Eagan’s first loss of the girls soccer season was to Lakeville North on a rainy night in mid-September. It was a two-goal setback that didn’t set off any alarms. On the bus ride back to school, head coach Qassim Illmi reflected on the loss and said it would lead to good things.
“It was all good then, and man, is it all good now,” he said moments after the awards ceremony of the Minnesota State High School League’s Soccer State Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 7 at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis.
Eagan had a feeling it might see Lakeville North sometime down the road this season. It wasn’t a chance at revenge that they were seeking. Instead, the Wildcats were hoping for an opportunity to show that they were indeed on an upward trajectory that could result in something special.
Their hopes and visions came to fruition with a Class AAA championship game meeting against the top seed Panthers, and this time, the result was a 1-0 victory for the No. 3 seed Wildcats.
Senior forward Tess Triplett scored the game’s coveted first goal on a deflection seven minutes into the second half to give the Wildcats (16-2-3) their fourth big-school girls soccer crown and first since 2017. Eagan’s nine-game winning streak to end the season came after a 0-1-3 stretch during the midseason.
Eagan nearly doubled its lead later in the second half when two long blasts from senior midfielder Eleanor Westerman hit the crossbar instead of the mesh netting in back of the goal.
It was clear from the start that Eagan had a championship in mind as they opened with an aggressive, open-style of play.
“We like to play frantic,” Illmi said. “If we come in slow and chill, that usually doesn’t side with us. We want (Lakeville North) to be like, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’”
Said Triplett: “Our goal is always to get the first goal and get on their side of the field within the first five minutes so we can set the intensity of the rest of the game.”
Lakeville North (16-2-2), seeking its first state crown in girls soccer, had to settle for a runner-up finish for the third time. The Panthers were the Class AA runner-up in 2013, and as just Lakeville, the runner-up in 2004.
The Panthers didn’t go down quietly. They held territorial surges throughout the second half that created corner kick opportunities. Lakeville North nearly scored the equalizer with about four minutes left in regulation when a corner kick attempt by junior midfielder Avery Lopez landed near the far back post.
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Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL)
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