Girls Soccer: Missota Conference Champs!

Hannah Miller's direct kick the game-winner (file photo by Jim Lindquist)

Farmington clinched at least a tie for the 2012 Missota Conference championship with an exciting 1-0 win over Holy Angels Tuesday afternoon at Tiger Stadium. A victory in Thursday's regular season finale at Shakopee would give the Tigers the outright league crown.

No Farmington soccer team, boys or girls, has ever won a conference championship.

"This was all about the girls," Tiger coach Rob Carpentier said. "They showed maturity and grit....I'm very proud of all of them."

The Tigers seemed to have the edge in play for the first part of the game that culminated in the game's only score.

Alex Frost was fouled just outside the box to set up Hannah Miler's direct kick. Carpentier said the kick wasn't picture-perfect but it produced the desired result.

"The keeper was there in time but the ball had spin on it and it went off her hands, between her legs and into the net." he said.

The teams played evenly through the first 25 minutes of the second period with Kelli Elmer getting a couple of scoring chances but none that lit up the scoreboard. The final 15 minutes were tension-packed.

Izzie Ferm led defensive effort (file photo by Jim Lindquist)

"We were under siege," Carpentier said. "They threw nine and 10 players forward but we were up to the task defensively. Ashley Becker was great in goal and Izzie Ferm was all over the field. She single-handedly cut off more attacks than I can count."

For one of the few times this season the Tigers had fewer shots than the opposiiton. The Stars won that battle 14-8.

The shutout was the ninth of the season for the Tigers who are 8-0-1 in those contests. They have not been scored upon in six conference games.

"This was a great day for the program," Carpentier said. "It was many years in the making, back to when the program started in the '90s. The other girls who came first and the other coaches before me all had a big hand in tonight's accomplishment.... The girls were ecstatic."

Farmington (10-3-2) will begin post-season play next Thursday against an opponent and at a site to be determined by seeding at the conclusion of the regular season schedule.