Soccer State Tournament, 2022: Girls Class AA Championship
Posted: Friday, November 4, 2022 - 4:36 PM
Holy Angels went to dramatic lengths to secure a 2-1 shootout victory over top-seeded Mahtomedi in the Class AA Girls Soccer championship game on Friday, Nov. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Streak is over; Holy Angels played the role of the Stopper.
Holy Angels put an end to Mahtomedi’s run of consecutive championships with a drama-soaked 2-1 victory in the Class AA championship game on Friday, Nov. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. After 100 minutes of regulation and two overtimes, a shootout procedure was necessary to break the deadlock. Even that needed to be extended because of the heart-pounding finish.
The No. 2-seeded Stars won the shootout by a 6-5 margin. An extended shootout was required when the first round of five from each team was tied at 4-all. Over the next two attempts, Holy Angels won 2-1, which included the clinching goal from sophomore Briarleigh Dahl. Her shot came a moment after Mahtomedi sophomore defender Faith Peper fired a shot that hit the crossbar and deflected downward. The officials overseeing the shootout ruled the shot did not carom behind the goal line.
Holy Angels senior goalkeeper Chloe Sandness made an impressive punch save in the second round of the shootout.
Entering the state tournament, top-seeded Mahtomedi (18-3-0) was favored to continue its string of Minnesota girls soccer dominance. Including the past four state titles in a row, the Zephyrs own a state-best 10 crowns. Over the past four titles, Mahtomedi won the first three in Class A.
Mahtomedi forced overtime when junior forward Kaitlyn Moltzan scored from a sharp angle on the far side with 21:57 left in regulation time.
Early in the first half, Sandness scored on a free kick to give the Stars the coveted first goal. Her shot was from the Minnesota Vikings logo at midfield and scored 60 yards later.
This is the second girls soccer championship for Holy Angels to go with one captured in 2003.