Eden Prairie attacker April Bockin showed those on hand at Husky Stadium on Tuesday in St. Cloud what the University of Minnesota already knows.

Bockin, a Gophers recruit and the Star Tribune's Metro Player of the Year, put on a show in the third-seeded Eagles’ 2-0 victory over No. 2 seed Lakeville North in the state semifinals, leading her team to the championship game.

“I can’t believe we’ve come this far,” Bockin said. “At the beginning of the season I couldn’t even think we’d be in this spot.”

After coming close to scoring on a pair of early free kicks and wowing the crowd with some nifty ball handling, Bockin tallied the game’s first goal with 20:09 remaining in the first half. From 30 yards out, Bockin put a rocket into the upper left corner with her left foot off a failed clear attempt by Lakeville North (16-3-1). 

“Once it left my foot I knew it was going in,” Bockin said. 

Bockin has 38 points on 25 goals and 13 assists on the year and earned the Ms. Soccer award in Class 2A. She has scored eight of Eden Prairie’s 11 postseason goals, including the game-winner in last week’s victory over Anoka in the state quarterfinals. 

In the second half, with 29 minutes remaining, Eden Prairie (17-2-1) took a commanding 2-0 lead as sophomore Naomi Rogge put a point-blank shot into the back of the Panthers’ net. 

Eden Prairie won the state title in 2002 and 2011. 

“I was in the dome [in 2011] watching them win it,” Bockin said. “I couldn’t wait to be out there playing. Now I’m here.''