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Chisago Lakes 3, Simley 0

The top-seeded Wildcat boys dominated this game from beginning to end. Allowing few scoring chances and taking advantage of three chances, they beat ninth-seeded Simley 3-0 at Chisago Lakes Saturday, October 14, in the quarterfinals of the Section 3A Soccer Tournament.

Some of the fans hadn’t yet made it to their seats when the Wildcats scored their first goal. Troy Aadland’s long throw-in found the foot of Chris Golv in the penalty area. Golv moved the ball to Aaron Bergerson, who scored to give the Wildcats the early lead in the second minute.

Simley’s best chance came about halfway through the first half. A Simley player got a clear shot toward the left post from the top right corner of the penalty area. The ball eluded diving Wildcat goalkeeper Tommy Fitzer, but rolled a couple of feet wide of the left post. Simley never seriously threatened to score after that play.

The Wildcats scored two goals just six minutes apart in the second half to put the game away. In the 47th minute, Mark Eagan took a corner kick from the left. The ball sailed into the middle of the box. Freshman Cameron Bouwens got a foot on it. The ball popped in the air, and Golv came out of a crowd to head the ball into the net, putting the Wildcats up 2-0.

The Wildcats’ final goal of the afternoon came in the 53rd minute. Christian Swanberg ripped a crossing pass from the right corner to a wide open Zach Lukas standing in the left side of the penalty area. Lukas headed a line drive into the net to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. The Wildcats shut Simley down the rest of the way, making the final score Chisago Lakes 3, Simley 0.

“We kept the ball in their end for most of the game,” said Wildcat head coach Mark Leigh. “There were so many people crammed into the penalty area it was hard to get off a decent shot. But we had some really nice goals. Bergerson almost had a second one, and Golv and Lukas both had nice headers.

“I feel like we’re set up well going through the playoffs. We have a strong defense and, if the opponent gets through that, a strong goalkeeper in the back. That allows us to put on offensive pressure in the front. And we should get starting midfielder Scott Leigh, who’s been out with an injury, back this week. That will make us stronger in the midfield. This year’s team is a really good group of kids. There are no cliques, no agendas. They work well together, always playing as a team, and that helps them to succeed.”

The Wildcats (15-3-1) were scheduled to face fourth-seeded St. Agnes/St. Bernard’s (8-5-6) in the Section 3A semifinals Tuesday, October 17 at Chisago Lakes. The winner of that game will play today, Thursday, October 19, against the winner of Tuesday’s game between second-seeded Mahtomedi and third-seeded South St. Paul.

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