Boys soccer: Scarlets down Cardinals

MANKATO - Mankato West scored three goals late in the first half to propel the Scarlets past the Willmar Cardinals 5-1 on Thursday.
West’s Jason Carver broke a 0-0 tie with a goal at 26 minutes, followed by James Miller at 35 minutes and a penalty shot by Jacob Makela at 38 minutes.
“We outplayed them the first 20 minutes,” Willmar head coach Jeff Winter said. “But they scored on a counter attack and we got deflated and let them score a couple more.”
After two more goals by the Scarlets early in the second half, Willmar’s Ben Gonzalez scored from close range on an assist from Sakawe Shadoor.
“They had three defenders on Sakawe,” Winter said. “He tried to shoot and it went off to the side, and Ben came in and put it in.”
Manny Obregon had seven saves in net for the Cardinals, who fell to 3-2-1 overall.
The Cardinals play Saturday at home against Hutchinson, with the varsity starting at 2 p.m. and the JV at noon.
Mankato West 5, Willmar 1
Willmar (3-2-1)...................................0 1 - 1
MW (3-2-1)...........................................3 2 - 5
FIRST HALF – M: Jason Carver 26:00; M: James Miller 35:00; M: Jacob Makela penalty shot 38:00
SECOND HALF – M: Carver 50:00; M: Makela 57:00; W: Ben Gonzalez (Sakawe Shadoor) 68:00
SHOTS ON GOAL – Willmar 14 ... Mankato West 12
GOALIE SAVES – Willmar: Manny Obregon 7 ... Mankato West: Tyler Defor 13
DEFENSIVE SAVES – Mankato West 1
Girls Soccer
St. John’s Prep 4, Melrose 1
Courtney Koepke netted the lone goal for Melrose, which got eight saves from Wendy Smith on Thursday in Collegeville.
Melrose hosts St. Cloud Cathedral on Tuesday.