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Cloquet-Carlton soccer players console each other following a 4-2 defeat to Winona in the State Class AA quarterfinals at White Bear Lake Wednesday night. Senior defenseman Madi Fredrickson hugs junior goalkeeper Rylee Senich (left). Photos by Dave Harwig / Pine Knot Sports
Cloquet senior Kiley Issendorf fires a shot during Wednesday night's Class AA quarterfinal soccer match with Winona.
Cloquet's Kennedy Wick defends against Winona's Adriana Brenegen during Wednesday's Class AA quarterfinal soccer match at White Bear Lake.
A promising start did not carry into the rest of the game Wednesday as the Cloquet-Carlton girls soccer team lost 4-2 in the quarterfinals of the Class AA state tournament to Winona.
In the third minute, senior Kiley Issendorf was fouled in the box and granted a penalty shot that she drilled home to put the Lumberjacks up 1-0. The Lumberjacks continued to outhustle the Winhawks for the next 10 minutes until Winona tilted the field and peppered the Lumberjack goal for the rest of the first half, scoring three goals and taking a commanding 3-1 lead.
Winona continued its torrid attack in the second half, scoring early on to put the game out of reach at 4-1. The Lumberjacks' Natalia Hernandez scored with just over 4 minutes left in the game, making the final 4-2.
Issendorf is one of two seniors on the team; the other is Madison Fredrickson. Winona, which was returning to the state tournament after gaining its first entry in its history last year, is laden with seniors and scorers. Of the 11 seniors for the Winhawks, though, it was juniors Adriana Brenengen and Anna Gilmer who powered the Winhawks in the quarterfinal. Gilmer scored two goals in one of her many multi-goals games this year. Brenengen and Faith Quinn were the other goal scorers. Two of the goals came on corner kicks.
The Winhawks were hungry to make it to the semifinals and U.S. Bank Stadium after losing in the state quarterfinal last year.
It's something the Lumberjacks are familiar with. The team has been to five straight state tournaments, but has been able to break through to the semis only once, in 2021. The success of the team has been impressive. The last time a Lumberjacks girls team was inside for a game was the 2009 state semifinal.
The Hernandez goal sparked the team to buzz the Winona net in the end, but it wasn't enough to overcome the early deficit.
The Lumberjacks ended the season with a record of 13-3-4. Tradition may hold next year, given the loss of just the two seniors from the roster.
In the Class A state girls tournament, Esko was set to take on St. Paul Academy/Summit School on Thursday at Irondale High School.
