PACT Charter School senior forward Erin Fisher took the Minnesota high school soccer world by storm this fall, racking up 32 goals in 16 games to finish the regular season as the state’s leading scorer.

Fisher said her objective was to better the 17 goals she scored as a junior, adding that her final total was unexpected.

“I didn’t think I was going to get that many,” she said.

Fisher is the fourth player in the last five seasons to lead the state in scoring with 30 or more goals. Clare Culligan of St. John's Prep finished with 53 goals in 2012 and had 39 in 2011, while East Grand Forks' Riley Koberinski scored 45 last season. Robbinsdale Armstrong's Mariah Haberle had the second-most goals this season, tallying 30 in 15 regular-season games.

Panthers coach David Anderson was not surprised by Fisher’s incredible season. He gave his star player high praise, saying she worked hard in the offseason to improve.

Her training schedule included playing winter soccer for Three Rivers Soccer Association and practicing on days the team had off. Fisher, who has played four years on the varsity team, also participated in track during the spring, building her endurance to help her remain on the soccer field for longer stretches.

When asked what she did to improve so much, Fisher simply said, “Practice outside of practice.”

Her season is even more impressive considering opposing teams often put three or more defenders on her, yet she averaged two goals per game. 

“When she is on the field, we knew we had a chance to win,” Anderson said. “As long as we played tough defense and played in our system, we had a chance to win because she would make it happen.”

"There were quite a few times when we tried not to send her the ball."

Senior co-captain Grace Thannum said while describing
the Panthers' strategy of using Fisher as a decoy

PACT senior co-captain Grace Thannum said the team sometimes just used Fisher as a distraction to allow the Panthers' other forwards to get open.

“There were quite a few times when we tried not to send her the ball,” Thannum said jokingly. 

Fisher had no problem using herself as a decoy.

“I would get [the defenders] to pull towards me, which would leave the other forward or midfielders open," she said. "So even if I didn’t get a breakaway, the attention they stuck on me would help the team.”

Her play was a major factor in PACT finishing with an 8-8-1 overall record this year. The Panthers were 2-10-1 in the regular season last year. 

Fisher also had two goals and one assist to lead PACT to its first postseason victory in the last five years as the Panthers defeated Maranatha Christian Academy/West Lutheran 3-1 in the first round of the Class 1A, Section 5 playoffs. PACT, however, ended its season with a 7-0 loss in the quarterfinals to eventual section finalist Blake.