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Wayzata comes up golden

By Star Tribune, 10/31/11, 10:35PM CDT

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The Trojans were perfect in the shootout to knock off top seed Lakeville North.


Wayzata's Olivia Musser (11) and teammates celebrated her game-winning shootout penalty goal to defeat Lakeville North Monday night. Star Tribune photo by Jeff Wheeler.


Wayzata's Olivia Musser put the game away with this shootout penalty kick goal past Lakeville North goalie Alexis Joyce. Star Tribune photo by Jeff Wheeler.

Wayzata goalkeeper Delane Swanson knew she had to make only one more save. That's how much confidence the junior has in her teammates when the game is on the line in a shootout.

Swanson did her part, making a save on Lakeville North's second shooter. Her teammates did likewise, scoring on all five penalty kicks to eliminate No. 1-ranked Lakeville North (18-1-2) in the semifinals of the Class 2A girls' soccer state tournament at the Metrodome. The teams played to a scoreless draw through regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods.

"I was nervous, but knew I just had to make one save," Swanson said. "We practice penalty shots every day, and I knew my teammates would score on all five."

Olivia Musser scored the finale on a shot into the upper right-hand corner of the net. Rachel Swenson, Kiana Nickel, Erika Grinde and Margaret Rocca were the Trojans' other shootout participants.

"A crazy number of things were going through my mind," Musser said. "It was nerve-wracking. I was just trying to visualize making a good shot."

It took a diving save by Swanson on a header off a corner kick in the 98th minute to send it to a shootout.

The sixth-ranked Trojans (17-2-2) advance to their 11th championship match. They have won five titles, the last in 2009, and have been runner-up five times.

"I knew we could stay with them," said Grinde, who shadowed Lakeville North's leading scorer, Simone Kolander, the entire evening. "They were No. 1, and it feels good to beat them."

RON HAGGSTROM