No team clings to a 1-0 lead like Lakeville North, and its effervescent goalkeeper Alexis Joyce. So, when Sarah Fisco put the Panthers ahead in the 11th minute of Wednesday’s Class 2A state semifinal at Park of Cottage Grove, Joyce knew the drill.

“I definitely knew it was going to be in my hands, because we’re definitely a one-goal team,” Joyce said after the 50th shutout of her career. “We like to keep it nice and close.”

It was the seventh 1-0 victory of the season for Lakeville North (14-2-3), which advances to play Burnsville in Tuesday’s semifinals at the Metrodome. The Panthers also had two matches end in scoreless ties. So they are comfortable putting the pressure on Joyce and a stout defense, which has surrendered just five goals all fall.

The senior rewarded that faith by making eight tough saves, most in the second half when the Zephyrs (17-2-1) seemed to be constantly buzzing the crease. Her biggest came with 13 minutes remaining, when Megan Koenig bent a perfectly placed free kick from 30 yards toward the right corner of the net. But Joyce stretched her 5-foot-4 frame to its limit to knock the ball away and leave Koenig to retreat downfield shaking her fists in frustration.

“When my adrenaline gets going, I feel like I can jump anywhere and I can make these big saves,” Joyce said.

Is that the highest she can leap?

“I don’t know,” she said. “We’ll have to see some time.”

MARK EMMERT