a leader on the team, kind of showing all these kids what it's
like to play here, how to play here, what mentality you need, it was definitely
really helpful.
“Walking out
of that tunnel for the first time, looking around and you see this big stadium.
It can be kind of shell-shocking. So you just have to sit back, realize that
you're prepared for this. It's just another field, same line, same goals. And
then you've got to be confident that all your preparation pays off and you're
ready for the moment.”
The moment
was similar for Centennial’s Hamski, who said, “We let (younger players) know
that there was going to be a ton of fans. It was going to be a huge stadium. It's
a great experience just to even play here. You might feel a lot of pressure but
just play it like any other game.”
Best
Postgame Moment of the Tournament
Hamski’s game-winning
goal for Centennial was a thing of beauty, fired from 25 yards and sailing into
the upper-right corner of the goal.
It was the
14th total shot on goal of the game, with goalkeepers Jordan Hecht
of Rosemount and Jordan Metz of Centennial turning away seven each, including a
penalty kick that Hecht stopped midway through the second half.
Hecht, the Class
2A state champion in the discus and runner-up in the shot put, did everything
she could to stop Hamski’s shot. The ball had to be in a very tight window in
order to get inside the corner of the goal and outside of Hecht’s leaping reach,
and that’s exactly where it went.
Rosemount had
yielded only five goals all season prior to the state semifinals, shutting out 19
of 21 opponents.
Rosemount senior
defender Josephine Edgar, who spoke to her junior teammate Hecht after the final
horn, was asked during a postgame media session what she said. Josephine and
Jordan were sitting next to each other in front of the media, along with Stramel.
“I told her,
‘Jordan, you kept us in that game. You made seven amazing saves.’ She did
everything we could have asked of her. That was an amazing shot by the Centennial
player. That was really well done by her and definitely something she'll
remember for the rest of your life. But saving that PK was pivotal in our game and
definitely gave us the energy that we needed. All you can do is your best and
Jordan definitely did that today.”
Boys Soccer State Semifinals
Wednesday
Class 3A
Mounds View 2, Rochester Mayo 1
Rosemount 2, Duluth East 1
Class 2A
Orono 3, Willmar 1
Holy Angels 3, Mahtomedi 2
Class 1A
Southwest Christian 1, Pine
Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa 0
St. Paul Humboldt/Open World Learning 1, Rochester
Lourdes 0
Girls Soccer State Semifinals
Thursday
Class 3A
Stillwater 3, Edina s
Centennial 1, Rosemount 0
Class 2A
Benilde-St. Margaret’s v Cloquet/Carlton
Holy Angels v Mahtomedi
Class 1A
5 p.m.: Holy Family v
Breck
7 p.m.: Minnehaha Academy v Cotter
Saturday’s Championship Games
8 a.m.: 3A girls/ Stillwater vs.
Centennial
10:30 a.m.: 3A boys/ Mounds View vs.
Rosemount
1 p.m.: 2A girls
3:30 p.m.: 2A boys/ Orono vs. Holy Angels
6 p.m.: 1A girls
8:30 p.m.: 1A boys/ Southwest Christian
vs. St. Paul Humboldt/Open World Learning
--MSHSL media specialist John Millea has been the leading voice of
Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Twitter @MSHSLjohn
and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts.
Contact John at jmillea@mshsl.org
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