Since getting the first score of the season for Bismarck St. Mary's, Alli Greff has gone without a goal -- until Friday, with a goal that doesn't count on her individual statistics.
That doesn't bother Greff, however. In what was arguably the Saints' biggest score of the season, Greff's tally in a sudden-death shootout gave St. Mary's a victory against Bismarck Century in the semifinals of the North Dakota girls high school soccer tournament at Cushman Field.
The win advances St. Mary's into today's 3 p.m. title game against the Fargo Shanley.
While shootout goals don't count in a player's statistics, "I don't care,'' Greff said, "not at all. That one was for the team.''
The teams were scoreless through regulation and two overtimes, then played to a 3-3 tie in the shootout. After each team missed in the first sudden-death round, Greff drilled a high shot that deflected off the crossbar and down to the ground. After a brief discussion, the officials ruled it a goal.
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"I was worried when the refs didn't react right away,'' Greff said. "I was afraid they'd say it was no goal. Then when they did (allow the goal), I freaked out.
"I was nervous (before the shot). But you can't think about that. All I thought was, 'Look at the ball,' and 'It's going in.' You don't think about the pressure.''
St. Mary's hadn't scored against Century during the season in a loss and a tie. That scoreless streak was extended to two halves and two overtimes before Katie Puetz, Sierra Hall and Sydney Miller scored in the shootout.
While the Saints' offense struggled against Century all season, going into the shootout St. Mary's coach Tim Mueller said he wasn't nervous. "We'd practice shootout all week,'' Mueller said. "I figured we might run into it at state with a low-scoring team like we are. But a shootout is totally different than game situations. We did well in practices.
"Alli hasn't been called on to score since we moved her back on defense. But she shoots hard. We told her in practice when she tried to place the ball to just hit it hard.''
Century had shootout goals from Lily Obrigewitch, Tara Welch and Kelsey Glatt, the latter tying the shootout at 3-3.
In the defense-dominated game, Rachel Power had 15 saves in goal for St. Mary's and Ashley Leintz 12 for Century. In the shootout, Power blocked three of the seven Patriots shots.
"That was my first shootout ever,'' said Power, a first-year goaltender. "I was very nervous. But you have to step out there and picture each one as just another shot. It's not easy to do.''
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For Century, it was a turnaround from a year ago, when the Patriots won the state championship game in a sudden-death shootout.
DeVillers reports on sports. Reach him at (701) 780-1128; (800) 477-6572, ext. 128; or send e-mail to gdevillers@gfherald.com .
