As captain of her team, Brandi Wickersham only has played a total of two games for East Grand Forks Senior High this season. "She's been at every single practice," Senior High coach Jessica Krog said. "It was hard for her to watch the majority of the season from the bench."
Wickersham, however, made up for lost time by scoring a goal as Senior High blanked Crookston 8-0 at Senior High on Thursday night in the first round of the Minnesota Section 8A playoffs.
"It feels good to be back," Wickersham said. "It's much better than just watching. I'm glad to be back together with the team."
Wickersham was out for all but one game in the regular season after she tore her ACL playing basketball. She struggled through surgery and several physical therapy sessions during the year.
"Our team picked her as captain knowing there was a chance that she wouldn't be able to play," Krog said. "I don't really tear up much as a coach but I did here. It really means something when a kid like Brandi gets rewarded."
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Eight players scored for Senior High in the win.
"It's been the story of our season," Krog said. "We don't really care who gets the goal, as long as it gets to the back of the net."
Emily Swenson caught a pass down the middle from CoCo Piche in the seventh minute of play to open scoring for the Green Wave. Christina Arroyo, Anna Hulteng and Wickersham gave Senior High a 4-0 lead at the end of the first half.
"There was lot of balance in our lineup tonight," said Krog. "As we go though the payoffs, things are going to get tougher for us."
Dani Pickard slipped one past the keeper off a header from a throw-in from Hulteng early in the second half. "It was a perfect ball," Krog said. "Dani placed it right in net; there wasn't much the (Crookston) keeper could have done."
Jenna Perreault shook three defenders front of the net to add a goal at 59:28. Piche finished the shutout by beating the Crookston goalie though the center of the net.
Crookston's Carley Welter stopped 19 shots while Jenna Knutson blocked four for East Grand Forks.
Senior High will host a second-round game Saturday at Senior High Field.
