Waconia ties New Prague 1-1

The Waconia girls soccer team bounced back from a pair of losses with a strong showing Sept. 5, tying New Prague 1-1.

“I think we’re really coming together,” said Audrey Falkman. “That was our best game of the season so far.”

Things got off to a rocky start as the Trojans scored just moments into the game. Rather than let the early goal discourage them, the Wildcats dug deep and evened the score several minutes later.

“It encouraged us,” said Malayna Grudt. “We came back stronger. We wanted one back.”

That determination is exactly what the coaching staff wants to see.

“We talk a lot about perseverance,” said coach Ivan Woyno. “We talk about the twilight moments — 5 minutes after a goal, 5 minutes after the half starts. Not letting what happened dictate those next 5 minutes, but the opposite. So, if it was a letdown, go higher, go stronger, go deeper.”

So Waconia went on the attack, winning the ball in New Prague’s half, setting up a counterattack that had Ada Meehan finding a wide-open Emma Kleve in front of the net. With only the keeper in front of her, Kleve easily slotted the ball into the back of the net.

“I think it was a big deal,” Grudt said of the goal. “I think we celebrate that and I think we should be proud of how we came back from that goal.”

What could have been an early momentum boost for New Prague was quickly done away with, as the two sides battled the rest of the game for a 1-1 tie.

“We were encouraging each other, lifting each other up instead of pushing us down,” said Morgan Yager.

Though Waconia did not earn the win, it was an early indicator that this team is moving in the right direction.

“You have got to look at the game in perspective of where we are,” said Woyno. “We’re in a rebuild. The players are starting to catch on to the system, so I think in that game, we worked really well. We just have to be willing to take advantage of moments, little moments where we have the advantage. We have to just continue pressing and pushing. I thought we played well. The players that needed to step up, stepped up. Players that needed to make plays, made plays.”

Now the players are starting to feel the team coming together.

“I think we look really good and our connection only grows stronger as the season goes on,” said Falkman.

It is still early in the season, but Waconia likes the team’s prospects this year.

“We have a good group,” said Woyno. “I think it will be exciting to see what we do in the conference.”