The Minnewaska boys soccer team was eliminated for the season with a 1-0 loss to Melrose Area, Thursday, Oct. 12 at home.  The Lakers were seeded second in the south half of the section, while the Dutchmen were seeded third.

Melrose went on to lose 5-1 to St. Cloud Cathedral in the Section 8A semifinals and the Crusaders earned a state berth with a 4-0 win over Hillcrest for the section title.

The Lakers ended the season 6-6-4 overall and 2-4-2 in the conference.  St. Cloud Cathedral, ranked in the top three in state, won the conference title with a perfect 8-0 record, followed by Little Falls-LPGE (3-3-2), Minnewaska (2-4-2) and Melrose and St. John’s Prep (both 2-5-1).

Seniors lost to graduation from this year’s team are Blake Nelson, Thomas Poegel, Connor Quelle, Ethan Curry and Jose Contreras Mondragon, who missed the final third of the season due to an injury.  Following is a recap of the section quarterfinal game against Melrose provided by coach David Vinje.

Melrose 1, Waska 0, 2 OT

The Minnewaska Lakers soccer team hosted the Melrose Dutchmen in the first round of the Section 8A playoffs.  Both teams needed not only to compete with each other but also the strong winds and heavy rain. 

“It was obvious that the weather would be a factor in the game, with both the wind and rain limiting the ability to pass the ball through the air accurately,” coach Vinje said.

Neither team could keep possession of the ball, with heavy first touches and multiple passes going astray. The Lakers relied on the consistency of their defending, keeping the Dutchmen from creating quality scoring opportunities.

With the wind at their backs, the Lakers generated multiple scoring chances but couldn’t find the back of the net as the first half ended 0-0.  “We talked at halftime about putting better pressure on the ball. We had struggled to keep possession, so we needed to focus on stringing together a few passes or keeping the ball on the dribble.”

The second half saw more of the same, with neither team connecting passes or creating quality opportunities to score. With the back-and-forth nature of the midfield battle, it became evident that overtime was approaching. The second half ended 0-0, sending the game to overtime.

“Two 10-minute overtimes are played with the ‘golden goal’ rule in the playoffs. If a team scores, it’s all over. If neither team can score in the 20 minutes, penalty kicks are the decider,” coach Vinje said.

Both teams entered the first overtime with renewed energy and intensity. The Lakers won the toss and entered the first overtime with the wind at their backs. However, the game trend continued, with neither team truly capable of keeping possession of the ball. The first overtime ended 0-0.

Immediately changing halves, the Lakers played directly into the wind for the second overtime. The game looked destined for penalties, but heartbreak struck with just under two minutes to play. 

The ball skipped across the Lakers’ 18-yard box, finding the feet of a Dutchmen player. Close to the goal and first to the ball, the Melrose player bundled the ball into the goal just past the outstretched arms of Laker goalie Tenzin Dahl.

Suddenly, the Lakers’ season was over.

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