It’s an even year, so that must mean the St. Michael-Albertville Knights girls’ soccer team is on their way to state.
And yes, after a 2-0 shutout of rival Rogers High, the Knights again are your Section 8AA Champions and have punched their ticket to the state tournament with their third straight section championship in an even year, also winning in (of course) 2012 over Anoka and 2014 over Rogers High.
In fact, it’s been these two teams for the last three years in the Section Championship.
“There’s a lot of familiarity, a lot of rivalry and a lot of respect between these two teams every year,” said coach Megan Johnson of the RHS/STMA rivalry. “A lot of these girls have played together on clubs in the past. They spend their summers together on the field. So, there are bragging rights and there are friendships.”
The Knights had to watch Rogers celebrate a one-goal victory last year, but it became clear, early on this season, the 2016 team was on a mission. Consider this – STMA hasn’t allowed a goal since Oct. 3, closing the regular season with two shutouts and putting up three more – against Elk River, Moorhead and Rogers – in the Section Tournament. And though the Royals, seeded third, were an upstart, the Knights never were fully challenged, controlling the pace Tuesday night at their home field and scoring early, then late, both on goals by future Minnesota Gopher Makenzie Langdok.
For Langdok, it’s a fitting end to her STMA home field career. She’ll play at least a state game, but she’s leaving as a Miss Soccer Candidate, a Division I recruit and the fifth-best scorer in Minnesota this season with 22 goals. He has five in the playoffs so far, out of the team’s nine.
She was on the field for the 2012 Section Championship as an eighth-grader, which tells you how far her impact reaches on the Knights club.
Fellow senior Tori Jensen has been her key teammate, pitching in nine assists. Keeper Carolyn Bania, just a junior, has been stout, giving up just 1 goal and making 32 saves all year. The Knights’ lone loss is a 1-0 shutout at East Ridge, one of the best programs in AA.
Seedings for the State AA tournament will be released soon. The Knights will, most likely, travel to St. Cloud for the opening round. Semifinals and Finals will be played at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.