Carson Mark

Senior forward Dana Buckhorn scored the lone goal of the night on Minnetonka’s senior goalkeeper Lizzy Crist.

The Benilde-St. Margaret’s girls’ soccer team capped an unbeaten regular season with an impressive 1-0 win over number two ranked in Class AA Minnetonka on October 6. The Red Knights’ lone goal came from senior forward and captain Dana Buckhorn leading the team to their twelfth shutout of the season.

Playing Minnetonka was a big step up for the Red Knights and a chance to see how they fared against one of the state’s elite teams. “They are one of the better teams we’ve played, and a step up from teams like North Branch and Columbia Heights,” senior defender and captain Anne Arnason said.

The Red Knights and Skippers were evenly matched going into their final regular season game and both teams looked to score early. Buckhorn provided the game’s only score with a bending ball that curled around senior Skipper keeper, Lizzy Crist. “It was really weird because I kind of forgot what I was doing and I just took a shot and then the ball was in the net,” Buckhorn said.

With the game at 1-0 the Red Knights’ defense held strong. “Our defense is very underrated, they are the backbone of our team,” junior Kelly Pannek said.

But as the game wore on, senior goalkeeper Annie Michels was put into action more. The Skippers last chances came off of corner kicks, but the defense was ready and preserved the 1-0 lead for a Red Knight win.

This victory showed the team is one of the best, not only in Class A, but in the entire state. “We have always been the team that is good but only in Class A. And since Minnetonka was ranked second in AA, it proved that we are just as good as the bigger schools,” Buckhorn said.

The win puts the Red Knights at 15-0-1 and the lone unbeaten team in the state, bringing many new challenges to the team. “Being undefeated puts a huge target on our backs,” Pannek said.

Not many teams can say they were undefeated in the regular season, but the team realizes that their work is not done and an undefeated season would be a great accomplishment. “All that matters is being undefeated the rest of the year,”  Pannek said.

As the Red Knights begin section play and look for their sixth state tournament appearance in seven years, they will most likely be tested by rivals Holy Family and Orono. The Red Knights defeated both teams in regular season matchups. “Everyone comes with their best,” Head Coach Mr. Scott Helling-Christy said.