St. Charles stuffs high-powered St. Croix Prep in Class 1A girls soccer quarterfinal

St. Charles shut out St. Croix Prep 3-0 in the quarterfinal round of the Class 1A girls soccer state tournament Wednesday at Irondale High School.

The third-seeded Saints (17-1-2) pulled off a rarity: The Lions entered the game averaging more than six goals per game.

"I knew that they had the capabilities to rip some far shots," Saints head coach Taige Puetz said. "Those are shots that [goalkeeper Madakyn Gust] is going to take away. Having that confidence, going in we said we're going to play them straight up and see because we are a tough team."

The Saints controlled most of the play on the offensive side of the field. Despite having the better possession time, it took a foul in the penalty box to provide their best scoring opportunity.

Araceli White took the penalty kick and beat Lions goalkeeper Sophia Schroedl low to her left side, providing all the scoring the Saints needed. The senior took a slow stroll to the ball, then stopped and sent it into the net.

"It just keeps me calm," White said about the slow approach to the kick. "That deep breath before I kick the ball and just knowing where I want to put the ball."

The Lions (16-2-1) put pressure on the Saints, but Gust made three saves in the final 20 minutes to preserve the win. St. Croix Prep also had a free kick from 30 yards out that was blocked in the second half. Most of the shots came from long distance.

"I fly in the air. I love those balls in the air," Gust said. "Those deep balls they kept sending in allowed me to get into my rhythm. Once I'm in rhythm, then the defense falls into rhythm. Then the midfield falls into rhythm. And then the forwards."

Samantha Perez and White added insurance goals in the final 11 minutes.

In other Wednesday quarterfinals:

Winona 4, Cloquet/Carlton 2: The No. 5-ranked Winhawks (18-1-1) scored three first-half goals, two by junior midfielder Anna Gilmer, to knock off the No. 10 Lumberjacks (12-3-4). Juniors Adriana Brenengen and Ali Quimby also scored for Winona. Senior forward Kiley Issendorf gave Cloquet/Carlton a short-lived 1-0 lead on a penalty kick in the third minute. Junior forward Natalia Hernandez added a late goal for the Lumberjacks.

Southwest Christian 2, East Grand Forks 0: Sophomore midfielder Isabella Travis broke a scoreless tie on a penalty kick in the 49^th minute as the co-No. 1 Stars (18-0-1) shut out the Green Wave (14-3-1). Junior forward Maya Johnson added insurance with her 35^th goal of the season in the 78^th minute.