Heartbreak for Huskies soccer
Owatonna midfielder Ashton Kraus surveys the field as he keeps possession of the ball against Rochester Mayo. Kraus assisted teammate Benny Bangs on Owatonna’s lone goal in the team’s 2-1 loss in the Section 1AAA championship game. Staff photo by Sevy Enter
Owatonna’s boys soccer team came close to its first trip back to the state tournament since 2016, but came up just short in a 2-1 overtime loss to Rochester Mayo last week.
The Huskies looked poised to bring home the section title; however, the game slipped away in the late stages.
After going into halftime tied at 0-0, Owatonna hit the field with fresh legs in the second half and took the game straight to the Spartans.
Just over a minute into the half, Owatonna midfielder Ashton Kraus managed to intercept a pass at midfield and find striker Benny Bangs on a through ball between two Mayo defenders, where Bangs would eventually dribble and beat the goalkeeper as he headed into the Spartans’ penalty box.
With a 1-0 lead, Owatonna played strong defense but could not manage to find an insurance goal on offense, as the game approached its late stages with a feeling of tension amongst fans, supporters and teams alike.
However, with just five minutes remaining in the game, Mayo was able to find the equalizer on a cross from the right wing that found the Spartans’ striker near the back post where he headed the ball past Huskies goalkeeper Nils Gantert.
Both teams would remain scoreless until the first sudden-death, 10-minute overtime period when a costly faulty touch on a crossed ball into the Huskies penalty box resulted in Mayo’s striker gaining possession and scoring to win the game.
The loss officially ended Owatonna’s 2022 season and took with it the hopes of a state title run for the Huskies whose 14-4-1 record was a program-best.