Come-From-Behind Win Completes Playoff Sweep [Video]
Owatonna sophomore Ezra lined up for a free kick with just over 15 minutes to go in a 1-1 tie with Rochester John Marshall at the Lincoln Soccer Complex in Owatonna Thursday. The ball was just outside the penalty box and a little left of center on the field. JM set up a three-player 'wall.' Oien's kick was deflected by a Rocket player and that seemed to give the ball enough height to go over the keeper's hands and just below the cross bar for the game-winning tally in a 2-1 Section 1AA quarterfinal win. Jon Weibrod (@OPPJonW) caught the play on Twitter (see below).
The leveling goal came from Sarah Kingland with an assist from Oien five-and-a-half minutes into the second half. It was originally announced as Oien scoring, but that got corrected after the match. JM had scored with ten minutes to go in the first half for the 1-0 lead at the break.
The Huskies will host third-seed Northfield Tuesday, October 20 at 7 pm in the section semifinals on AM 1390 KRFO and the KRFO app. The Raiders rallied for a 3-3 draw with OHS earlier this season. The other semifinal is an all-South Suburban affair after a pair of upsets on Tuesday.
Defending section champ Lakeville South is the eighth seed and beat Big Nine champ Rochester Century 3-2 Tuesday. Farmington, the fifth seed, won at Mayo 2-1.
The Owatonna boys opened the playoff twin-bill Tuesday with a dominating 8-0 win over JM. Alex Ulrich scored on a low, line drive shot from about 30 yards out just over ten minutes into the contest. The Huskies added a three-goal barrage in a 1:15-span with just under 15 minutes to go before halftime.
Zack Kirsh scored back-to-back goals. Nolan Burmeister assisted on the second one. Then Burmeister scored from Kirsh and added another with 4 minutes remaining after a great back-and-forth passing combo by Kirsh and Ulrich to put the Huskies in the driver's seat 5-0 at halftime.
Ulrich notched his second goal ten minutes into the second half. Sam Sampson and Benny Bangs rounded out the scoring. Riley Voracek and Ethan Hunt combined on the clean sheet, the Huskies sixth shutout of the season.
No. 2 Owatonna will host third-seed Century Tuesday, October 20 at 5 pm with coverage on AM 1390 KRFO and the KRFO app. Owatonna beat the Panthers 1-0 to open the season in early September.
Unlike the girls bracket, the higher seeded boys' team each won on Thursday. No. 1 Northfield blanked Farmington 3-0 and fourth-seed Mayo sailed by New Prague 4-0. The section finals will happen at the high seed Thursday, October 22 and will mark the end of the soccer season. A plan for a state soccer tournament was dismissed by the Minnesota State High School League early this week.
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