BLAINE – According to coach Julie Satre, some members of the Albert Lea Elks U-17 girls’ soccer team have been waiting seven years to beat Rochester.

Wednesday, July 28, 1999

BLAINE – According to coach Julie Satre, some members of the Albert Lea Elks U-17 girls’ soccer team have been waiting seven years to beat Rochester. They’ll get their chance Saturday. And this time there’s a lot at stake.

The Albert Lea girls will face Rochester in the championship game of the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association Classic 2 State Tournament at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

&uot;The girls said they’ve been waiting since U-10s to get Rochester back at the state tournament,&uot; said Satre. &uot;We’ve always been close, but Rochester has always won.&uot;

Albert Lea won two state tournament games to reach the finals, defeating the Kickers 5-2 Sunday and downing Inver Grove Heights 2-1 Tuesday night.

Amy Jacobson was the standout in the opener, scoring a pure hat trick in netting Albert Lea’s first three goals. The first was unassisted. Kim DeYoung assisted on No. 2, Megan Levisen on the third. Brooke Plantage also scored a first-half goal, assisted by Jacobson.

Levisen tallied the lone second-half goal for the Elks team, scoring off a Jasmine Wangen corner kick.

Jenny Elseth was in goal for Albert Lea.

&uot;The only two goals they scored were defensive breakdowns on our part,&uot; said Satre. &uot;It should have been a shutout. The girls played very, very well for it being so hot.&uot;

After starting the game with 12 players – allowing the team one substitute – the girls finished with 11 when Jacobson was injured and unable to play in the second half.

Jacobson, who’s listed as doubtful for Saturday’s championship game, was still sidelined with a knee injury in Tuesday’s victory.

Plantage scored both Albert Lea goals, both assisted by Steph Sigurdson.

Elseth spent most of the game in the net, though Levisen relieved her late in the game.

Satre said three or four girls played with fairly major injuries, and DeYoung missed some game time with an injury.

&uot;The girls were real nervous when Kimmy went out,&uot; said Satre. &uot;Our defenders and goalkeeper really count on her.&uot;

Satre said all the defenders played well, including DeYoung, Katie Hutchison, Sarah Giebel and Ann Gadbois.

Albert Lea will take a record of 12-1-2 into the state championship game set for 1 p.m. Saturday.