Champlin Park's Paige Kalel (5) battles Stillwater's Sophia Lundgren (11) for the ball in Tuesday's Class 2A quarterfinal. Kalel scored the tying goal in regulation time. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine
Top-seeded Champlin Park, peppered by Stillwater shots on goal and crosses into the goalie box throughout the game, made the most of its limited chances.
The Rebels immediately scored after Stillwater’s lone goal in regulation and, after a scoreless overtime, made all five shootout kicks for a 5-4 victory.
Freshman Paige Kalal had the game-tying goal 14 seconds after Stillwater’s Sophia Steblay gave the Ponies a 1-0 lead.
Junior defender Lindsey Carlson scored the game-winning shootout goal, zipping her kick over Stillwater goalie Hadley Johnson’s head.
Her twin sister, Megan, a Star Tribune All-Metro first-team selection, appeared to sustain a serious leg injury in the second half.
Photo Gallery: Stillwater girls vs. Champlin Park girls
“I was really worried about her,” said Carlson, who sat by her sister’s side during a 25-minute injury timeout. “Usually she’s kind of a toughie, and she doesn’t like to show her pain, so when she was down, I knew it was something big.”
Stillwater (16-4) controlled the ball for much of the first half, thanks in part to a stiff breeze at its back and seven corner kicks, though an apparent first-half goal was waved off because of goalie interference. Steblay scored after the injury break, before Kalal immediately answered, finding the net after corralling a pass up a seam in Stillwater’s defense.
“It seemed like we were trying to look for that ball pretty much the whole game,” she said.
Champlin Park coach Keith Pavelka said the wind made it difficult to pass the ball more than 10 or 15 yards in the first half.
He said he was planning to give Lindsey Carlson the shot at the game-winning kick, because of her ability and her sister’s injury.
“Every day in practice she puts them away every single time,” Pavelka said. “Just the situation and with [Megan] going down, I thought, ‘she’s got to go take it if we get in that spot.’ ”
Champlin Park celebrates a shootout win over Stillwater at North St. Paul High School on Tuesday night. The Rebels went 5 for 5 in the shootout to advance to the Class 2A semifinals. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine
First report
Champlin Park survived a torrent of first-half scoring chances by Stillwater and got a game-tying goal midway through the second half by freshman Paige Kalal before defeating the Ponies 5-4 in a shootout at North St. Paul High School.
The Rebels (18-0-1) had the game-winning shootout goal from Lindsey Carlson, who shot the ball over the head of Stillwater goalie Hadley Johnson.
Kalal's second-half goal for the Rebels came 14 seconds after Stillwater forward Sophia Steblay scored. The Ponies generated a handful of scoring chances in the first half as they played with a strong wind at their back. They continued to generate chances in the second half and in ovetime. They had a goal waived off late in the first half.
Champlin Park midfielder Megan Carlson, a Star Tribune All-Metro first-team selection, sustained what appeared to be a serious leg injury midway through the second half. She was taken off the field by a stretcher after a 25-minute injury timeout.
The Rebels are making their first state-tournament appearance.
Stillwater (16-4) was making its second consecutive state-tournament appearance and its 10th overall.
Check back later for more on the game.
