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Boys: B-SM wins 1A title

By Brian Stensaas, Star Tribune, 11/03/11, 12:15PM CDT

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The Red Knights handed Prairie Seeds its first-ever boy's varsity loss.


Benilde goalie Kevin Lebahn stretches to make a save against Prairie Seeds Academy's Adama Keita in the first half of Thursday's Class 1A boys soccer championship game. Star Tribune photo by Elizabeth Flores.


Benilde-St. Margaret's team members celebrated their Class 1A boys soccer championship victory Thursday at Mall of America Field. Star Tribune photo by Elizabeth Flores.

 The streak is over.

Prairie Seeds Academy lost its first-ever boys' soccer varsity match, falling 3-1 to Benilde-St. Margaret's Thursday in the Class 1A championship game.

"Defensively they did the right things," said Lycans coach Youssef Darbaki, who guided the top-seeded team to a 39-0-3 record (19-0-2 this season) before Thursday. "We, on the other hand, couldn't capitalize on our chances. And our starting keeper had some issues."

The team, in its second year, melted down in the waning moments of the game, picking up two red cards as frustration mounted at the Metrodome.

It was a physical game, with 52 fouls called -- 26 on each team -- but the Red Knights held it together.

"We didn't have to calm them down too much," coach Dave Platt said. "All we wanted to do was get them to make quick decisions about their passes -- move the ball quicker to avoid the [physicality]."

Second-seed BSM (19-2-1) took a 1-0 lead on the defending Class 1A champs in the sixth minute when Jake Horton capitalized on a flub by Lycans keeper Betzabet Valle.

The Lycans answered six minutes later on Carlos Boquin's first touch of the game. The sophomore, who was ineligible for two games amid an investigation into his age, missed introductions but was cleared to play just before kickoff.

He got more chances, but the Red Knights got the goals.

Carter Eckerline scored out of a scrum with 32 minutes left in the game. Mr. Soccer award winner John Mulvahill added a header in the 58th minute.

"Some people probably thought we were the underdog," Mulvahill said. "But we attacked, and we came out on top."