Hornets pull away from Raptors late

STATE GIRLS SOCCER: CLASS 3A SEMIFINAL: EDINA 3, EAST RIDGE 1

STP-L-SOCCER-GAME2-1030_06#1_1085844682.jpg

A shot by East Ridge midfielder Elle Wildman (9) is stopped by Edina goalkeeper Eleni Mcguire (30) during the second half of their Class 3A semifinal Tuesday morning at U.S. Bank Stadium. PHOTOS BY CRAIG LASSIG — SPECIAL TO THE PIONEER PRESS

Image

By Mike Cook

Special to the Pioneer Press

Momentum quickly shifted to the East Ridge side late Tuesday morning.

But it didn’t stay there long.

Elle Wildman got the Raptors within a goal with 4:09 to play, but Edina’s Lou Ruffien re-established a two-goal lead 24 seconds later to ensure a championship rematch in Class 3A girls soccer.

Mikaela Caverly and Elizabeth Conner also scored as Edina beat East Ridge 3-1 in a semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“They got their chances and put the ball in the net,” said Raptors coach Latcho Kostadinov. “Edina is very good. … We were there, and we were close.”

Friday’s 10:15 a.m. final will pit the 13-1-5 Hornets against top-seeded Wayzata (18-1-1), who took out Eagan 5-0 Tuesday.

Edina, the tournament’s third seed, beat Wayzata 2-1 Aug. 27, the same score and victor as last year’s title game between the Lake Conference foes.

“Both teams have grown so much since that game because it was so early in the season. We’ve got to take what we have and what we’ve built on,” said Hornets goalkeeper Eleni McGuire.

Ruffien said there is plenty of respect between the programs. “It’s going to come down to who wants it more.”

East Ridge nearly thwarted the rematch.

Down 2-0, Wildman, a University of Iowa commit, converted off a corner kick from Kathryn Murphy, and second-seeded East Ridge (15-2-2) was within one.

“We got a taste of it and wanted to keep it going,” Wildman said.

And maybe provide another fantastic finish. The Raptors won their quarterfinal over Maple Grove on a Renee Tovar goal with nine seconds left in regulation.

But Ruffien redirected a long free kick from Anna Conner before the East Ridge goal was announced, and the Hornets were back up by two.

“We just took a breath after that happened and chose to stay composed instead of getting frantic,” said Edina defender Eleanor Doscotch.

The match was scoreless until the 46th minute, when a cross from Lily Smoley was toward Avery Cooper coming down the middle. However, Cooper was tied up by a Raptors defender, and the ball got through untouched.

Caverly quickly raced in, and her left-footed shot from 13 yards out produced the game’s first tally. Conner, a freshman, scored her first career goal with 11:02 remaining, heading in a corner kick from Ruffien.

Edina coach Taylor Greathouse said Conner was “on fire” during warmups. “When she scored, I don’t think I’ve seen our bench more excited like we won some massive game.”