Perhaps it was the 8 a.m. game time. Or the cavernous feel of the Metrodome in the morning. Whatever the reason, No. 1, Class 1A Benilde-St. Margaret’s needed a wakeup call Monday before pulling out a 3-2 overtime victory over South St. Paul in the Girls’ Soccer Class 1A semifinals.

Dana Buckhorn drilled a 25-yard free kick past the outstretched hand of South St. Paul goalkeeper Alicia Sethre in the seventh minute of overtime, ending a game that had grown increasingly frustrating for the Red Knights (19-0-1).

“That was the perfect spot for a free kick, so I thought we might win it right there,” Buckhorn said.

Before Buckhorn’s goal, South St. Paul played the role of gum on the Red Knights’ collective shoe. The Packers stuck around and would not go away, despite being outshot 34-7 in the game. They even led briefly on Tori Poole’s goal in the 13th minute of the first half, giving the Packers a 1-0 lead.

“I thought back about it and I don’t think we’ve trailed all year,” coach Scott Helling-Christy said.

Benilde dominated the rest of the game, with Aleksa Tataryn and Maria Michels notching goals. South Paul tied the game 2-2 in the second half on Poole’s second goal, but the Packers never threatened thereafter.

“That first goal was kind of a slap in the face for us,” said Buckhorn, a senior forward.”But we have so many good players, I always felt like we were in control.”

JIM PAULSEN