Soccer: Packer girls open playoffs strong
Published 11:04 pm Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Austin’s Stephanie Chandler celebrates her second half goal against New Prague in the Section 2A playoffs Tuesday night at Art Hass Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin junior Carolyn Hackel had her mind on soccer Tuesday at Art Hass Stadium, but she used her talents from her two other sports to help propel the Packers to a Section 2A tournament win in Art Hass Stadium Tuesday.
The No. 7 seeded Packers finished with a 3-0 win over No. 10 New Prague (4-11-2 overall).
After Hannah Voogd put the Packers (6-8-1 overall) up 1-0 early in the first half with a point blank goal, Hackel made her move.
Just three minutes after Voogd’s score, Hackel used her agility that she learned as being a state-qualifying gymnast to throw a flip pass from the corner that sophomore Steph Cahndler bodied into th net to make it a 2-0 lead for Austin.
Austin’s Mara Overby contains New Prague’s Grace Yackley in the second half of their Section 2A playoff game Tuesday night at Art Hass Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
“It was great to score a goal for my team in the sections,” Chandler said. “Scoring off of Carolyn’s flip is probably the best thing ever.”
Later in the game, Hackel used the speed that helped her become a 2-time state qualifier in track, to break free from the New Prague defense and score an insurance goal with her left foot with 2:25 left in the game.
This is the third straight year that Austin has won its first round tournament game, but the Packers weren’t taking anything for granted.
“We were nervous coming into it and we kind of had the attitude to have fun and play as hard as we can,” Hackel said. “That helped get everyone’s head in the game.”
The Packers had lost four of their last five games before Tuesday, but head coach Enrique Camarena-Corzo said that sometimes it helps to have a loss that you can learn from.
“We had some tough losses to Kasson-Mantorville and John Marshall at the end of the season and sometimes it’s good to have those losses before the sections,” he said. “We were a little worried today because it was really windy, but when we scored that first goal that took the pressure off.”
The Packers will now play at No. 2 seeded Waseca (12-0-3 overall) Thursday at 7 p.m. Waseca beat Worthington 15-0 on Tuesday.
“I think we have a pretty strong team this year,” Camerena-Corzo said. “We’re not satisfied with one win and we’re going to take it game by game.”
