One goal, lots of defense make Rosemount a girls' soccer state champ

This was one time Jordan Hecht welcomed a little boredom.

Rosemount's senior goalkeeper has spent a season watching her defensive back line keep the pressure off her. In some games she touched the ball as few as two or three times.

Rosemount took that to an extreme Friday at the girls' soccer state tournament in U.S. Bank Stadium, allowing no shots on goal in a 1-0 victory over Edina that made the Irish the Class 3A champion.

A goal by midfielder Taylor Heimerl in the 16^th minute was all the Irish needed. Rosemount posted its 18th shutout of the season; the Irish gave up five goals all season.

Hecht, the first-team keeper on the Star Tribune All-Metro team, admitted that "at times, it got a little bit boring. But when it comes to games like these, I'd rather watch than have to do something. It showed today. We were super solid as a back line."

Rosemount (21-1) seized the lead when Shay Payne controlled the ball along the sideline, stepped around an Edina defender and played a perfect through-ball to Heimerl, who was breaking toward the goal.

"I knew she'd be there. Taylor always makes that run," Payne said. "I maybe saw her out of my peripheral vision."

Heimerl, a Star Tribune All-Metro first-team selection, slipped past a defender and one-timed a left-footer past onrushing goalkeeper Sydney Bakritzes for the winning goal.

"We're undefeated when we score first," Heimerl said. "It gave us that energy."

Said Payne: "The game felt really evenly matched, so getting that early goal was really nice."

Strategy changed when the goal went in. The Irish moved Heimerl back to play a more defensive position.

"She's a great defender," Rosemount coach Gretchen Stramel said. "We didn't need as much of an attack when we've got the lead."

Time ran out on Edina (16-5-1) as Hecht grabbed a free ball, then punted it toward the roof.

"Once Jordan got that ball, I was like, 'It's over,' " defender Olivia Bohl said. "I was doing the math in my head and it was like, 'We got it. We're good.' "