The Eastview boys soccer team got so close, but Apple Valley was too much.
Apple Valley has never lost to or tied its crosstown rival. The Eagles continued their winning ways with a 2-1 victory in a seven-round shootout in the Section 3AA championship game Tuesday night in Cottage Grove.
Bijan Jabari, Simon Goetto and Stephen Johnson connected on the first three shootout shots for Eastview, and Sam Benda, Hunter Miller and Dan Volk matched those goals for Apple Valley. David Rosenthal, Apple Valley’s top scorer, and Eastview’s Taylor Rasmussen both missed their shots in the fourth round.
Kyle Webb and Tom Obarski made the fifth and sixth shots for the Eagles, and JJ Vieminski and Fabian Omana found the net for the Lightning.
Apple Valley’s Cory Winkler connected in the seventh round, putting the pressure on Eastview. Mathew Eull took the shot, but Eagles keeper Scott Tangen got a hand on the ball, sending it into the air and sending his team to the state tournament.
Tangen played all of regulation and both overtime periods against the relentless Lightning. He had to be aggressive, and he needed some luck, too.
“It’s scary, but it’s fun,” Tangen said of playing goalkeeper in rivalry games with playoff pressure. “We had a lot of shots (against). More than we usually do. We play well as a team. Either I or someone else was there.”
Tangen had 10 shutouts during the regular season and was impressive throughout the sectional tournament to lead the Eagles to state.
“Tangen has been a really good goalie for us all along,” Apple Valley coach Chuck Scanlon said. “He is a man who really battles the opposition.”
With only one starter back from last year’s team, Scanlon was happy to be going back to state.
“We played hard, but we feel fortunate,” he said. “We’ve been lucky; our tradition carried us to where we are right now are. Hopefully, we can carry it one more step. We’re just excited to be in the state tournament.”
In a game that was mostly back and forth, Apple Valley dominated early in the first half. Eagles junior captain Jabari scored in the 11th minute, and Eastview’s Benda answered with a header into the goal in the 35th minute.
