GALESVILLE — The Holmen High School girls soccer team is one win away from qualifying for the WIAA state tournament for the first time in program history.
And the top-seeded Vikings made their 3-1 victory over River Falls on Thursday an exciting one by scoring two goals in the second 10-minute overtime period in a Division 2 sectional semifinal hosted by Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau.
Holmen (17-3-1) won a sectional game for the first time and will play in a sectional final for the first time Saturday when it plays Sauk Prairie (12-2-5) in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Logan’s Swanson Field.
The Wildcats (14-6-1) struck first in this one and became the first team since New Richmond on May 9 to score against the Vikings. They did it just a few minutes in on a well-executed give-and-go after getting behind the Holmen defense.
The Vikings have allowed just 10 goals this season and two over their past 11 games, but their backline of seniors Morgan Potaracke and Peyton Schneider, junior Maddie Pierce, sophomores Ellie Hoehn and Aspyn Truwe and junior goalkeeper Moira Linse had their hands full with a physical attack from the Wildcats.
That 1-0 River Falls lead stood until sophomore Ava Rivera took the ball into the box from the left wing and found junior Lydia Sader for the tying goal in the 69th minute.
The goal is Sader’s team-record 15th of the season, and the assist Rivera’s eighth.
A scoreless first 10 minutes of overtime was followed by two quick Holmen goals in the second 10 minutes.
Rivera gave the Vikings their first lead with five minutes on the clock by converting a pass from Saige Ratajski. Senior Jocelyn Williams doubled the lead a couple minutes later by placing a shot over the goalkeeper’s head and toward the far post.
Rivera’s goal was her 11th of the season, while Williams scored her fourth.
Linse had 17 saves against an aggressive opponent, and Holmen will get a second crack at beating Sauk Prairie. The teams opened the season with a 0-0 tie.
Sauk Prairie 3, Central 0
PRAIRIE DU SAC — The Eagles scored all of their goals in he first half to end the season for the second-seeded RiverHawks (10-5-2).
Central was shut out for only the third time this season, but its offense could only put together two scoring threats, and both were stopped by Lila Shadewald.
The RiverHawks had won three games in a row and were beaten for the first time since May 12.
Cam Woyczik made three saves for the RiverHawks, who scored all of their goals during a 15-minute window of the first half.
