FAIRMONT — Cadence Becker earned a unique shutout Thursday night — the Fairmont Area sophomore goalkeeper did not have to make a single save at Kot Soccer Complex.

The high-octane Cardinals rarely allowed the ball into their defensive half, outshooting the Mankato Loyola Crusaders by a 23-0 margin en route to collecting seven corner kicks.

Lexi Kaufman and Sami Lenort produced two goals apiece to help power Fairmont Area to an 8-0 triump over Loyola during Big South Conference action.

“Our goal coming into tonight’s game was to clamp down defensively,” said Cardinals head coach Matt Nielsen.

Mission accomplished.

The hard-working Kaufman established Fairmont Area’s ball-control, time-consuming possessions from the initial kickoff, relentlessly driving toward the goalie’s box.

Brooklyn Meyer and Ellie Schultze later worked a perfect corner play to generate the game’s first goal at the 35:27 juncture. Meyer lofted a corner kick over the scrum entangled near the right doorstep before Ellie Schultze tapped home a low net-finding shot after settling the high-arching pass for a 1-0 lead.

A little more than a minute later, Kaufman powered home a goal off a Mackenzie Householder assist to quickly double the Cardinals’ margin. Householder weaved through traffic along the left end-line before spotting Kaufman at the point. Kaufman hammered home the goal at the 34:03 mark.

But the strong-legged Kaufman was not done scoring. After a Loyola foul, Kaufman set up for the free kick from 35 yards out along the right sideline and found nothing but net for a 3-0 lead with 32:51 remaining in the opening half.

Defender Carissa Saxton then demonstrated her powerful kicking style in a similar style to Kaufman’s second score. Saxton unleashed a 30-plus yard free kick from the point that found the net in the right top shelf for a four-goal edge at the 23:13 mark of the first half.

“In all the time I’ve coached the varsity program, I’ve never had a team score two 30-plus yarders in the same game,” said Nielsen, who’s in his 14th year at the Fairmont Area girls soccer helm. “Incredible.”

A 10-minute halftime break, however, did not cool off the Cardinals’ torrid scoring pace in the second half.

Rayah Quiring worked her way along the right end-line before lofting a shot into the Loyola webbing for a 5-0 Fairmont Area margin with 31:37 showing on the scoreboard.

Lenort, who had been denied by Crusaders goalie Aubri Rentschler twice in the first half, reached the scoring column at the 28:26 juncture. Lenort spotted Quiring breaking toward the right post and chipped a crossing pass that curled into the corner of the net for an unassisted goal and 6-0 Fairmont Area lead.

Emma Schultze joined the offensive barrage by floating home a left-wing lofted shot at the 26:29 mark before Lenort capped the point production with her second goal of the night. Quiring delivered the precision crossing pass to Lenort, who drilled a left-to-right liner into the twine for an eight-goal advantage with 7:23 remaining in regulation.

“I was able to play every girl on the varsity roster tonight, and I can truly say that everyone of them soundly contributed to the victory,” said Nielsen.

Fairmont Area (3-1, 2-1 BSC) travels to Waseca on Tuesday night, while Mankato Loyola (1-3, 1-2) plays host to St. Peter on Tuesday night.

Loyola 0-0–0

Fairmont 4-4–8

Scoring Plays

1st Half

FA–Ellie Schultze (Brooklyn Meyer), 35:27.

FA–Lexi Kaufman (Mackenzie Householder), 34:03.

FA–Kaufman (unassisted), 32:51.

FA–Carissa Saxton (unassisted), 23:13.

2nd Half

FA–Rayah Quiring (unassisted), 31:37.

FA–Sami Lenort (unassisted), 28:26.

FA–Emma Schultze (unassisted), 26:29.

FA–Lenort (Quiring), 7:23.

Shots on goal: Fairmont Area 14-9–23; Mankato Loyola 0-0–0. Corners: Fairmont Area 7; Loyola 0.

Saves: Cadence Becker (FA) 0-0–0; Aubri Rentschler (LOY) 10-5–15.

Alexis Newville produced a hat trick to help power Fairmont Area to a 10-0 triumph over Mankato Loyola during junior varsity action Thursday at Kot Soccer Complex.

Newville opened the game by converting an assist from Cayla Phinney-Colby into a quick 1-0 lead before Alyssa Wiederhoeft fed Allison Janssen for a Cardinals’ goal.

Newville tallied her second goal off a Wiederhoeft pass and Alysen Lindquist netted a goal off an assist from Lizzie Nielsen before Newville and Wiederhoeft chipped in unassisted goals to cap a 6-0 halftime lead.

Wiederhoeft delivered an unassisted net-finding shot to open the second half for the Cardinals before Lindquist set up Mackenzie Carlson’s goal.

Alexis Rojo then delivered back-to-back assists to teammates Kate Busche and Jayden Mayhall for goals to close out Fairmont Area’s offensive production.

Goalkeeper Hannah Bergt netted the shutout between the pipes for the Cardinals.

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Boys Soccer

Fairmont Area 4, Mankato Loyola 3 — Juan Santana Sanz generated two goals and teammate Kaleb Hoye netted one goal and an assist to help the Cardinals fend off the Crusaders’ late rally during Big South Conference action Thursday in Mankato.

Calvin Guritz staked Fairmont Area to a 1-0 lead 19:45 into the opening half by cashing Amos Broomfield’s pass into a goal.

Tied at 1-all, Santana Sanz then restored the Cardinals’ lead by netting an unassisted goal 30:41 into the first segment.

Santana Sanz then extended Fairmont Area’s lead to 3-1 by converting Hoye’s assist into a net-finding blast at the 20:09 juncture of the second half.

Hoye then scored only 22 seconds later on an unassisted goal to widen the Cardinals’ lead to 4-1. Loyola netted two late goals to fall short by one.

Fairmont Area generated a 23-11 advantage in shots on goal, while Cardinals’ netkeeper Tyson Geerdes pocketed the win by making eight saves.

Fairmont Area (1-2) plays host to Waseca at 7 p.m. Tuesday night at Kot Soccer Complex.

Isaiah Lebbi produced a hat trick and goalkeeper Bryant Armitage garnered a shutout to steer Fairmont Area to a 3-0 victory over Mankato Loyola during junior varsity action Thursday in Mankato.

Evan Carlson distributed two assists for the Cardinals, while Ben Heinze doled out the other assist.