As foes get tough, so do U-14 soccer girls

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, June 18, 2003

When the Albert Lea U-14 Classic 2 girls’ soccer team hosted Prior Lake’s No. 1 team, the locals got a surprisingly physical game.

Midway through the second half, Whitney Wilson drove up the center and, shooting on the run, netted the first goal. With only a few minutes remaining in the game, Prior Lake knotted it up on a penalty. Back to the wall, score tied, two minutes left, Prior Lake drove it deep to Elks stopper Kendra Olchefske, who weaved left, right and over part of the Supra team to drill the winning shot from the top of the box.

The game against Eagan started in a similar way, with Albert Lea looking slightly off balance and the opposition getting closer than the Elks’ fans were accustomed to. Ten minutes into the second half, Kristen Nelson sprinted up the right sideline and sent a crossing pass to Jackie Rehmke. Taking the shot from point-blank range, the Eagan goalie deflected the ball to Albert Lea forward Nicole Ball, who tapped it in. With 10 minutes remaining, Leah Walters capped the game by burying a Whitney Wilson corner kick.

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The Dakota County Revolution came in undefeated. Three minutes into it, Walters deflected an Olchefske throw-in for the score. Throughout the half the game seesawed, with goalie Amanda Arends and her Dakota counterpart each making critical saves.

Early in the second half, in a game full of questionable calls and non-calls, the pivotal moment occurred. On the parents’ side of the field, just outside the Albert Lea box, the ball was coming in high and hard. Olchefske and a Dakota forward jumped straight up to head it &045; one of the most potentially perilous situations in a soccer game. Olchefske successfully deflected the ball up field a half-second before their mid-air collision. The Dakota player buried her face in the higher jumping Olchefske’s ribcage and fell back, holding her nose. The Dakota coaches burst onto the field. While the assistant cared for the injured player, the head coach unleashed a tirade at the referee. After the coaches walked the player off the field, the referee awarded a penalty kick to Dakota from point-blank range. The locals have an excellent defense, but not an impervious one. The game tied at one. From that point, the quality of play deteriorated. With moments remaining in the game, a Dakota corner kick sealed the Elks’ fate.

&uot;I am so proud of the way this team is playing,&uot; said coach Greg Wilson. They are doing everything right. They play clean, use their wits and rely on their skill and their teammates. They are still masters of their fate and can win the division &045; especially if they keep playing solid soccer from whistle to whistle.&uot;