Berger Steals Mahtomedi's State Crown: A Goal-Line Wonder Turns Title Game Upside Down
In a Class 2A girls soccer championship game for the ages, Mahtomedi goalkeeper Harlow Berger pulled off an incredible feat, steering her team to a thrilling 1-0 victory over Blake. The win marked the Eagles' second consecutive state crown and sent shockwaves through the field of competitors.
Berger's heroics came at a high cost, however, as she suffered a brutal shoulder injury in the final minutes of the game. Despite feeling her shoulder pop out of joint, Berger continued to play, making two crucial saves before being relieved by her teammates. Her bravery and skill earned her widespread praise from coaches and players alike.
Mahtomedi's Elise Aflakpi scored the winning goal in the 65th minute, a beautifully crafted chip over Blake goalkeeper Reese Aafedt that left the crowd gasping in amazement. The junior forward's celebration was met with cheers from her teammates, who had outshot their opponents by a staggering 19-4.
Despite being outplayed and outshot, Mahtomedi's defense was solid, thanks in large part to Berger's incredible form. The Eagles' goalkeeper made an astonishing dozen saves, several of them spectacular, and her leadership was instrumental in guiding her team to the title.
Blake coach Jocelyn Keller acknowledged that her team had been outplayed but remained gracious in defeat. "Soccer's an unfortunate game where you can outplay and outshoot a team and then that happens," she said.
Mahtomedi's coach, Dave Wald, was jubilant in victory, hailing his goalkeeper as an "amazing person and game-changer." Berger's injury has left her future plans uncertain, but for now, she will bask in the glory of Mahtomedi's second consecutive state crown.
In a Class 2A girls soccer championship game for the ages, Mahtomedi goalkeeper Harlow Berger pulled off an incredible feat, steering her team to a thrilling 1-0 victory over Blake. The win marked the Eagles' second consecutive state crown and sent shockwaves through the field of competitors.
Berger's heroics came at a high cost, however, as she suffered a brutal shoulder injury in the final minutes of the game. Despite feeling her shoulder pop out of joint, Berger continued to play, making two crucial saves before being relieved by her teammates. Her bravery and skill earned her widespread praise from coaches and players alike.
Mahtomedi's Elise Aflakpi scored the winning goal in the 65th minute, a beautifully crafted chip over Blake goalkeeper Reese Aafedt that left the crowd gasping in amazement. The junior forward's celebration was met with cheers from her teammates, who had outshot their opponents by a staggering 19-4.
Despite being outplayed and outshot, Mahtomedi's defense was solid, thanks in large part to Berger's incredible form. The Eagles' goalkeeper made an astonishing dozen saves, several of them spectacular, and her leadership was instrumental in guiding her team to the title.
Blake coach Jocelyn Keller acknowledged that her team had been outplayed but remained gracious in defeat. "Soccer's an unfortunate game where you can outplay and outshoot a team and then that happens," she said.
Mahtomedi's coach, Dave Wald, was jubilant in victory, hailing his goalkeeper as an "amazing person and game-changer." Berger's injury has left her future plans uncertain, but for now, she will bask in the glory of Mahtomedi's second consecutive state crown.
. I'm all for winning and celebrating championships, but is it really worth risking an athlete's long-term health? Berger could've had career-ending injuries and her team still would be basking in the glory 
. It makes you wonder about the value we place on athletic performance over player well-being...
I guess you could say Harper (Berger) really "dove" headfirst into that shoulder injury 
. Like, who needs to check for joint dislocations when you're trying to save the game? 
But seriously, that was some crazy skill on display from her, and I'm loving the drama of it all - poor kid's got a broken shoulder and whatnot 
. Can't wait to see how she recovers (or if she can still throw 95+ mph without it 
). Congrats to Mahtomedi on the win tho! 
what was Blake even doing out there? 19 shots vs 4? like, that's not even close... and can we just say Harlow Berger's heroics are kinda overshadowing by her injury lol she's literally the real MVP, but also I feel bad for her 
! i'm still trying to process how she kept playing with that shoulder injury and made those insane saves 
And to top it off, she's got two goals for her team already this season - talk about dedication! 
The injury she sustained is so scary though 
I was on the edge of my seat when Elise Aflakpi scored that amazing chip 
. I mean, who makes a goal like that? And Harlow Berger, wow, she's a hero 
. Blake was outplayed all game, so they can't take away from Mahtomedi's win 
. That's true leadership & dedication right there 
That chip over the goalie was pure magic 
! The fact that Blake got outshot 19-4 and still managed to lose is just a testament to Mahtomedi's strong team dynamic 
. As for Berger, I hope she gets the rest & recovery she needs – winning a state crown is amazing, but taking care of your body is even more important 
.
I was on the edge of my seat when Harlow made that insane save! My grandma still can't believe the Eagles won without scoring 2 goals lol 
. Can you even imagine if they hadn't had Berger in goal? The crowd would've gone wild! 
) and a total rockstar! She single-handedly turned that title game around for Mahtomedi, even when she was clearly hurt. 
. But seriously, her leadership and skill are what made all the difference. I'm just glad she's okay, though - that shoulder injury sounds brutal 
i mean what kind of person continues to play with a shoulder injury like that? i'm so impressed by her bravery and skill on the field, but now she's gonna have to deal with some serious recovery time 
hopefully she can get it together for next season or else she'll be watching from the sidelines 
. I'm glad Elise Aflakpi scored that beautiful winning goal, too! 
. But seriously, Berger is the real MVP of this game 
.
!