Finding Hill-Murray coach Theresa Boyd after Saturday afternoon’s Section 4 semifinal was easier than anticipated.

After an emotional overtime win over Roseville to advance to the program’s first section final, Boyd separated from the team after a brief postgame huddle and took a seat on the turf at Hill-Murray’s Higgins field.

“I’m so speechless right now,” Boyd said. “These girls worked so hard. To be so close (in score) and then have it go into overtime, it’s just so exciting.”

Exciting could just as easily be replaced with exhausting.

With temperatures pushing 90 degrees, and with mandatory water breaks midway through each half, the Pioneers (13-1) and the Raiders chugged through Saturday’s heat while entrenched in a seesaw battle that saw numerous lead changes.

The Pioneers took a seemingly solid 9-6 lead early in the second half, but the second-seeded Raiders rattled off four consecutive goals, including the go-ahead tally with just under four minutes to play in the game.

“I think we just try not to get down on each other,” senior attacker Caroline Cayot said about surrendering the lead.

Freshman Jacey Germundson tied the game with just four seconds remaining in the second half, and Cayot buried the game-winner just 2:33 into overtime.

The game-winner was Cayot’s fourth of the game and 62nd of the season.

That commitment to a positive approach on defense and working as a cohesive unit also enabled the Pioneers to slow down the Roseville duo of Ciara Colvard and Hannah Distad, who had combined for 94 goals on the season entering Saturday’s contest.

“We were go good about being ready to help each other,” sophomore midfielder Katie Kaufman said.

Cayot mentioned how vital communication was.

“We relied a lot on communication,” Cayot said. “Making sure we feed off each other and work together.”

Colvard led Roseville (10-5) with three goals, while Distad was one of five Raiders with a single goal.    

Kaufman has battled injuries this season, and in just her third game back, recorded three goals for the Pioneers.

“She got injured last game, so we weren’t expecting her to even play today,” Boyd said. “Getting hurt in a section quarterfinal, and coming back out here and getting all those goals, she was ready to fight.”

The Pioneers will be in for another fight in the section final, where they will face No. 7 ranked and top-seeded Stillwater (12-2), a perennial state tournament participant that’s racked up 211 goals this season.

Senior attacker Caroline Cayot scored just 2:33 into overtime to lift Hill-Murray to a thrilling 11-10 victory over Roseville in Section 4 semifinal action on Saturday afternoon at Hill-Murray’s Higgins Field.

Cayot's heroics were matched by freshman midfielder Jacey Germundson, who tied the game at 10-10 with just four seconds remaining to force the extra session. With the win, the third-seeded Pioneers (13-1) avenged a loss in the same stage of the postseason to the Raiders in 2016.

Cayot finished the game with four goals, leading all scorers. Teammate Katie Kaufman, a sophomore midfielder, contributed three goals.

Senior Ciara Colvard led No. 2 seed Roseville (10-5) with three goals in the loss, with junior Ellie Peine chipping in a pair of tallies.

Hill-Murray will meet Stillwater, ranked No. 7 in the state coaches’ poll, in the section finals on June 6 at 5 p.m. at Roseville Area High School.

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