Trojans blank Wildcats, advance to 3A final

STATE GIRLS SOCCER: CLASS 3A SEMIFINAL: WAYZATA 5, EAGAN 0

Wayzata’s Alex Vellieux (4) scores as her shot goes past Eagan goalkeeper Maddy Weisel (0) during the first half of their Class 3A semifinal Tuesday morning in Minneapolis. CRAIG LASSIG — SPECIAL TO THE PIONEER PRESS

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By Mike Cook

Special to the Pioneer Press

Tenley Senden got things started early Tuesday morning, and Wayzata never let up.

A Class 3A Ms. Soccer finalist scored less than two minutes into the game, Alex Vellieux scored three times, and the Trojans beat Eagan 5-0 in a girls soccer semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The top-seeded Trojans (18-1-1), who lost to Edina in last year’s championship game, will get the third-seeded Hornets in Friday’s 10:15 a.m. title tilt. Eagan will play East Ridge for third-place Wednesday.

Wayzata has won 12 straight games, scoring at least four goals in 11 of them and at least five goals in eight. The Trojans have outscored their opponents 100-15 this season.

“All the practicing, all the working together is a huge factor, because when a team is really close and does so many things together it really helps the chemistry. It really helps us work together on and off the field,” said Senden, who’ll play for the University of Minnesota next season.

The Trojans’ leading scorer with 24 goals, Senden made a 60-yard run down the middle of the field, cut to her left, and her strike from 25 yards went in just 1:52 into the contest.

Seeded fourth, the South Suburban Conference champion Wildcats (16-4-1) struggled to find any offensive flow.

“I felt like we could have taken their defense a lot more than we did today,” said coach Qassim Ilmi.

Defender Ava Nayer said the Trojans’ focus was not letting Eagan’s speedy forwards get by. “(It was) the mentality of getting a shutout and making a statement that no team should get past Wayzata, and we’re a solid back line.”

Vellieux, a sophomore midfielder, scored after a scramble off a corner kick in the 13th minute and redirected a pass from Lauren Craig in the 36th minute.

“After you get the first one, it gives you confidence that I can get more,” said Vellieux, who had six goals entering the game.

Vellieux’s centering pass was redirected by Sophie Hawkinson for a 46th minute goal. Hawkinson set up Vellieux to finish her hat trick in the 63rd minute.