NEW PRAGUE — There’s a good reason why Waconia has not been scored against during the last six games, including all three of its Section 2A soccer playoff outings.

Wildcats head coach Ivan Woyno’s midfielders rarely allow the ball to reach their defensive zone, and the entire team’s overall passing is spot-on.

Waconia utilized an overwhelming 33-2 shots-on-goal advantage to post a 3-0 victory over Fairmont Area during the Cardinals’ second consecutive appearance in the sectional championship game Thursday night on the turf in New Prague.

Waconia (13-2-4), which was making its third appearance in the sectional finale during the last four years, qualified for next week’s Class A state quarterfinals on the strength of Wildcat goalkeeper Isabelle Shuster’s seventh shutout in the last 10 games. Waconia’s state quarterfinal opponent — as well as the day, time and location of the game — will be determined.

“Waconia’s passing and off-ball movement proved too much for us tonight,” said Fairmont Area head coach Matt Nielsen, whose talent-laden lineup ended its record-breaking season with a 14-3-1 mark. “They used their overall speed to send two players into one area and were able to put a lot of pressure on our defense.”

Junior quarterbacking midfielder Melissa Honnold and freshman forward Bryn Theis tested the mettle of Cardinals netminder Cadence Becker early and often, and the sure-handed sophomore proved worthy of the task.

Honnold drilled a rising liner from 25 yards out and Becker utilized her vertical leap to tip the shot away before relying on her quick reflexes to block Theis’ rebound blast 3 minutes into the opening 40-minute half.

“Cadee Becker – what can I say after the effort she gave us tonight? What a player,” Nielsen said in reference to the goalie’s record-setting 30-save performance in the sectional finale.

Unfortunately for Becker, Waconia senior striker Chloe Jaeger’s relentless drives created back-to-back corner kicks, with the Wildcats converting the latter launch from Grace Seim into the championship game’s initial goal. Seim floated her kick 3 yards away from the doorstep and junior midfielder Chanda Breeggemann redirected the ball’s flight with a header to find twine at the 32:41 juncture.

Becker managed to stonewall the high-scoring Jaeger on three more offensive opportunities before fleet-footed forward Jordan Grell doubled the Wildcats’ lead to 2-0. After countering ricochet kicks in the box, Grell hammered a half-turn kick inside the left pipe from 15 yards out.

Nielsen then opted to apply pressure by inching his midfielders and defenders upfield by 7-10 yards in the second half and midfielder Lexi Kaufman generated the Cardinals’ first shot on goal at the 37:15 juncture. Kaufman unleashed a strong kick from the point that Shuster caught in mid-air.

Carissa Saxton later sailed a direct kick from 35 yards out just over the crossbar with 32:31 remaining in regulation before Fairmont Area teammate Joni Becker tallied the team’s second and final shot on goal with 22:21 showing on the scoreboard. Becker drove the left wing, created space with a mini-crossover move and drilled a turf-hugging sizzler that Shuster scooped up near the left pipe.

Honnold, however, delivered the game-clinching goal with 11:56 remaining to create a three-goal margin for Waconia. Theis threaded a midfield pass through traffic to Honnold, who nailed a right-wing rocket that hit the underside of the crossbar and backspun into the webbing for an insurmountable 3-0 lead.

Cadence Becker then prevented the Wildcats from adding to their side of the scoreboard during the final 20 minutes of regulation, using two extended dives to her left to keep both Jaeger and Theis out of the scoring column.

Becker had allowed a miniscule two goals during Fairmont Area’s six-game winning streak prior to the sectional championship contest.

Joni Becker closed out her prolific four-year varsity soccer playing days as the Cardinals’ No. 1 all-time leading scorer on the heels of her team-best 18-goal performance this fall.

Waconia 2-1–3

Fairmont 0-0–0

Scoring Plays

1st Half

WAC–Chanda Breeggemann (Grace Seim), 32:41.

WAC–Jordan Grell (unassisted), 12:26.

2nd Half

WAC–Melissa Honnold (Bryn Their), 11:56.

Shots on goal: Waconia 19-14–33; Fairmont Area 0-2–2. Corners: Waconia 6; Fairmont Area 2.

Saves: Cadence Becker (Fairmont Area) 30; Isabelle Shuster (Waconia) 2.