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Final minute goal lifts Blake past Breck to clinch spot at state tournament

By Thad Carroll, SportsEngine, 10/20/16, 7:15AM CDT

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Ethan Roe scored at the end of regulation to give the Bears the 1-0 win.




Blake junior forward Ethan Roe (9) heads the ball at midfield. Roe came up big late in the game, scoring the Bears' game-winning goal with under a minute to play in regulation. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine



After a 1-1 tie on Sept. 22, conference opponents Breck and Blake met in another tight matchup Thursday night in the Class 1A Section 5 final at St. Louis Park High School.

One fatal mistake tipped the contest in favor of Blake (15-3-2). With 38 seconds left in the game, Breck goalie Hudson Haeker attempted to clear the ball from outside the box, but it spun off his foot right to Blake attacker Ethan Roe, who drilled an open netter from 25 yards out.

With just one shot on goal 25 minutes into the game, last year’s state runner-up, Breck (14-3-3), made things interesting late in the half. They wound up with two shots going wide left and a pass sailed just a bit long of a streaking forward, ending in a diving save and clear by the Bears’ goalkeeper, Quinn Kiernat.

Breck continued to dominate offensively in the second half, leading in shot attempts 9-4. Blake had more quality looks, though—including a header that hit the bottom of the crossbar with 30 minutes to play.

The Mustangs had higher goals than the sectional final and a loss to their conference rival hit them hard.

“It’s something that is going to be really tough for these guys…eventually they’ll get over it and realize it was quite an achievement to make it to the sectional final,” Breck coach George Stuempfig said.

Meanwhile, the Bears move on to the state tournament next week with bolstered spirits.

“The last eight teams are going to be tough,” Blake coach Tamba Johnson said. “Breck is one of the toughest teams to be out here so we know we earned our spot at state.”

 


Breck goalkeeper Hudson Haeker makes a diving save late in the game. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine


A Breck attacker rushes Blake goalkeeper Quinn Kiernat. Kiernat had 9 saves for the Bears in their 1-0 win over the Mustangs. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

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