Woodbury girls roll in 2A soccer; Wayzata beats Edina

David Joles, Star Tribune

Wayzata team members celebrated their 5-4 shootout, giving them a 1-0 win over Edina in sudden death overtime action.

The Royals make a habit of keeping opponents off the scoreboard, as Eagan learned.

By JOHN MILLEA, Star Tribune

Last update: November 6, 2009 - 9:25 AM

For opponents of the Woodbury girls' soccer team, a major goal is, well, scoring a goal.

After Woodbury defeated Eagan 3-0 Tuesday in the Class 2A state semifinals at the Metrodome -- giving the defending champion a goal differential of 85-5 this season -- the only thing harder than beating its defense was explaining it.

"I don't know," said senior midfielder Caitlin Graboski, who scored the first goal in the sixth minute.

"I don't know," said senior defender Kassey Kallman, the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year and Class 2A Ms. Soccer award winner.

Drilling a little deeper, however, resulted in some explanations, including teamwork, skill and communication.

"All the other backs are really talented, and we communicate and we know how each other plays," Kallman said. "We can anticipate what the other ones are doing."

Top-seeded Woodbury will meet third-seeded Wayzata in Thursday's 3 p.m. championship game at the Metrodome. Both teams are unbeaten this season.

Woodbury (21-0-1) had defeated Eagan in the second game of the season by a 2-0 score, and Eagan coach Mark Obarski called the Royals' defense "rock solid."

"It's very difficult," he said. "They're very solid in the air and positionally they're very good."

Eagan (19-3-1) had more scoring chances in the first half than Woodbury but couldn't capitalize. Goalkeepers Kristen Knutson of Eagan and Brittany Cygan of Woodbury each finished the game with five saves.

"We didn't play that well in the first half," Royals co-coach Bill Ebertz said. "I thought we were a step behind Eagan. But this year in the second half we've really started to step up our play."

Alyssa DuVal, set up nicely by Emily Erickson, threaded the ball between a defender and Knutson to put the Royals ahead 2-0 in the 50th minute. Six minutes later, Mary Kroening scored on an assist by Kallman.

Wayzata 1, Edina 0 (shootout): The Hornets and Trojans played twice during the Classic Lake Conference season and each game ended in a 1-1 tie, so it was no surprise that Tuesday's game went into overtime, then double overtime, then a shootout.

It ended when Wayzata junior Taylor Wodnick, the final player to attempt a shot in the shootout, slid the ball past Edina (17-2-2) goalkeeper Nora Forbes (who replaced Caitlin Schnorbach for the shootout) to give Wayzata (17-0-5) a 5-4 advantage in shootout goals.

Wayzata keeper Megan Pyrz stopped Edina's second shot in the shootout, and that was enough. Pyrz said she was fully confident in her team's shooters.

"We practice that all the time, every day," she said. "I knew they were going to make them."

Third-place games

1A boys

• Totino-Grace 1, Simley 1: Totino-Grace's Paul Yonga opened the game by booting the ball from midfield and into the net. Simley made it 1-1 at 61:24 on a goal by Jack Kessler. The teams share third place, according to MSHSL rules.

1A girls

• Cloquet 1, La Crescent 0: A first-half goal by Jessie Ryan lifted Cloquet to the victory.

2A boys

• Woodbury 1, Northfield 0: Eric Miller's early goal lifted the Royals past the Raiders.