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Girls: Wayzata wins Class 2A

By David La Vaque, Star Tribune, 11/03/11, 6:43AM CDT

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Chelsey Ulrich volunteered to be the Trojans' sixth shooter in the shootout and clinched the state title.


Wayzata’s Chelsey Ulrich celebrated after she scored in the shootout, giving the Trojans a 2-1 victory over Burnsville in the Class 2A girls’ soccer title game at the Metrodome. Burnsville’s Alyssa Blahnik and Wayzata’s Kiana Nickel scored the only goals

 Since the playoffs began, Chelsey Ulrich and some of her Wayzata girls' soccer teammates have been writing numbers on their hands signifying how many victories remained on the chase for a championship.

On Thursday, Ulrich took the field in the Class 2A title game against Burnsville with a blue "1" on her left hand. Much later in the evening, she made her Trojans No. 1.

Ulrich, Wayzata's sixth shooter, buried her penalty kick in the shootout portion of overtime to clinch a 2-1 victory and the program's sixth state title.

"Once you set the ball down, you back up and you know what you have to do," Ulrich said.

Wayzata knew the drill well. The Trojans upset No. 1 Lakeville North in the semifinals with a flawless penalty kick performance. Things weren't so tidy Thursday.

Both goaltenders made a save. Olivia Musser, the hero against Lakeville North, caught the crossbar flush. Burnsville's Tiana Khamvongsa did likewise. Enter Ulrich.

"After we went through our top five, I asked, 'Who wants to go next?'" Wayzata coach Tony Peszneker said. "She stepped up."

Ulrich said she felt no pressure, just a desire to atone for the Trojans' 3-0 loss to Eden Prairie in the title game last season. So when she did score, her thoughts turned to a bigger reality.

"It's not just an individual accomplishment," Ulrich said. "It was for team, my coach, my family and my whole school."

Burnsville struck first on a brilliant goal from Alyssa Blahnik in the 44th minute. She flipped the ball over her head, spun and ran half the field to score. It was the 50th career goal for the sophomore and one Peszneker won't soon forget.

"I told her after I thought that was a world-class goal," Peszneker said.

Kiana Nickel answered for Wayzata in the 59th minute, heading in a cross from Maddie Eklin.