Tag Archives: Austin Packers Boys Soccer

ROSEVILLE — Friday night’s quarterfinals round wasn’t too kind to the two Big Nine Conference boys soccer teams remaining in the Class A state tournament.

In the opening game of the bracket, Hermantown beat Mankato West by a 5-1 score at the Roseville Area High School Stadium.

The Austin Packers put forth a much closer battle in the late game of the state quarterfinals against the Simley Spartans. The second-seeded Spartans had more shots throughout the night, but the Packers defense kept it close.

In the end, the Spartans broke a 1-1 tie with a goal in the final minute to get the tournament win. The winning goal came with 59 seconds left in regulation.

Senior forward Oja Ena of Simley dribbled through the defense and banged a shot past Austin goalie Ryan Rasell for the 2-1 win. The last-second victory gave the Spartans a trip to the state semifinals.

The Spartans took the early lead in this game with a goal midway through the first half by Ben Royce. The first goal of the night came on a penalty kick in the 22nd minute.

“They had most of the offense and controlled the play in the first half, then we controlled the flow in the second half,” Austin coach Jens Levisen said. “It was a matter of who had the wind. The weather was that much of a factor. The guys would kick the ball in the air and you could see a wall where the wind knocked it down.”

Only the stellar efforts of Rasell and the Packers defense kept the contest this close in the first half. The Spartans came out firing and had a few close-in shots during the opening 20 minutes of the game.

Rasell, as he has been all season, was up to the task in the Packers net. He turned away most of the attempts by the Spartans, and finished with three saves on the night.

“Making it to state is a big step for the program,” Levisen said. “We were right in there and the defense played great. We showed everybody that we belonged in the state tourney.”

The Packers offense struggled to find its rhythm in the first half as the biting wind made it tough to aim shots. The Austin boys got things rolling in the second half and created some pressure on the Simley net. The Packers finished with four shots-on-goal.

Throughout the season, whenever the Packers have needed a big play they’ve turned to senior midfielder Jacob Brehmer. Once again, Brehmer delivered when his team needed a lift.

Defense held sway for both teams during the initial 30-plus minutes of the second half. The Packers offense then got it in close and the Spartans defense couldn’t prevent a shot from Brehmer. The Spartans interfered with the Packers shooter inside the crease and he got a free look.

Brehmer scored late in the second half to get the Packers back to a tie game. Brehmer scored off a penalty kick with five-and-a-half minutes left in the second half.

It would then be a defensive struggle to the bitter end in the driving rain. The clock wound down and it looked like overtime might be the next step, but the Spartans instead scored the decisive goal.

“The guy hit a shot with a minute left, and they’re seeded No. 2 for a reason,” Levisen concluded. “Our guys gave me everything they had and it was tough to see the season come to an end. But the only way you go out with a win is to win them all at state.”

Austin finished the season with a 14-6 overall record. This was the first ever trip to the state tournament for the Packers.

Simley (18-1-4) next plays third-seeded Hermantown (20-1) in Monday’s Class A semifinals at 2 p.m. Top-seeded Totino-Grace (18-3) plays unseeded Mahtomedi (15-3-3) in the early game of the semifinals at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Austin loses on “a last-minute desperation shot”

From the Star Tribune.com’s GAME FaceMN:

Simley 2, Austin 1: Simley, in the first half, and Austin, in the second, traded dictation of the pace of play, momentum bursts and successful penalty kicks.

After that back-and-forth affair, it all came down to a last-minute desperation shot — literally.

Just when officials in the Roseville High School press box were discussing overtime procedures, Spartans forward Oja Ena had the ball drop in his direction from 18 yards out. In one motion, Ena turned to his left and booted the ball toward the Packers net. The shot went in with 58.8 seconds remaining, capping a wild regulation victory for the second-seeded Spartans (18-1-4).

Simley’s Ben Royce and Austin’s Jacob Brehmer connected on their respective penalty shot tries.

Austin finishes the season 14-6.

BRIAN STENSAAS

Austin boys soccer team claims section title

By Pat Ruff
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

For the first time in its history, the Austin boys soccer team is headed to the state Class A tournament. And for one of the rare times in its history, Rochester Lourdes is not.

A gallery of photos from the game

Austin used an unassisted goal from Rolando Rubio in the first half, and an unassisted one from Jacob Brehmer in the second to glide past the top-seeded Eagles 2-0 Saturday in the Section One, Class A championship at Rochester Regional Sports Stadium.

The No. 2 seeded Packers also used excellent play by its midfield, as well as by goalie Ryan Rasell to get it done. Austin takes a 14-11 record into the state event.

Lourdes, which was looking to get to state for the ninth time in the last 13 years, finished 14-5-2.

Lourdes fell despite outshooting Austin 14-11. However, Austin easily had more quality shots, including one that caromed off the cross-bar in the first half.

“Nothing that Austin did surprised us,” Lourdes coach Tom Kane said. “We knew they were a good team and that they had their sights on us all year.”

Packer soccer team is headed to Class ‘A’ state tournament for first time in school history

By Rocky Hulne | Austin Daily Herald

Originally published 08:46 p.m., October 24, 2009

ROCHESTER — One amazing goal got it started, and another stellar score put it away as Austin clinched it’s first trip to the Class ‘A’ boys state soccer tournament in school history.

The No. 2 seeded Packers beat top seeded Rochester Lourdes 2-0 at RCTC Saturday.

“This win is absolutely huge and we have an amazing team here,” Austin keeper Ryan Rasell said. “It’s probably the best that’s ever come through Austin.”

Junior midfielder Ronaldo Rubio gave the Packers (14-5 overall) all the momentum they needed when he booted a 30-yard goal from the corner that arced over the head of Lourdes keeper Will Elder to make it 1-0 Austin in the 15th minute.

“It was a ridiculous shot and it was great to get a goal in the first half,” Austin midfielder Jacob Brehmer said. “We capatlized on our opportunities and our defense played great.”

Rubio insisted that he was attempting a shot and not just trying to get the ball in the zone. But he was feeling some nerves.

“I was a little bit nervous and I didn’t actually think I would play this great,” he said. “It was very exciting for me.”

Brehmer gave the Packers all the breathing room they would need in the 55th minute when he bent a 20-yarder from the right side that landed into the left side of the net.

“They’re a heck of a team and they’re really ferocious, so I knew I had to kick it when I did, even though I normally can’t shoot from far out,” Brehmer said. “I just kind of swung at it and it went in.”

The Packer defense did a solid job of keeping Lourdes from getting any easy shots, but the penetration of Joe Charlesworth created some problems for Austin. Rasell made a diving save on a shot by Charlesworth with 10:24 to go in the match and Rasell stopped a header by Jon Tousley of Lourdes (14-5-2 overall) with 8:09 to go.

“I went for everything,” said Rasell, who had 14 saves. “If I thought I could get it, I went for it and everything seemed to stick this game. I held on to everything. I assumed there would be a lot of tough shots, so I prepared myself for it.”

Austin’s depth gave them fresh legs and it helped it close the match out as the Packers were able to keep posession for most of the second half.

“Every player on the bench can step in and play any role without a problem,” said Austin head coach Jens Levisen.

Austin has 14 seniors that will be enjoying their first trip to the state tournament. While many of them were on the U17 team that won state over the summer, this adds to that accomplishment.

“Our whole team has been playing amazing, it’s so fun to be part of this great group of guys,” Brehmer said. “The number of fans we had was ridiculous and it’s one of the best games of soccer I’ve played in.”

Austin, which had 11 shots on goal Saturday, will play No. 2 seeded Simley (17-1-4 overall) in the first round at the state tournament. The match will take place Friday at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in Roseville Area High School.

Packers boys reach section soccer title game

By Scott A. Kolb

Post-Bulletin, Austin MN

Three goals in the second half on Monday night carried the Austin Packers boys soccer team to its first ever appearance in a section championship game.

The Byron Bears, seeded third, were tied with the second-seeded Packers at halftime of this Class A, Section One semifinals game at Art Hass Stadium. The second half belonged to the Austin boys with a flurry of goals in the final minutes to secure a 4-1 win and a trip to the title round.

It was a perfect night for the Packers final home game of the season. The weather was mild and more importantly there were no other sports activities on the schedule, so the student section was packed. The boys on the field gave their fans in the stands plenty to cheer about with the biggest win in team history.

“Making it to the section finals is a big thing for our program; I’ve had e-mails all week from former players wishing us well,” Austin coach Jens Levisen said. “We controlled the ball and the offense came through in the second half. The defense was prepared for Byron, and they did a good job of limiting the shot opportunities.”

Offensive pressure

Spurred on by the boisterous crowd, the Packers came out firing right away in the first half. Jacob Brehmer of the Packers got open in front at just 10 minutes into the game, but his shot was blocked by Bears goalie Brock Anderson.

A short time later, Anderson had another save on a shot from the side by Francisco Torres. The pressure from the Packers never ceased as they put up 28 shots-on-goal for the night. Torres also had a penalty kick late in the first half that was knocked away, but the Packers had set the tone with their attacking offense.

Despite the Packers pressure, it was the Bears who scored the first goal. Ryan Baumbach took a crossing pass from Matt Thorpe and slipped it by Austin goalie Ryan Rasell. Byron had a 1-0 lead with 14 minutes left in the first half.

Less than two minutes later, the Packers answered with the first of two goals on the night from Martin Manocchio. Jacob Larson directed the pass to Manocchio, who tied the game with 12:35 left in the first half.

From this point on, it was only a matter of when the offense would break it open as the Austin defense didn’t let the Byron offense anywhere near the net. Still, it stayed tied well into the second half.

Pack take control

Rasell faced a few shots in the first half, but only needed four saves for the win. Just to keep the crowd entertained, Rasell ranged out from the net a few times to knock the Byron players off the ball. His high return kicks made sure the action stayed on the other end of the field.

“They got an open shot in the first half, but after that the defenders kept the ball away from me,” Rasell said. “The defense was amazing and it gave me the chance to watch our offense work at the other end. This is an incredible feeling to be going to the section finals.”

Throughout the initial stages of the second half, the efforts of Rasell and his defense were needed to keep the game tied. The Packers kept applying the pressure, but no more goals came until the clock ticked inside 17 minutes to play. When the Packers need a big play, they turn to Brehmer.

Beating the Byron defense, Manocchio laid down a nice pass to Brehmer in front of the net. This time there would be no block from the Byron goalie and Brehmer punched it past him. The goal by Brehmer sent the fans into a frenzy and the Packers were on top to stay with 16:29 to play.

“Marty gave me a nice pass and I had missed on some earlier chances, so I wanted to get off a good shot,” Brehmer said. “I placed it in the corner of the net and it was good to get that go-ahead goal. Everybody went crazy and our crowd was great.

“Our friends were all here from school and we wanted to give them a good show. The crowd was like a 12th man and they helped us play our best soccer of the season.”

Final flurry

Down the stretch, the Packers poured it on with a couple of more goals. Pedro Herrera nearly added to the lead when his shot hit the crossbar inside the final 10 minutes. This merely heightened the excitement for a wild finish.

Alex Klock provided the insurance goal inside the last five minutes. Showing off his defensive skills, Klock stole an in-bounds pass and took the ball down the sidelines. He made a quick cut to the net and fired it home for a 3-1 lead. Manocchio then capped the second half barrage with a goal at the 1:03 mark for the final margin of victory.

“We missed our first penalty kick of the season in the first half, but I’m glad we had to work for our goals and there was no question about the way we finished this game off,” Levisen said. “We were in control and that goal by Alex just sealed it. The guys kept attacking and we didn’t want to drop back to give them any shots. The players are pumped and it’s exciting to be headed for the section finals.”

Austin (13-5) plays top-seeded Rochester Lourdes for the Section 1A championship on Friday at 5 p.m. at Rochester Regional Sports Stadium.

Packer soccer team headed to Section 1A final after beating Byron

By Rocky Hulne | Austin Daily Herald

Originally published 10:54 p.m., October 19, 2009

The opportunities piled up for the Austin soccer team and it made good on those chances with a 4-1 win over Byron in a Section 1A semifinal match at Art Hass Stadium Monday.

The Packers (13-5 overall) took the lead for good in the match’s 64th minute when Jacob Brehmer scored on a feed from fellow senior Martin Manocchio to give Austin a 2-1 lead.

“Marty gave me a nice pass right in the middle and it was to my left, which is my off foot,” said Brehmer. “But I figured I better one-time it, so it didn’t take too much time. I hit it, and luckily I placed it right in the corner.”

Austin put the game away when Alex Klock forced a turnover and scored in the 76th minute on a breakaway and Manocchio, who scored Austin’s first goal on a pass from Jacob Larson, scored on an assist from Brehmer to make it 4-1 in the 79th minute.

Austin, which will now play No. 1 Rochester Lourdes (14-4-2 overall) for the Section 1A title at Rochester Community and Technical College Friday at 5 p.m., trailed 1-0 after Byron’s Ryan Baumbach scored on a crossing pass in the 28th minute.

But the Packers never doubted themselves and Mannachio tied the match a minute and a half later.

“(Getting behind) didn’t hurt us at all,” Austin defender Howie Underwood said. “We’ve kind of been that team to come back after a goal and win. I think it helps us and makes us work harder.”

Underwood, a senior, was part of a defense that dominated possession, which caused the Packers to out-shoot No. 3 Byron (19-2 overall) 28-5.

“The defense was prepared and they knew what to expect with this Byron team,” Austin head coach Jens Levisen said. “Everybody was winning the ball in the air before they had a chance to do anything with it, but our defense doesn’t just clear it. They get it and they look to see who they can get it to.”

Austin missed a chance to take the lead with 4:31 left in the first half when Francisco Torres had a penalty kick stopped by Byron’s Brock Anderson. It was the first time the Packers have missed a penalty kick all season.

“I’m kind of glad that we got the goals the other way,” Levisen said. “So that way they can’t say, ‘you got a PK and that’s how you beat us.’ We’ve got four real goals.”

Anderson made a few big saves to keep the Bears in it. He stopped a point blank shot by Brehmer in the first half, and made back-to-back saves on Brehmer and Will Darling in the second half.

“Our offense has scored all year and we have a lot of talented players. We were bound to score goals if we kept playing good,” Brehmer said.

Keeper Ryan Rasell, who had four stops on the night, made two big back-to-back saves for Austin with 33:58 left in the match.

When Austin takes on Lourdes Friday with a trip to the state tournament on the line, it will be the first time the Packers have ever played in the Section 1A title game.

“We’re pumped up and it would be great to have a group of fans come with,” Levisen said. “It’s very exciting and we’ll have three days of solid practice to make sure we’re ready.”

Packers complete season sweep over Winona

By Scott A. Kolb
Post-Bulletin, Austin MN

After taking an unexpected break with a rainout on Thursday, the Austin Packers boys soccer team recorded an overtime win on Saturday afternoon at Art Hass Stadium.

This was the second meeting of the season between the Winona Winhawks and the Packers. The first game, won by the Packers, counted in the Big Nine Conference standings, so for good measure they completed the season sweep.

Jacob Larson scored a goal in overtime to give Austin a 4-3 win in the non-conference contest.

That makes it seven wins in the last eight games for the Packers. The Austin boys struck early with a couple of goals, but Winona mounted a comeback.

Starting the scoring on the day was Jacob Brehmer. The Packers mid-fielder made a quick strike off a pass from Henry Darling for a 1-0 lead at just three minutes into the game.

“We kept the momentum rolling with a goal from Martin Manocchio at six minutes into the game,” Austin coach Jens Levisen said. “Martin’s goal came off an assist from Jacob (Brehmer). We took the early lead, but Winona came back with a penalty kick and another goal to tie it 2-2 at halftime.”

In the second half, the Packers got a goal from Rolando Rubio. The third goal of the afternoon for the home team came off another assist by Henry Darling. The game was then tied at 3-3 and went into overtime.

Not only did Rubio provide the offense for the Packers in the second half, he also played a role in the winning goal.

Rubio provided the assist on Larson’s decisive shot into the net. The Packers fired off a total of 21 shots on the day.

Austin (8-3) travels to Rochester today for a non-conference game against Schaeffer Academy.

6th Straight Win for Packers

By Scott A. Kolb
Post-Bulletin, Austin MN

Youth Soccer Night at Art Hass Stadium provided the perfect setting for the sixth straight win by the Austin Packers.

With a lot of younger players watching from the stands, the Austin boys put on an offensive show in a 5-1 win over Rochester John Marshall.

The Packers scored three goals in the first half to put the visiting John Marshall Rockets in a deep hole for this Big Nine Conference game. The comfortable lead allowed the home fans to enjoy an extended halftime with the little soccer players getting a chance to play on the big field.

When the halftime fun was over, the youngsters shook hands with the Packers as they took the field for the second half. The kids all received a team poster and then they got to watch the big boys continue their offensive display.

“I’m glad we had a nice turnout with the young kids and it looked like they had a good time,” Austin coach Jens Levisen said. “This was a fun night for the players in our youth program and they got the chance to meet the guys on the varsity. Hopefully, the way we played in the game inspired them to continue developing their soccer skills.”

Passing to the open man and getting a flurry of good shots enabled the Packers to dominate the Rockets in the conference win. Henry Darling, who recently returned from a suspension, got the Packers rolling with an early goal.

Getting a shooter like Henry Darling back made the Austin offense even more dangerous. Darling scored another goal in the second half as the Packers won their third straight Big Nine game.

“I noticed in the first half that I could get away from their defenders and my teammates hit me with some nice passes,” Darling said. “I’m getting back into the groove of the game and scoring two goals always helps your confidence. Their defenders got kind of frustrated in the second half and started grabbing a lot, but we got through it with a win.”

Dante Ortiz made it a 2-0 lead for the Packers midway through the first half. The goal by Ortiz came off an assist from Jacob Brehmer.

The offensive forays into the JM end of the field never ceased as Austin fired a total of 23 shots on the night. The Packers would add another goal to their lead late in the first half.

Larson #1

Jacob Larson had the assist on the opening goal by Darling and his passing set up another scoring opportunity inside the final seven minutes of the half. Alex Klock took the pass from Larson and beat the JM keeper for a three-goal lead at the break.

“We worked the offense pretty well in the first half and got a lot of good looks,” Larson said. “We did a decent job of using the short passes to get the ball to the fast guys on the outside. The strong offense kept the ball in their end and allowed us to play good defense.”

Packers goalie Ryan Rasell spent most of the game watching his teammates kick the ball around the other end of the field. Rasell only faced a total of five shots and had four saves. He almost recorded his fifth straight shutout, but the Rockets got a goal in the 68th minute.

By that time, the Packers had already put the score out of reach. Physical play became a characteristic of the second half as each team was issued a pair of yellow cards.

The tide turned for good against the Rockets when Ortiz got behind the defense for an open shot with 25 minutes left to play. Ortiz was knocked down by a JM defender and Austin was awarded a penalty kick.

Tim Horn took the penalty shot for the Packers and nailed it for a 4-0 lead. Just a few minutes later, Horn got the assist on Darling’s second goal. This gave the Packers an insurmountable five-goal lead.

“We have a lot of different guys that can score goals and that’s what makes our offense tough to stop,” Levisen said. “The defense can’t just key on one guy, because we keep moving it around the field. The guys trust each other when they make a pass, and everybody keeps looking for shots. The team is attacking and playing well.”

Austin (7-2, 3-2 Big Nine) travels to Rochester Mayo for a key conference showdown on Tuesday night.

Packers come out firing in 5-1 win over Rockets

From the Austin Daily Herald (Rocky Hulne):

The Packer offense keeps rolling.

Austin's Howie Underwood kicks the ball from Rochester John Marshall's Taylor Kloss during the first half Thursday night at Art Hass Stadium

The Austin boys soccer team won its sixth straight match with a 5-1 win over Rochester John Marshall at Art Hass Stadium Thursday.

Austin (7-2 overall, 4-2 Big Nine) got the ball rolling when Henry Darling scored one of his two breakaway goals on a deep lob by Jacob Larson in the 11th minute. Darling is finally starting to get his legs back into it after re-joining the Packers a few matches ago.

“I haven’t played very well the past few games and I’m still getting back in the groove of things,” the senior forward said. “At the beginning of the game I wasn’t sure how fast their defenders were, but I kind of noticed I’d be able to get away with (my speed) early on.”

The Packer offense fired off 23 shots Thursday and it has scored at least three goals six times this season. That trend continued against JM (0-8-1 overall, 0-4-1 Big Nine) as the Packers cruised.

Dante Ortiz knocked in a rebound of a miss by Jacob Brehmer in the 19th minute and Alex Klock scored on a 15-yard shot from the center on an assist from Larson in the 34th minute.

“A lot of times in high scoring games you like to run the long ball a lot,” Larson said. “We did a good job of making short passes, getting it to our fast guys and capitalizing on all of our opportunities.”

Austin's Francisco Torres settles the ball along the sidelines Thursday night in the first half against Rochester John Marshall at Art Hass Stadium.

Austin took a 3-0 lead to the half and Ortiz instigated some more Packer offense in the match’s 55th minute. He got to the goal and drew a penalty, which set up a penalty kick that Tim Horn knocked in. Horn set up Austin’s last score on an assist to Darling.

Lucas Djehdian scored in the 68th minute for the Rockets.

While they stayed up on the scoreboard, the Packers also kept their cool against a physical John Marshall team.

“Their defenders definitely practice grabbing at you when you run by,” Darling said. “It was frustrating, but we got through it. Scoring helps and it gives you more confidence.”

Austin head coach Jens Levisen was pleased with how his team handled themselves. Austin goal keeper Ryan Rasell, who had four saves, was knocked to the ground late in the contest, but nobody retaliated for Austin.

“They’ve really done well (with keeping they’re cool),” Levisen said. “You always wonder if when they’re challenged are they going to do what they’re supposed to or default to instinct where it’s ‘this guy hit me, I’m going to hit him.’ They don’t do that and they keep their composure. That will take them a ways.”

The night was youth soccer appreciation night and the Packers represented well to the youngsters.

“I’m glad we had a good turnout with the kids,” Levisen said. “I remember when I was in high school and it meant a lot to the kids to come out and just shake hands with the varsity guys. All of them were so jazzed to be there. It’s a fun thing.”

Austin 5 Faribault 0 (9.21.09)

From the Austin Daily Herald:

The Packers weren’t messing around. The Austin boys soccer team got off to a fast start in a 5-0 win over Faribault in Art Hass Stadium Monday night.

Austin's Martin Manocchio (right) battles for posession with Faribault's Ben Heppner during the Packers' 5-0 win over the Falcons at Art Hass Stadium Monday. Manocchio scored two goals in the win.

Senior forward Martin Manocchio scored two breakaway goals in the first eight minutes and Austin (6-2 overall, 3-2 Big Nine) went on to score four times in the first half. Manocchio’s first goal came off of a strong boot from keeper Ryan Rasell, and the second came on a bomb from Jordan Broers. Austin’s Alex Klock said the Falcons (2-5 overall, 0-3 Big Nine) were practically daring the Packers to go deep. “Faribault pushes up towards the half line a lot. So we ended up with a lot more long through balls. ” he said. “If they want to play that off-side trap on us, we’ll eat them up every time. We’ve got people who can beat their defense one on one.” Pedro Herrera scored in the 18th minute on the first of Rolando Rubio’s three assists. Peter Lindahl scored in the 32nd minute for Austin and Herrera scored again in the 59th minute. Klock said the Packers, who have won five straight, still remembered when they settled for a tie at Faribault last season. “Faribault’s a rivalry game and we feel like we have a lot better team this year and we had a lot of momentum coming in. When we played Pine Island (Saturday) and got the lead, we slowed it down,” Klock said. “There was definitely no intention of doing that here, no matter what the score was. We’d of ran it to 30 if we could.” Austin head coach Jens Levisen was pleased with what his team showed, although he thought they may have tried to push it up-field a few too many times. “They knew they wanted to come and show something tonight and we played solid soccer tonight,” Levisen said. “I saw a few more through balls then I’d like to see, but that’s how they were setting up their defense and you have to react to it.” Austin will host its youth soccer night Thursday. All youth soccer players wearing a jersey will get in for free and there will be two youth games at halftime. Players will also receive a free poster of the Austin varsity soccer team.

Pam Larson

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.