Trojans edge Tigers 3-2, advance to boys soccer sectional semifinals

The Worthington Trojans boys soccer team hung on the final seconds Tuesday night and earned a 3-2 victory over Marshall in a Section 2AA quarterfinal match at Trojan Field.

The Tigers had a golden opportunity to tie the match as it wound down, but all Marshall players could do was collectively hang their heads in disbelief as the final horn sounded. The fourth-seeded Trojans improved to 12-4-1 by winning the see-saw match against the fifth-seeded Tigers.

After the teams played to a scoreless draw for more than 30 minutes, Sabino Jimon tallied a goal for Marshall for a 1-0 Tiger lead with 7:38 remaining before halftime. A little more than four minutes later, Worthington's Kain Thepmontry scored on a corner kick to make it 1-1 with 3:02 left before the break.

Elder Lopez broke free and fired a scoring shot that made it 2-1 with 26:23 remaining in the second half. Marshall tied the match at 2 less than four minutes later on an attack that ricoched off of the right post of the goal and went in. That set the stage for Juan Sandoval's game-winner, which came in the midst of a mad scramble of players following a Trojan corner kick.

Worthington will play at top-seeded Mankato East, which edged No. 8 Jordan 1-0 in another Tuesday quarterfinal, at 4 p.m. Thursday at Kennedy Elementary in Mankato,

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In girls soccer Tuesday, Worthington's season came to an end with a 6-0 loss at second-seeded St. Peter.

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The Worthington High School volleyball team played at St. Peter on Tuesday night and was defeated 3-0. Game scores were 25-21, 25-23, 25-18.

Lauren Nixon led the Trojans in kills with nine and Alaina Feit contributed seven. Kamryn Olson and Natya Khamphanh had 21 digs each and Mara Thier added 20. Thier and Kaitlyn Mulder had three solo blocks apiece. Thier was 11-for-11 serving with an ace and Macie Mahlberg 8-for-8 with an ace. Khamphanh passed for 25 set assists.

WHS, now 7-14 overall, next plays Thursday at Fairmont.

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The Minnesota West Lady Jays volleyball team won two more matches Monday during a home triangular, as they beat Iowa Central — ranked seventh in NJCAA Division 2 — by scores of 25-17, 25-16, 18-25, 25-21, and then defeated the Mt. Marty JV 25-15, 25-23, 25-20.

Sadie Krahling had 19 kills and 12 digs in the Iowa Central match. Kadyn Paulson added 29 digs and an ace serve, while Kate Slettum passed for 40 set assists and went 29-for-29 serving with two aces. Raya Van Beek contributed a team-high five blocks.

Against Mt. Marty, Krahling led the way offensively with 12 kills. Paulson had 21 digs and Aleah Wagner added 20. Hannah Dauer was tops in blocks with four.

Minnesota West, ranked No. 3 in Division 3 NJCAA volleyball, is now 27-3.

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The Worthington Trojans girls tennis team was blanked 7-0 at top-seeded Mankato East in the first round of the Section 2AA Tournament on Monday. 

The closest match on the day for the eighth-seeded Trojans came at No. 4 singles, at which Madison Poe of WHS was defeated 6-1 5-7 10-6. All of the other matches were decided in straight sets.

Next up for the Trojans is individual sectional action, which will begin next Monday in St. Peter.

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In area girls volleyball Tuesday:

Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 3, Southwest Minnesota Christian 2

Adrian-Ellsworth 3, Murray County Central 0

Edgerton 3, Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey 1

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 3, Red Rock Central 0

Renville County West 3, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 0

Windom 3, Redwood Valley 0

Fairmont 3, Luverne 1

Marshall 3, Alexandria 0

MOC Floyd Valley 3, Sheldon 0

Rock Valley 3, Okoboji 1

Sioux Center 3, Unity Christian 1

Sibley-Ocheyedan 3, Trinity Christian 0