ALBERT LEA -- In the second round of the girls' Section 2A soccer tournament, Albert Lea opened up a 2-0 lead at halftime en route to a 5-0 victory against the Worthington Trojans Thursday.
"Albert Lea was aggressive all through the first half," Worthington head coach Smitty Ektnitphong said. "We came out slow in the first half, and we had to play catch-up the entire time."
With four of the goals coming off free kicks, the first two were a little more than 20 yards out, and were high-lofted kicks that were just over goalie Emily Penning.
Worthington, which had five shots on goal, had an opportunity in the second half, but Albert Lea's goalie recovered to make one of her five saves on the night.
"We regrouped in the second half, but Albert Lea shut down our attack," Ektnitphong said. "It's tough to put yourself in a hole like that."
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Penning made 18 saves for a Worthington team that ends its season 7-7-1.
"We really wanted to move on, but we just didn't have it," Ektnitphong said. "It's tough on the seniors because we were playing so well at the end of the season."
