ABOVE: Fairmont goalkeeper Mary Bennett goes for the save in the game-deciding penalty kick round of the Section 2A Girls Soccer Tournament semifinals at Kot Fields on Saturday.

FAIRMONT – Fairmont goalkeeper Mary Bennett saved the day for her Cardinals in more ways than one on Saturday at Kot Fields, knocking in the go-ahead shootout goal and preventing Cannon Falls from equalizing to secure the win in the Section 2A Girls Soccer Tournament semifinals.

After the Cardinals stopped a late rally and forced overtime, which saw two 10-minute periods end without a goal, Bennett showed her mental toughness.

Bennett saved four out of five shots in the penalty-kick shootout, with only Kenna Keller being able to beat her. Cannon Falls only allowed two of five through, with the goals coming from Amalia Leiding and Bennett, who then immediately had to turn around and make one more save to secure the victory.

“I just looked into the girl’s eyes, and I knew where she was going to put it,” said Bennett. “It was kind of weird, because I just like to look at … where their feet, their hips and feet are pointed, and whichever way they’re pointed, I can pretty much tell where they’re going to go. All of them went the same way, and I knew every time. So, it was kind of like, I knew I could do it, as long as I just got my hands behind it, and kept it out.”

Fairmont girls soccer head coach Matt Nielsen said he expected No. 3-seeded Cannon Falls to present a strong defensive effort.

“I knew that this would be a defensive battle from the get-go,” said Nielsen. “They just made it so hard for us to get goals. The goal we scored in the game was exactly how I told the players they would score. It would be an outside shot, because it’s too hard to drive inside. When we gave up the goal, my immediate thought was, ‘We’re going to a shootout. Just be prepared for it.’ So, that’s what happened. You know, you’re hoping to get a goal. Mentally I’m telling the girls, ‘OK, let’s be prepared for this shootout bit.'”

The defensive battle between Cannon Falls and the Cardinals was the story of the match, with neither team willing to give an inch. The Cardinals had multiple chances early, though, beating the goalie they were unable to beat the post until the 38th minute when Grace Simpson placed a chip shot from outside the penalty box out of reach of the Cannon Falls goalkeeper netting the only goal for the Cardinals in regulation.

In the second half, the Cardinals continued their attack but were struggling to find the back of the net. Bennett kept the Cardinals in the game until a shot from Cannon Falls bounced off of Bennett and Lola Christianson was able to clean up the rebound in the 72nd minute to bring the score to 1-1 and help force overtime.

The Cardinals, after the hard-fought win, now move on to the Section 2A championship at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Austin Wescott Sports Complex. They will take on top-seeded Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa.