Tri-City United edges Trojans 2-1 in boys soccer conference title tilt

Guilherme Tsuha tallied the game-winning goal with a little more than eight minutes remaining in the second half Thursday and visiting Tri-City United captured the Big South Conference boys soccer championship with a 2-1 win over the Worthington Trojans.

Tri-City United, which now has a record of 11-5, took a 1-0 edge early in the first half. The Titans' Giovanni Gomez, an eighth-grader, got free and took a hard shot that deflected off the outstretched right hand of Worthington goalkeeper Adrian Flores and then rolled into the net. That goal came with just 3:17 gone by in the match.

The first 40 minutes concluded with the Titans still holding that 1-0 lead, though the Trojans just missed getting an equalizer when a hard shot hit the top of the Tri-City United goal and bounced harmlessly under the nearby football crossbar. Worthington, however, didn't take long to tie the score in the second half, as Mauricio Corado scored with slightly less than 10 minutes gone by to knot the score at 1-1.

The game-winning goal came following a Titans' free kick from near midfield. The strong kick wound up finding the left-hand side of a row of Tri-City United players and was booted into the net by Tsuha. The Trojans were then kept at bay the rest of the way as WHS dropped to 10-5-1 overall on the season.

WHS plays a non-conference match at Jordan on Saturday, then begins sectional play on Tuesday night — almost certainly at home.

Meanwhile, in girls soccer Thursday, Worthington lost at Garretson, S.D. 9-0. They'll play a non-conference match at Albert Lea on Saturday prior to sectionals.

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Austin Kinser was the highest placer for the Worthington Trojans on Thursday as he took fourth place at the I-90 Invite cross country meet in Fairmont.

Kinser finished with a time of 18:09.5. Andrei Rivera of St. James took first place with a time of 17:18. Fairmont wound up first in the team standings with 29 points, with Worthington next in the eight-team meet with 68. Among other competitors, Jackson County Central was sixth.

Kayden Mitchell was the top finisher for the Huskies, as he took 13^th place. Three Trojans placed 14th, 15^th and 16^th respectively — they were, in order, Jose Chavez Vega, Andrew Olague and Braddock Marquardt. Evan Meyer of WHS was 19th. Among the other competitors for the Huskies were Brycen Mitchell (25th), David Botello-Ramos (27th) and Gavin Tusa (28th).

In the girls race, Naiya Ayers of JCC was the top finisher from the region with a time of 21:51.1. The Trojans' Madison Sieve was sixth with a clocking of 23:00.1. Also in the top 10 were the Huskies' Cora Pauling, who was eighth, and Zadi Farmer, who was ninth.

Eryn Salentiny was 14^th for Heron Lake-Okabena. Emily Dahlquist took 17^th for Worthington; Danica Wood of JCC was 22nd. Among the other runners for the Trojans, Michelle Chicas Melendez was 25th, Myranda Widboom 30th, Ariana Schettler 32^nd and Anna Gordon 34th.

Fairmont won the team standings with 42 points, and JCC was right behind at 46. WHS placed fourth.

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In area high school volleyball Thursday:

Jackson County Central 3, Adrian-Ellsworth 0

Martin County West 3, Nicollet 0

Pipestone Area 3, Southwest Minnesota Christian 0

Cedar Mountain 3, Red Rock Central 0

Tri-City United 3, Fairmont 1

Marshall 3, Mayer Lutheran 0