State bound

OHS boys soccer moves onto the state tournament.

The night was not your ordinary soccer game, no, the night was a special game, a game that decided the fate of who is going to state and who is staying behind. Even though it was a cold dreary night, the fans kept pouring in. The Owatonna boys varsity soccer team took the field against the Farmington Tigers in a game that would change everything. The guys were ready and definitely showed it on the field. Although there were a few bumps throughout the game, the team managed to stay focused and dominate throughout.

Not every part of the game was great though. Senior Brenden Buryska collided with one of Farmingtons defenders, giving him a knee injury and forcing him to sit out for the rest of the game. The Huskies kept on fighting, with endless opportunities, they would not give up. This was all leading up to a goal made by Senior defender Zachary Shaver with an assist from Senior captain Jordan Johnson. This brought the Huskies up 1-0 in the second half. That first goal not only brought major confidence to the team, but also brought immense joy. The first goal was not enough for the boys though. They wanted more, and they got one. Sophomore forward Jared Santibanez broke away from one of the defenders, followed by Junior mid Noah Amundson. Instead of Jared taking a shot, he made a chip to Amundson, who then shot it off the goalie and into the net giving the Huskies a strong lead of 2-0. “Initially I thought the goal keeper was going to save it but when I saw the ball go in I couldn’t believe it at all,” Amundson said. This is what they wanted, this was a great position to be in. As the final whistle blew, the fans went crazy, and the players were ecstatic. This was something for the history books. Owatonna boys varsity soccer not only became back-to-back Big 9 champs they became back-to-back section champs which has never been done before. This is a year to remember.