Wayzata freshman Lily Gilbertson pounced on a rare Eden Prairie miscue and buried the ball into the back of the Eagles' net to push the Trojans to a 1-0 victory Thursday evening at Eden Prairie High School.

One breakdown proved to be the difference in another chapter of high stakes Lake Conference soccer, in which Wayzata now sits atop the standings with a perfect 3-0 mark.

"I put a nice through ball and I was able to stick with it," Gilbertson said afterward. "When the other (defenders) made a mistake, I was able to take a shot and capitalize on it."

The Trojans, ranked No. 5 in Class 2A according to the poll released this week by the coaches association, picked up their fourth straight victory over the No. 6-2A Eagles and improved their season record to 6-1-1. 

Gilbertson's unassisted goal came just 1 minute, 31 seconds into the second half when Eden Prairie suffered a defensive breakdown in the box, leaving Gilbertson alone with the ball and a golden opportunity.

The match was delayed 40 minutes because of thunderstorms in the area, and once play got underway, both teams were a bit tentative and played it close to the chest.

A more physical style followed as the sun came out and the humidity picked up. The Eagles held the clear advantage at times, though Wayzata goalkeeper Kendall Koenen finished with seven saves to help keep a lid on Eden Prairie’s best efforts.

Afterward, Trojans coach Tony Peszneker applauded the effort, but said his team was lucky to walk away with this one.

"I felt (Eden Prairie) played better than us for most of the match," Peszneker said. "They were a little unfortunate on some of their opportunities that they had. And sometimes it comes down to a mistake, and tonight we were able to capitalize on a mistake that they made. We feel very fortunate to have this victory."

Since dropping its match to No. 3-2A Lakeville North on Sept. 1, Wayzata has rattled off four straight victories in which its has outscored the opposition 11-3.

The Trojans field a starting unit that includes two freshmen and two sophomores, who are doing a fine job of learning on the job. However, Peszneker said the team is still very much a work in progress, with success to be measured in increments.

"When you have a new squad, it takes some time for everyone to get to know each other, and that's probably the biggest challenge we've had," Peszneker said. "We've got a very young group, and occasionally they are going to have to take their lumps early on in the year. But as long as we learn from those mistakes, then we will be fine. If we don't learn from them, then making those mistakes aren't going to do us any good."

Gilbertson, one of the freshmen starters, has three goals already this season, second-best on the team behind junior forward Morgan Turner, who has 10 goals in eight games.

Gilbertson says the team is improving with each passing day.

"Our communication and teamwork is improving," Gilbertson said. "As a team, we are starting to bond more, we are making better passes and playing smarter."

Wayzata held a 5-4 advantage in corner kicks, though the Eagles outshot the Trojans 7-6.

Eden Prairie suffered its second straight loss and dropped to 4-2-1. The Eagles look to stop their skid Saturday on the road against Hopkins (3-2-1).

Wayzata freshman Lily Gilbertson pounced on a rare Eden Prairie miscue and buried the ball into the back of the Eagles' net to push the Trojans to a 1-0 victory Thursday evening at Eden Prairie High School.

Wayzata, ranked No. 5 in the Class 2A poll released this week by the coaches association, improved its season record to 6-1-1.

Gilbertson's unassisted goal came just 1 minute, 31 seconds into the second half when the Eagles suffered a defensive breakdown in the box, leaving Gilbertson alone with the ball and a golden opportunity.

The match was delayed 40 minutes because of thunderstorms in the area, and once play got underway, both teams were a bit tentative and played it close to the chest. 

A more physical style followed as the sun came out and the humidity picked up. Eden Prairie seemed to have the clear advantage at times, though Trojans goalkeeper Kendall Koenen finished with seven saves to help keep a lid on the Eagles' best efforts.

Since dropping its match to Lakeville North on Sept. 1, Wayzata has rattled off four straight victories in which it has outscored the opposition 11-3.

Eden Prairie suffered its second straight loss and dropped to 4-2-1. The Eagles look to stop their skid Saturday on the road against Hopkins (3-2-1).

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