There are times where players can get shaky under the pressure of a perfect season.

“I think the game got so big in their minds,” Apple Valley coach Alexandra Ross said about the Eagles' slow start in their evenutal 12-9 Section 3 championship game victory over Burnsville on Thursday. “Once they put in a few goals and made some positive things happen, they realized they could do it.”

The No. 3-ranked Eagles trailed 6-1 in the first half and barely had touched the ball. They were not looking like the team that had amassed 15 straight wins through the spring.

“Last time we played Burnsville we got behind,” Apple Valley goaltender Marissa Guillou said. “Ross told us to stay in it and keep playing like us.”

The top-seeded Eagles scored five straight goals spanning the end of the first half and start of the second as they rallied for the victory at Burnsville High School.

The Blaze (12-4) had the advantage playing on their own turf as the second seed, even though Apple Valley was home on the scoreboard.

“We didn’t have many turf games this season,” Ross said. “Their turf is really quick, so it took a little while adjusting to it.”

Apple Valley (16-0) had to make a transition at the half, and senior captain Blayr Thompson served as a catalyst.

“We had a lot more hustle in the second half," Thompson said. "We cleaned up the passing and the ground balls and played the game they way we know how.”

Guillou made several stops to energize the Eagles for a second half comeback.

“Our goalie was making saves,” Ross said. “We were able to get some transitions going and gain possession.”

Thompson scored two of the Eagles' four first half goals and had her hat trick a minute into the second half.

Eighth-grader Reagan Roelofs and senior Katie Larson, who combined for 27 post-season goals, found their groove in the closing minutes, scoring the final three goals.

“The big message is it doesn’t matter how much we’re down by, we will come back,” Ross said. “It was a really important message for the girls before state.”

-- Trevor Squire


Burnsville's Lindsey Coleman, left, tries to beat the defense of Apple Valley's Katie Larson. Photo by Loren Nelson

First Report

Eighth-grader Reagan Roelofs scored four goals in the closing minutes to propel undefeated and top-seeded Apple Valley past No. 2 seed Burnsville 12-9 on Thursday in the Section 3 championship at Burnsville High School.

Apple Valley (16-0) advances to the state tournament starting next Tuesday at Chanhassen High School. The first quarterfinal game is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The Blaze (12-4) led by as much as 6-1 in the first half and were ahead 8-6 midway through the second half when Roelofs started her scoring spree. Roelofs scored with 11:34 remaing to pull The Eagles to within 8-7 and ignite a 6-1 game-ending scoring run.

Senior Lindsey Coleman scored Burnsville’s final goal to tie the score at 9 with 7:14 remaining. Game ending goals by Roelofs, senior Katie Larson and Roelofs again secured the win for the Eagles, who also got several clutch saves from senior goaltender Marissa Guillou in the closing minutes.

Larson also had four goals for the Eagles, senior Blayr Thompson added three.

Coleman had three goals and senior Briita Nelson added two for the Blaze.

Apple Valley beat Burnsville 13-8 in the regular season.

-- Loren Nelson

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