Girls Soccer: Knocking on State's door

Kelly Kornmann scored the game-winner (photo by Jim Lindquist)

For the second straight season the Tigers are a game away from their first-ever a berth in the Class AA state girls' soccer tournament.

Kelly Kornmann's goal 15 minutes into the opening half gave third-seeded Farmington a hard-fought 1-0 win at second-seeded Lakeville South Saturday afternoon in the Section 1AA semifinals.

The victory vaulted coach Tracie Randall's team into a Tuesday night road match-up with top-seeded Lakeville North. The two teams met last fall in the section championship tilt won bu North 2-0.

Coach Randall said it took a few minutes to find its game in the win over South.

"The first few minutes were a little shaky," she said. "I think it was nerves. After we settled down a bit, we looked better."

All-state defender Isabelle Ferm set up the game's only goal, putting the ball on the foot of Kornmann who dribbled the ball all the way to the net, beating the Cougar keeper to her left.

The Tigers had a couple of other quality scoring opportunities but another goal wasn't needed as the always-stingy Farmington defense and keeper Ashley Becker kept the South offense muted.

Kayla Kucala "tough as nails..." (photo by Jim Lindquist)

"Kayla Kucala was tough as nails in the back," Randall said, "and Izzie Ferm showed us once again why she is an all-stater. Kali Allard and Sara Zak put a wall in the middle of the field and wouldn't let anything by them."

All that was good news for keeper Becker who needed only five saves in posting the shutout, most of them coming off Cougar corner kick opportunities.

Randall said her team is excited about returning to the section title game.

"We want the section championship and we definitely want to get to state," she said. "This has been our focus since Holy Angels and we are working each day to get the girls ready mentally and physically." 

North (12-2-3) enters the title game ranked ninth in the final regular season Class AA state poll. The Tigers head into the contest with a record of  10-4-4.

"We're tougher now, more so than we have been the whole season," Randall said. "The girls are finally playing the way I want them to and their progress is remarkable. We're winning games and our confidence is up."