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Playing in their fifth section championship game in the last 12 seasons, it looked like the top-seeded Wildcats were going to finally overcome all obstacles and get to the state tournament as they led the Duluth Denfeld Hunters 1-0 late in the game.  But the second-seeded Hunters scored with ten minutes to go in regulation and scored a golden goal six minutes into the first overtime to beat the Wildcats 2-1.  The loss ended the season for the Wildcats.  The game was played at Chisago Lakes High School on Thursday, October 20.

The score was knotted 0-0 with four minutes to go in the first half.  Nick Pautz sailed a corner kick to the left edge of the box.  Nils Gulbranson fought for position as the ball bounced high in the air over the goalkeeper’s head about three yards out from the goal line and a few feet inside the right post.  Gulbranson freed himself from a pesky defender and blasted a header into the open net to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.  With 4.6 seconds left in the half, Denfeld was awarded a free kick at midfield.  The Denfeld keeper came up to take the kick.  He lofted the ball to the top of the Wildcat penalty area and the ensuing shot went wide, apparently ending the half.  But the referee whistled the play dead, saying he had not yet blown his whistle to start the play after it was set up.  So, despite missing the net with what seemed like their final opportunity of the half, the Hunters were given another chance.  The keeper again took the free kick, but the ball didn’t make it anywhere near the net and the half ended with the Wildcats up 1-0.

Both teams had numerous scoring chances thwarted by Wildcat goalkeeper Reece Lawlor and his Denfeld counterpart, James Faynik.  In the 70th minute, the Hunters played the ball to the center of the field about 25 yards out from the Wildcat goal.  The Hunter forward received the ball, turned and ripped a shot inside the right post to tie the game at 1-1 and send it to overtime.  In the sixth minute of overtime, a poor clearing attempt by the Wildcats kept the ball deep in their zone.  The ball was passed to a Denfeld forward and he spun and shot the ball quickly just inside the left post.  Lawlor never had a chance to react as the ball hit the back of the net and the Hunters started celebrating.

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