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The Wildcat boys’ soccer team won both their quarterfinal and semifinal games in overtime – against Legacy Christian Academy in a penalty kick shootout and against Cloquet-Esko-Carlton on a golden goal – to advance, for the fourth time in school history, to tonight’s section championship game.  The section championship game was always scheduled to be at Chisago Lakes High School, so it’s just plain luck that the Wildcats are playing at home and will face off against the Duluth Denfeld Hunters at 5:30 p.m.  Denfeld beat Hermantown 3-1 to advance to the Section 7A final.
 
Chisago Lakes 0, Legacy Christian Academy 0 (Chisago Lakes wins 4-2 in a shootout)
Coaches, players and fans alike expected the Wildcats to blow out the ninth-seeded Legacy Christian Lions in the Section 7A quarterfinals, but the game was tied 0-0 at the end of two overtimes and went to a penalty kick shootout.  The Wildcats led 4-2 in the shootout with the fourth Lion shooter due up.  The Lion shooter sailed the ball over the top of the net, sealing the win for the Wildcats and sending them to the section semifinal game against Cloquet-Esko-Carlton.

The Wildcats dominated play throughout the game, but the Lions packed it in and limited the Wildcat scoring chances.  The Wildcats did have two excellent scoring chances early in the game, but failed to convert.  The game stayed scoreless through regulation and both ten minute overtimes – 100 minutes of soccer and no goals.  In the shootout, Jacob Fuller, Nils Gulbranson, Nick Pautz and Ryan Mower all converted their penalty kicks.  The Lions missed one of their first three kicks, so they were down 4-2 going into the fourth kick.  If they missed, the game would be over.  The fourth Lion shooter’s kick sailed over the crossbar, giving the win to the Wildcats.

Anthony Johnson played outside right defense for the Wildcats, Jacob Fuller was on the outside left and Ryan Mower was moved back to stopper.  Leigh said “That combo across the back gave us a really solid defense, which was especially critical in a game where one goal could have won it all for either team.  I was also happy that Dylan Zollinger was back on the field for us and gave us a solid 40-50 minutes.  He makes a big difference for us out there.”
 
Chisago Lakes 2, Cloquet-Esko-Carlton 1 (O.T.)
Ryan Mower sent a ball into the net for a golden goal in the first overtime against fourth-seeded Cloquet-Esko-Carlton to give the Wildcats at 2-1 win and a trip to tonight’s section championship game against Duluth Denfeld at Chisago Lakes High School at 5:30 p.m.  The Cloquet game was played Tuesday, October 18 at Chisago Lakes High School.

“We really controlled the game from beginning to end,” said Wildcat head coach Mark Leigh.  “We had a lot of good passing but didn’t have a lot of strikes at the goal.  Nothing that was really close, anyway.”  From the 60th to the 70th minute, C-E-C didn’t even get it out of their own zone.  But in that 70th minute, they counterattacked and scored to go up 1-0.  It looked grim at that point for the Wildcats, with just ten minutes to go in the game.

But with five minutes to go, the Wildcats were awarded a free kick at midfield.  Goalkeeper Reece Lawlor came up to take the free kick.  He boomed it into the C-E-C penalty area.  Bryce Burds took possession of the ball and shot.  It glanced off a C-E-C defender and curled into the upper right corner of the net to tie the game at 1-1.

In overtime, Nick Pautz set up for a free kick from the sideline about 20 yards out from the end line.  He sent the kick into the box.  It fell to Ryan Mower’s foot.  There was a crowd of players in front of him, so he just kicked it to the left of the crowd and into the net for the golden goal and the win.  Leigh said “It was a pretty cool celebration.  And we are really looking forward to playing Denfeld tonight.”  The Wildcats lost to Denfeld 5-1 at home earlier this season.

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