Green Wave set for Section 8AA title match against Alexandria
Oct. 17—EAST GRAND FORKS — For a number of seasons, East Grand Forks Senior High has been a dominant Minnesota Class A girls soccer program.
The Green Wave, however, opted to play a largely Class AA schedule the past two seasons.
However, not much has changed.
Senior High remains one of the top programs in the state and the Green Wave are one win away from qualifying for the Minnesota state Class AA tournament. EGF will take on Alexandria on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for the Section 8AA title. The match will be played in Fergus Falls.
Senior High, 14-2-1, rolled through the first two rounds of the Section 8AA tournament, beating St. Cloud Apollo 8-0 and St. Cloud Tech 4-0.
"We played a challenging schedule during the season," said East Grand Forks coach Jessica Bina. "For the most part, it was a schedule like every game is a playoff game. But it's been good. We're playing our best soccer of the season."
However, one of Senior High's losses came at home against Alexandria, which beat the Wave 3-0 back in late September.
"We learned a lot about ourselves in that game," said the EGF coach.
Last season EGF lost at home against Little Falls in the semifinal round of the Section 8AA playoffs.
"That game was a real driving force for us this season," said Bina.
East Grand Forks scored 75 goals this season while allowing only 10. And the Wave have balanced scoring, led by Kara Ellis, who has 17 goals and 8 assists.
The senior midfielder has committed to play college soccer at Concordia College. And she is one of five finalists for the Minnesota Miss Soccer Award.
Ellis scored three goals against St. Cloud Tech on Saturday and assisted on the fourth.
"She took the team on her back Saturday," said Bina.
Camryn Adams has scored 10 goals with 11 assists for the Wave this season, while Skyler Rustad (7 goals, 5 assists) and Laura Pesch (7 goals, 4 assists) also have been offensive factors.
Alexandria enters the section title match with a 15-2 record. The Cardinals beat Rocori 10-0 in their first section game before beating Detroit Lakes 1-0 on Saturday in the semifinals.
Alexandria coach Amy Korynta knows the Wave will bring their best.
"They have a couple of dangerous attackers who the last time we played them we were very aware of," Korynta told the Alexandria Echo Press. "We're going to have to be really sharp defensively with communication and sort things out right away. They're the type of team that can attack quickly.
"Then we want to attack quickly, too. It's about just being ready. They're a little speedier up front than the last couple teams we've faced, so it will be a different pace. We'll have to be able to adjust quickly."
Both teams come into the final on a roll.
"You have two teams with the same goal," said Bina. "They'll get our best and we know we're going to get their best."
And the EGF coach got the sense her team is ready for the showdown.
"Based on our team's reaction after Saturday's game, I have a feeling our players aren't satisfied just getting to the title game," she said.
