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Minneapolis Washburn girls turn the tables after halftime to top Wayzata

By Drew Herron, SportsEngine, 10/18/16, 7:45AM CDT

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The Millers tallied three second-half goals to defeat the Trojans and earn a bid to the Class 2A state tournament.


Washburn goalkeeper Taylor Cottew dives for one of her six saves in the Millers' 3-1 victory over Wayzata in the Class 2A, Section 6 finals Tuesday at Wayzata High School. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

If revenge is a confession of pain, Minneapolis Washburn will admit that hurt is part of what drives it.

It hurt to relive the pain of last season’s Class 2A, Section 6 final loss to Wayzata, a match in which a last-minute lead slipped away, resulting in sudden-death overtime. 

And Tuesday’s section championship against the Trojans appeared to be heading on a similar track before halftime.

The desire never to feel that way again drove the Millers to a different outcome.

Washburn turned aside a disappointing first half dominated by Wayzata and scored three goals in the second half to trump the Trojans 3-1, an emphatic victory that secured the Millers their second state tournament trip in three years and first in Class 2A.

“We’ve been waiting for this game for an entire year,” said senior goalkeeper and captain Taylor Cottew. “Yeah, the first half didn’t go as planned, but we regrouped and then we went to work.”

Wayzata (13-3-2) dominated the opening half and held a 7-1 advantage in shots before Washburn turned the match on its head after halftime. The Trojans struck first when junior midfielder Addison Clark launched a long-range free kick into the top corner, giving Wayzata an early 1-0 lead.  

“The goal they scored on...it was an outstanding shot,” Washburn coach Reuben Ndely said. “I told our girls that there was absolutely nothing that we could do about it. All you can do there is tip your hat and say congratulations.” 

But during the break, the mood shifted and Washburn (16-1-1) wasted no time translating it onto the field.

Just 69 seconds into the second half, Kaitlyn Villars buried a centering pass from teammate Marli Rajacich to level the score 1-1 and start a momentum swing that fueled the Millers.

“At halftime, we stressed that we’ve faced way tougher adversity this season, and we’ve come out of it (before),” Ndely said. “We’ve got some special senior leadership, and (tonight) they basically rallied the team to move forward.”

With 28:03 remaining, Villars scored again to give Washburn the lead and then added an insurance goal with less than nine minutes to play.

“It definitely brought up our entire confidence,” Cottew said of scoring early in the second half. “And then we got the second (goal), and it put them on their heels a little bit.”

The Millers’ turnaround erased the Trojans’ advantage in shots as the teams finished the game with seven apiece. Cottew, who kept Washburn in the game with six saves in a tense first half, did not face a shot on goal in the second half.

Increased pressure on the ball proved the only major tactical adjustment after halftime.

“This team is special because it’s an entire collaboration,” Ndely said. “In the past, we’ve had one or two big goal scorers, but not now. This group is selfless and hardworking, something that doesn’t come along very often.”

As Washburn prepares for its first challenger at next week’s state tournament, the squad is relishing its underdog role after knocking off Wayzata, ranked No. 2 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll and ready crank up the excitement at U.S. Bank Stadium, a short five-mile drive from the Millers’ campus.

While Wayzata qualified for the state tournament eight times in the past decade, Washburn’s success isn’t nearly as established. 

“We think this will do a lot for our program,” Cottew said. “I think most people thought (Wayzata) would be at state, but here we are. I don’t think we get much respect being an inner-city team, but we’re ready to go in and prove ourselves.”


Wayzata goalkeeper McKenna Stoner (in yellow) jumps for the save. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

First Report

After failing to score in the first half, Minneapolis Washburn came back swinging in the second half, burning past hosting Wayzata 3-1 Tuesday night in the Class 2A, Section 6 championship. It was a much-anticipated showdown between two Top 5-ranked teams competing for a spot in next week’s state tournament.

Wayzata (13-3-2) dominated the opening half and held a 7-1 advantage in shots before Washburn turned the match on its head after halftime. The Trojans struck first when junior midfielder Addison Clark launched a long-range free kick into the top corner, giving Wayzata an early 1-0 lead.  

After stumbling into halftime, the Millers (16-1-1) wasted little time coming out of the break before notching the equalizer. Just 1 minute, 9 seconds into the half, Kaitlyn Villars buried a centering pass from teammate Marli Rajacich to tie the score.

With 28:03 remaining, Villars scored again to give Washburn the lead and then added an insurance goal with less than nine minutes to play.

Miller goalkeeper Taylor Cottew finished with six saves while Wayzata goalie McKenna Stoner stopped four shots.


Washburn's Kaitlyn Villars (13) battles with Wayzata sophomore Megan Malecha (14) for control. Villars scored all three goals for the Millers. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

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