Comet Seniors Lockdown Crookston to Advance in Playoffs

The Section 8A quarterfinal game at Danielsen Field Thursday afternoon was thrilling. Hillcrest Soccer Team emerged victorious with a 1-0 overtime win in the final minutes to stave off a shoot-out against the North's 4th seed, the Crookston Pirates.

During the regulation period with no goals, Hillcrest’s seniors displayed resiliency. Senior captain Noah Bjorndahl led the way, solidifying mid-field with fellow senior Matthew Knutson, allowing a handful of passes through during the entire match, which Max Anderson cleaned up to allow a paltry six shots on goal during regulation and two overtime periods combined. None of those shots found the net, with Franki Renner earning his fifth shutout of the season.

After regulation, the match proceeded to overtime, featuring two ten-minute halves with a golden goal rule in effect, meaning the first to score advanced. The excitement peaked when, with just 1 minute and 20 seconds remaining in the second half of overtime, Senior Soren Floden took control of the ball at central midfield. He executed a perfect pass up the middle to Zane Holmquist, who skillfully received the ball and unleashed a precision shot over the goalie’s outstretched arms and into the right corner of the net, sealing the game.

The Comets persistently attacked the Pirate's goal, launching a total of 11 shots before finally finding the back of the net in the second overtime. The Pirates kept the Comets out of the box most of the afternoon, where the Comets consistently found all 10 Pirates within 18 feet of the goal to swarm the Comets’ offensive attacks. While the Comets faced offensive challenges throughout the game, they achieved a handful of shots thanks to quick clears and down-field sends from defensive standouts Noah Bjorndahl, Senior Max Anderson, Caleb Holm, Kian Stender, and TJ Idudu.

With this hard-fought victory, the Comets advance to the semifinal stage, where they will face Pelican Rapids on Saturday.