The third time was not the charm.
The Blair High School girls soccer team remained a level above its competition Saturday at Krantz Field, securing the Bears' first state qualification in 24 years with a third-straight victory against Bennington.
After it won the Eastern Midlands Conference rivals' first two matchups of the spring by three goals each, BHS raced out to a 4-0 lead and beat the Badgers by four, 6-2, during the Class B District 6 Final. The victory made senior Brynn Ray laugh, cry and — mostly — smile.
“You know, I'm going to try not to cry right now, but it's just an amazing feeling. Honestly,” she said. “Being from where we've been the past couple of years to now, it's just amazing.”
The Blair program had won 10 or more games just twice in the last 10 seasons, but now heads to Creighton University's Morrison Stadium for the NSAA State Soccer Championships with a 15-2 record. It faces Omaha Skutt first, Wednesday at 2 p.m.
“We're going to Morrison,” junior Claire Anderson said. “I'm so excited, and I'm so glad we could do it for the seniors especially.”
Sophomore Laynie Brown felt Saturday's win was a breakthrough moment.
“It's super exciting,” she said. “It's just something we've been wanting for a really long time. It's really cool to be the first team to do it in 24 years.”
Her mother, assistant coach Ashley Brown, was a senior on the last BHS team to reach the state tournament in 2001. Now, she'll lead the Bears into bracket play alongside coach Nick Hall, who explained how his team wanted to get out fast against Bennington during the district final.
“I didn't want to give them hope,” he said.
Blair had just bested the Badgers days earlier during the subdistrict final and didn't want them thinking Saturday would be any different.
“I just wanted to control the game from the get-go and I thought we did that,” Hall said.
Kaitlynn O'Neil scored the Bears' first goal of the match during the 10th minute, catching up to a pass from Anderson and touching it past the Bennington goalkeeper, who'd come out from between the posts to challenge her.
O'Neil got through with the ball at her feet and scored into the empty net without hesitation.
“We practice so much and we prepare for these moments that when the moment does come, it's easy,” she said, recapping the goal. “We know what to do.”
Next, Ray scored the first of her two first-half goals off of Anderson's corner kick. The Bear didn't quite get to the ball at first, but worked her way to it through the crowd in front of the net.
“Everything's so frantic that you're just like, 'Where is the ball?'” Ray said. “And, then, you just put your foot through it.”
The Minnesota State recruit scored again during the 32nd minute, giving her BHS squad a 3-0 lead it held into the second half. From there, Brown, Cadence Field and Beau Wendt added their own goals during the second 40 minutes.
Bennington notched two second half goals, too, but never pulled within three scores of the team that out-tallied the Badgers 12-2 this season. Blair goalkeeper Brooklyn Schroeter earned the win between the posts — her 15th of the season.
“I love my team. They're doing amazing,” she said. “We work so well together, and it's just amazing to see how far we're getting.”
Hall explained how a strength of this Bears' roster is its dissatisfaction with average. A majority of the players want more, including the talented sophomore and freshman classes that have given the Bears a boost in each of the past two seasons.
“They’re just a special group,” the coach said. “And they want to be great.”
BHS' drive is evident in its effort, Ray said.
“As a team, we really want this,” she explained, her voicing cracking as she tried to avoid more tears. “This was our goal the whole season.”
Bears win subdistrict final
The Bears hosted the Class B Subdistrict 2 Tournament final on May 7, too, winning 3-0 against the same Badgers.
The EMC rivals picked up bruises, particularly during the second 40 minutes, but the home team led from the start. It scored its first goal on a penalty kick during the fifth minute with Ray shooting the ball to the right of the keeper.
Then, during the 10th minute, Field found the back of the net for a two-goal lead that stuck until late in the match when Ray scored her second on a a pass lofted over the goalkeeper by Aubrie McBreen.
Field was pleased Blair went up two goals early, but thought her Bears could have done more. The freshman was hopeful her team could produce more with a state trip on the line Saturday.
“Everybody needs to work hard, including me, the whole entire game,” she said May 7. “And we should do it then.”
The Bears certainly did, securing their school's first state trip since 2001.
“The fact that this hasn't been done in forever really just puts the cherry on top,” Schroeter said after posing for pictures with her teammates and the Class B District 6 championship plaque.
CLASS B POSTSEASON LINE SCORES
Saturday
No. 5 Blair 6, No. 9 Bennington 2
BEN (10-9) 0 2 — 2
BHS (15-2) 3 3 — 6
Goals: BHS — Brynn Ray 2, Kaitlynn O'Neil 1, Laynie Brown 1, Cadence Field 1, Beau Wendt 1. BEN — Claire Miller 1, Makenna O'Connor 1. Winning goalkeeper: Brooklyn Schroeter.
May 7
No. 5 Blair 3, No. 9 Bennington 0
BEN (10-8) 0 0 — 0
BHS (14-2) 2 1 — 3
Goals: BHS — Ray 2, Field 1. Winning goalkeeper: Schroeter.
