Boys soccer: Tough ending for Card kickers

WILLMAR - No. 5 St. Peter (10-4-1) nudged No. 4 Willmar (11-5-2) on Saturday in a minor upset to advance to the Section 2A semifinals.
The Cardinals were aiming for another crack at top-seed Mankato West, whom they’d lost 3-2 on Sept. 20. Instead, the Saints will play on West’s home field on Tuesday.
“It’s disappointing,” acknowledged coach Jeff Winter. “I had high ambitions for these kids. I’m proud of them. They’re a great bunch. The better team didn’t win today.”
For most of the match on a sparkling October afternoon, Winter’s boys maintained the territorial advantage at the Kennedy pitch. But the ball control produced only a single goal in half-dozen plausible scoring chances -Nickolaus McLouth scoring with a header after Marcos Nino outmaneuvered the St. Peter defense for a crossing pass to the back post in the 54th minute that tied the game 1-1.
The Saints got the game-winner with 13 minutes left, the goal going to senior attacker Scott Crady.
Senior Alexander McLouth suggested the Cardinals may have been overconfident. “It wasn’t our best game. Maybe, they outhustled us. But overall, it’s really been a fun season.”
On the late St. Peter goal, Willmar keeper Manny Obregon made a fine initial save but the ball bounded away as several Saints crashed the goal catching the Cardinal defense off guard.
The Willmar scorebook had Saints’ goalie Joey Siebels with 10 saves and Obregon with five
In other 2A outcomes, East beat Loyola 4-2 in an all-Kato battle, Worthington nipped Waseca 2-1 and the Mankato West vs. New Ulm score was 6-1.
St. Peter 2, Willmar 1
St. Peter (10-4-1).....................0 2 - 2
Willmar (11-5-2)........................0 1 - 1
FIRST HALF – no scoring
SECOND HALF – SP: Jordan Hermel 51:00 … Wil: Nickolas McLouth (Marcos Nino) 54:00 … SP: Scott Crady 67:00
SHOTS ON GOAL – St. Peter 7, Willmar 11
GOALIE SAVES – St. Peter: Joey Siebels 10… Willmar: Manny Obregon 5