Saints take down Davies

GRAND FORKS — Sydney Miller’s primary role has been that of a playmaker this season. But the Bismarck St. Mary’s junior showed that she has finishing power Thursday.

Miller’s goal was all the offense as the Saints edged Fargo Davies 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the North Dakota girls high school soccer tournament at Cushman Field.

“I’ve scored a couple of times this season,” Miller said. “That was probably the biggest goal I’ve ever had.”

Miller’s fourth goal of the season came on a free kick from the top at the 55-minute mark. She blasted a shot that beat Davies goalie Lauren Orson high to the left corner of the net.

“Sydney knows her role,” St. Mary’s coach Tim Mueller said. “She’s not a big scorer. But she has a gun for a leg.”

That one goal stood behind the stellar play of a Saints defense anchored by Rachel Power. The junior first-year goaltender had 15 saves. Two were on diving stops. Another came late to preserve the win, a leaping deflection to knock aside a shot with 3:27 remaining.

“Rachel’s been huge for us all year,” Mueller said. “She’s as quick as any goaltender I’ve coached. She’s just stellar back there.

“We’re more of a defensive team. It’s a one-or-two goal (a game) team. I don’t like it to be like that. But it seems to be our mode. We’re pretty strong on the defensive end.”

Other than the free kick, Orson wasn’t challenged much. She registered only two saves in the game. But her counterpart in goal, Power, was a difference-maker.

St. Mary’s improved to 8-3-4 with the win. Davies dropped to 14-4-1.

Bismarck Century 2, Grand Forks Red River 1

The Grand Forks Red River girls soccer team, the East Region’s fourth seed, put an upset scare into the defending state champions and West Region No. 1.

Bismarck Century, however, needed just one breakdown to put that fear to rest.

Century sophomore defender Tara Welch scored with 4 minutes, 46 seconds left in the second half to lift the Patriots to a 2-1 win over the Roughriders in the quarterfinals of the North Dakota state tournament.

“I thought we really dictated in the second half, but we made one mistake and they capitalized,” Red River coach Jessica Krog said. “When we made a mistake, they jumped all over it. That’s what good teams do.”

The Patriots, who move to the winner’s bracket for the 11th time in 12 years, will play Bismarck St. Mary’s at 4 p.m. today in the championship semifinals.

Red River, which is playing in its first state tournament in three years, will play at noon in a consolation semifinal.

Fargo Shanley 5, Bismarck 1

Anna Reinholz understates.

Her second goal of the game Thursday gave Fargo Shanley a 2-0 lead. But was that a comfortable advantage?

“We never take anything for granted,” Reinholz said. “We want to keep the momentum going. But it is a good lead to have. Our defense has been pretty solid.”

Dominant is probably a better phrase for the Deacons’ defense, which helped Shanley to a 5-1 win against Bismarck.

A 2-0 lead has been more than enough for the Deacons. When Andrea Ferguson scored for the Demons at the 57:05 mark, it was only the fourth goal Shanley has allowed all season.

Elizabeth Bitzan had six saves in goal for Shanley, which improved to 17-0-1.

“Liz has done a great job,” Shanley coach Kevin Roos said. “Our whole defense has done well. And ball possession is a big part of the game for us. We’re still improving in that area.”

North Dakota State Girls Soccer Tournament

In Grand Forks, Thursday

Quarterfinals

Bismarck Century 2, GF Red River 1

First half — 1. BC, Lily Obrigewitch (Aly Dollinger) 26:00

Second half — 2. RR, Mikelle Fetsch 66:00; 3. BC, Tara Welch 76:00

Goalie saves — RR: Nicole LaDouceur 12; BC: Ashley Leintz 7

Bismarck St. Mary’s 1, Fargo Davies 0

Second half — 1. BSM, Sydney Miller 55:00

Goalie saves – BSM: Rachel Power 15; FD: Lauren Orson 2

Fargo Shanley 5, Bismarck High 1

First half — 1. FS, Anna Reinholz (Kelsey Kanwischer) 4:10

Second half – 2. FS, Reinholz (Kanwischer) 41:35; 3. FS, Kara Syvrud (Nicole Freeberg) 45:25; 4. BS, Andrea Ferguson (Nicole Wolfer) 57:05; 5. FS, Syvrud (Haley Greving) 66:47; 6. Grevring 74:12

Goalie saves – B: Sara Bachmeier 14; FS: Elizabeth Bitzan 6

Minot 1, Fargo North 1, SO

Minot wins shootout 3-2

First half — 1. M, Teasha Hughes (Bailey Bachman-Williams) 5:00

Second half — 2. FN, Bobbi Simmer (Olivia Shockman) 66:00

Shootout goals — M: Emily Christensen, Bachman-Williams, Makayla Sandvold; FN: Kim Muellenberg, Alyssa Gross

Goalie saves — FN: Kelsie Schmiess 14; M: Makayla Sandvold 14

Today’s games

Consolation semifinals – Red River vs. Fargo Davies, noon; Bismarck High vs. Fargo North, 2 p.m.

Championship semifinals – Bismarck Century vs. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 4 p.m.; Fargo Shanley vs. Minot, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Consolation championship, 11 a.m.; third-place game, 1 p.m.; championship, 3 p.m.

DeVillers is a sports writer at The Grand Forks Herald

Tags: class a, sports, soccer