Making its first state tournament appearance in 24 years, the Blair High School girls soccer team won an overtime shootout with Omaha Skutt on Wednesday, 5-4.
The official 1-0 victory kept the Bears’ season alive as they advanced onto a Class B semifinals matchup with top-seeded Gretna East at Morrison Stadium in Omaha.
“To get here after so many years and then have a game like that against Skutt, a powerhouse …,” BHS coach Nick Hall said, searching for the words. “It was fun.”
Brynn Ray, Kaylie Johnson, Beau Wendt, Cadence Field and Laynie Brown all found the back of the net during the six-round shootout after 100 scoreless minutes of NSAA State Championships play. Needing a save during the fifth round to continue on, goalkeeper Brooklyn Schroeter made it, diving to her right and getting her mitts on the shot of Skutt’s Sophia Higgason.
“Brooklyn kind of saved us all game,” Hall said. “She was just solid.”
It was a big moment, but the sophomore met the challenge.
“I tried to shut everything out and tried to focus,” Schroeter said. “But I must say, I was getting a little nervous there.”
Her save gave Brown the opportunity to take what wound up the winning PK. She scored it past Skyhawks freshman Grace Scheer, a keeper from Arlington who’d kept the Bears scoreless through regulation and made her own save during the fourth round of the shootout.
“I was just so excited to be put in that position because I really wanted to have the game in my hands,” Brown said. “I was just trying to relax and do what I’ve done every time in practice.”
It worked and — after Skutt’s next PK miss — BHS celebrated a first-round state win, it’s first in more than two decades. The Bears dogpiled after the final, hugged their friends and family, and Schroeter did a television interview.
“That’s the cinderella ending that we’re hoping for,” senior Blythe Knight said minutes after the match. “We’re going to compete in the next game and we’re going to go our hardest to win.”
BHS next plays noon Saturday at Morrison Stadium in Omaha. The winner between the Bears and Gretna East Griffins will play for a Class B title 5:30 p.m. Monday.
For full state coverage and additional photos, check out next Tuesday’s Washington County Pilot Tribune. Daily state soccer and baseball updates will be available online at enterprisepub.com/sports just a few hours after each game, too.
