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Ferocious first half fuels Wayzata’s victory over Minneapolis Washburn

By Drew Herron, SportsEngine, 10/18/16, 7:15AM CDT

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Maclane King finished with a goal and assist to help the Trojans secure a trip to the Class 2A state tournament.


Maclane King (9) scored Wayzata's third goal in a 3-0 victory over Minneapollis Washburn in the Class 2A, Section 6 championship Tuesday. The Trojans secured a trip to the state tournament with the win. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

It didn’t take long for Wayzata to get going at full force, and once it did, it was lights out for visiting Minneapolis Washburn.

Wayzata, ranked No. 2 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, erupted with three first-half goals, burying Washburn in an insurmountable hole as the Trojans worked their way to a convincing 3-0 victory in Tuesday’s Section 6 championship in Plymouth.

The effort drives Wayzata (16-0-3) back to the state tournament for the second time in the past three years.

“I am extremely proud of our guys,” Wayzata coach Dominic Duenas said. “To be able to throw a shutout against a team as talented as Washburn, playing a man down most of the second half….I couldn’t be more proud of the effort.”

It took less than 15 minutes for the Trojans to stake the lead when senior co-captain Alex Bracken found the back of the net (with an assist to Maclane King) to push Wayzata out for good. In the waning minutes of the first half, King converted a rebound into the Trojans’ final goal -- his 10th of the season -- giving the co-captain three points on the night.

Washburn (12-6) employed an offsides trap early on, but it proved ineffective for the underdogs, who could not match the Trojans’ speed or explosiveness. Wayzata stretched the field vertically and made the most of its opportunities.

The Millers’ defensive ploy was something the Trojans expected and prepared for it.

“We knew we would have opportunities, and that we’d probably be offsides occasionally, but we couldn’t give up on that,” Duenas said. “We needed to keep trying that, and it got us some corners and some scoring chances, and we were able to capitalize on that.”

For Washburn, the slow start and missed chances early were too much to overcome.

“We put ourselves in a bad spot,” Millers coach Aaron Percy said. “If you spot Wayzata three goals, you aren’t going to come back. We made some early mistakes, and it cost us.

“The first goal we didn’t mark, the second goal we didn’t mark, and then the third, we sat around and watched the rebound.”

At the 55-minute mark, Trojans junior forward Mehrshad Hairani drew his second yellow card, resulting in a red card and expulsion from the match. It forced Wayzata to play a man down the rest of the way, but Washburn couldn’t capitalize.

It followed the larger script for the match.

“They finished their chances and we didn’t finish our chances,” Percy said. “That’s the bottom line.”

The Trojans and Millers finished with nine shots apiece on the night, while Wayzata collected eight corner kicks to the Washburn’s three.

Wayzata goalkeeper Collin Kubinski stopped nine shots, earning his second shutout of the section tournament and 10th of the season.

Washburn keeper Ben Brauer finished with six saves.

Wayzata meanwhile will look to roll its momentum into the state tournament.

“It’s a brand new season now,” Duenas said. “Once the state tournament starts, everyone is 0-0. We are just excited to be a part of it.” 


Washburns Coopers Wells races to the ball with Wayzata's Patrick Weah (13) to gain possession at midfield. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine


Washburn goalkeeper leaps for the save. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

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