FAIRMONT — Playful bribery does have a place in high school sports.

Kenna Nguyen converted Lyla Lor’s second assist of the game into an insurance goal with 2:37 remaining in regulation to seal the Osseo Orioles’ 3-0 victory over the Fairmont Area Cardinals on Saturday at Kot Soccer Complex in Fairmont.

“If you score a goal, I’ll buy you a blizzard from Dairy Queen,” Osseo head girls soccer coach Traci Ohlenkamp said jokingly to Nguyen as the junior midfielder waited to be substituted into the lineup during the final 8 minutes of regulation.

“I wouldn’t mind having to buy all of them blizzards if they score goals,” Ohlenkamp said with a chuckle after the non-league victory less than 24 hours after producing a tie with another Big South Conference foe — New Ulm — during Osseo’s 3-hour road trip to southern Minnesota.

Orioles sophomore striker Lariah Boone spoiled a scoreless first-half defensive clash between Fairmont Area netminder Brooke Hunwardsen and Osseo goalkeeper Anna Corona by just squeezing a left-to-right shot into the net with only 1:11 remaining before intermission.

“That late goal in the first half was a tough one with time winding down,” said Fairmont Area mentor Matt Nielsen. “Our backrow defense broke down and they (Orioles) took advantage.”

Lor threaded a lead pass from right-to-left to Boone, who just eluded a stretched-out Hunwardsen for a 1-0 lead.

Ironically, Corona, who made a dozen saves to earn the shutout, denied Cardinal sophomore striker Joni Becker from reaching the scoring column near the 5-minute juncture earlier in the opening half.

Becker drilled a right-to-left crossing shot that Corona managed to finger-tip out of harm’s way to maintain the scoreless tie.

Midfielder Kayia Dooher, whom was stonewalled by Hunwardsen on a first-half breakaway chance at the 11-minute mark in the first half, chipped home a perfectly-timed loft with 38:31 showing on the second-half scoreboard.

Kenya Davis spotted Dooher slicing through traffic on the right wing, and the Osseo midfielder laced an up-and-over shot out of Hunwardsen’s reach for a 2-0 lead.

Abby DeWitt, Lexi Kaufman and Isabelle Lenort combined to apply the second-half offensive pressure with driving shots on goal, but the hometown Cardinals could not find an opening around Corona.

“Osseo locked into a system and never deviated from it, and were able to control the game today,” said Nielsen.

Hunwardsen, who will return to her striker’s position after filling the two-game void between the Cardinals’ pipes, finished with eight saves on the game.

Fairmont Area (0-2, 0-1 Big South) plays host to New Ulm at 7 p.m. tonight at Kot Soccer Complex.

Osseo (1-0-1) plays host to Maple Grove at 7 p.m. Tuesday night.

Osseo 1-2–3

Fairmont 0-0–0

Scoring Plays

1st Half

OS — Lariah Boone (Lyla Lor), 1:11.

2nd Half

OS — Kayia Dooher (Kenya Davis), 38:31.

OS — Kenna Nguyen (Lyla Lor), 2:37.

Shots-on-goal: Fairmont Area 6-6–12; Osseo 7-4–11.

Corners: Fairmont Area 2-3–5; Osseo 2-1–3.

Saves: Brooke Hunwardsen (FA) 6-2–8; Anna Corona (OS) 6-6–12.

New Ulm 6, Fairmont Area 0 (Boys) — Striker Wyatt Huard erupted for a game-best five goals and added an assist to power the Eagles to a 6-0 Big South victory over the Cardinals on Saturday in New Ulm.

Goalkeeper Matthew Janke recorded 17 saves to net the shutout for New Ulm.

Jack Howard converted Huard’s assist into the Eagles’ other goal, while Andrew Dake, Blake Fosburgh and Matthew Messenger distributed one assist apiece.

Fairmont Area netminder Malachi Anderson tallied 15 saves, while the Cardinal offense made 17 shots on goal.

Fairmont Area (0-2, 0-1 Big South) plays host to Mankato Loyola at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Kot Soccer Complex.

New Ulm (2-0, 2-0) plays host to Faribault at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Fairmont 0-0–0

New Ulm 3-3–6

Rene Gonzales and Josh Bergt tallied goals to help Fairmont Area edge New Ulm, 2-1, during junior varsity action Saturday in New Ulm.

Jackson Utermarck distributed both assists for the Cardinals, while Alex Wannarka and Camden Hamlet shared goalkeeping duties. Wannarka stopped four of five shots on goal, while Hamlet garnered three saves.

Fairmont Area (0-2) made 10 shots on goal.