WORTHINGTON -- Following 79 minutes of scoreless competition Thursday night, Mankato West's Lauren Wurdinger notched a game-winning goal with 1:00 showing on the second-half clock to lift the Scarlets to an exciting 1-0 victory over the Worthington Trojans in a girls' soccer contest under the lights at Trojan Field.
Mankato West, which improves to 3-1-1, outshot Worthington (1-2) by a 17-6 margin, including 12-1 in the second half. The Scarlets had lots of scoring chances, but Trojan goaltender Andrea Amundson kept on making save after save to prevent the ball from reaching the net.
However, Mankato West finally broke through with just a minute remaining in regulation. Wurdinger scored on an assist from McKenna Peters, driving the ball into the lower left corner of the net for the game's only goal.
"That was a great game, and I am very proud of our team," Worthington head coach Smitty Ektnitphong said. "Both teams played well defensively, and we will tip our hat to Mankato West. We were in solid position defensively when they scored, but they were just a little bit quicker than we were on that play.
"It was a tough way to lose the game with only a minute left, but I am excited about the way that we played," Ektnitphong continued. "Again, we played solid defensively and showed great teamwork and hustle.
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"We are only going to get better as the season progresses, as facing quality teams like Mankato West will certainly help us improve our skills and our confidence."
Worthington was the team with the most scoring chances early on in the first half, as Nicole Ektnitphong and Alina Keodauangsy helped spark an aggressive offensive attack for the Trojans. Worthington put five shots on goal during the initial 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Trojans were also doing the job defensively -- including thwarting a couple of corner-kick opportunities by the Scarlets. Whitney Coriolan, Ellen Dudley and Lydia Kemper among others were instrumental in helping the Trojans gain an advantage in terms of ball possession and field position during the first half.
The momentum, though, started to shift the Scarlets' way in the 15 minutes leading up to halftime. Jacqui Miller had a shot bounce off the right post, while Madison Burandt and Emery Otopalik were helping create scoring chances for Mankato West.
Amundson was up to the task, showing good fundamentals and stopping everything that came her way. Amundson, along with assistance from players like Nikki Russell and Bernadette Boever, played well as the game remained scoreless entering the second half.
"Andrea was impressive in the net for us, as she did a remarkable job," Coach Ektnitphong said. "She remained calm and caught the ball with two hands many times, showing the ability to stay in front of the ball and secure it. That allowed us to clear the ball from our zone with consistency."
Mankato West carried its strong play into the second half, as the Scarlets were the aggressors and applied continuous pressure on the Trojans. Mankato West had several shots sail just wide of or completely over the net.
The other shots on goal were gobbled up by Amundson, who cut down the angle and caught several balls on the fly. Amundson stayed focused on a couple of scrambles in front of the net, as the Trojans were able to prevent the Scarlets from scoring for nearly the second half.
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But a centering pass by Peters found an open seam, and Wurdinger was there to punch the ball into the net with 1:00 to play, as the Scarlets scored and claimed a dramatic victory.
"We struggled to gain control of the ball and connect on our passes in the second half," Coach Ektnitphong said. "But we played a nice game overall, as I am pleased with our performance as a team. We competed right with a top-notch squad like Mankato West and have a lot to look forward to the rest of the year."
Worthington returns to action Tuesday night, hosting Albert Lea at Trojan Field. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
MW 0 1 -- 1
WHS 0 0 -- 0
