‘Played their hearts out’
Late goal trips Fairmont in section championship
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AUSTIN - A soccer match with 11 combined shots on goal means every chance at the net is important. Wednesday afternoon's Section 2A Girls Soccer Championship match between No. 1 Fairmont and No. 2 Cannon Falls was a defensive battle for the opening 66 minutes. While each side got a handful of clean looks at the opposing goalkeeper, it felt as if the team to score first would come away victorious.
The Bombers did just that with 13:53 left in the second half. Forward Lola Christianson got her foot on a breakaway down the opposite sideline. Fairmont goalkeeper Addison Folkerts shifted left to defend the near-side post, but Christianson countered with a shot towards the other side, firing a rolling strike beyond the goal line and into the white twine.
Cannon Falls' late score proved the difference in its rematch against Fairmont at Wescott Sports Complex. The two's previous clash on September 12th ended in a 1-1 tie. This time around, the Cardinals’ aggressive scoring attack was held in check. Fairmont registered just three shots on goal. It's the first time all season that head coach Matt Nielsen's team has been shut out, as the Cardinals entered Wednesday averaging just over four goals per contest.
"It was a tight game. We had our opportunities and just weren't able to convert," Nielsen said. "The girls played their hearts out. For people reading this article, have no doubt that the Fairmont Cardinals represented and played strong. We just weren't able to put one in the back of the net."
Either team initially struggled to get much offensive traction in the opening half. Nielsen credited this to the turf surface at Art Hass Field. Passes weren't clean, and balls traveled much further on the almost traction-less conditions.
In turn, it forced both sides to just two shots on goal. Mollie Leiding got a decent look on the left side after pulling the ball back and firing towards freshman goalkeeper Avery Peterson. Folkerts nabbed a pair of saves at the 10- and one-minute marks to keep things even.
Fairmont's best scoring chance happened 10 minutes into the second half. Gwyneth Schultz sent a pass towards Abbie Simpson down the right sideline. As the ball kept rolling, Simpson abruptly stopped on the endline, dribbling back towards the net before finding Mataya Weber in the middle. Weber's shot just went high over the top post.
It was the cleanest look Fairmont had all contest. Nielsen credited the Bombers’ defense with limiting any opening in their zone. Nothing came easy when trying to attack the Cannon Falls back line.
"They had a defense that was unique to what we had," Nielsen said. "I thought in preparing our team that we might be able to exploit their edges a little bit, and we couldn't. They really would flood an area."
Cannon Falls picked up its offensive rhythm as the second half progressed. Possession inside Fairmont's defensive zone caused multiple clearances to relieve pressure. Avery Chambers, Ellie Perkins and Alyssa Lowry picked key stops to halt the Bombers. Folkerts finished with seven saves; five came in the final 40 minutes. Christianson's breakaway finally broke Cannon Falls through.
Fairmont finishes the 2026 season with a 13-3-2 record and a Big South Conference title victory over New Ulm. Wednesday's defeat was the first loss the Cardinals took since their initial matchup against the Eagles on September 1. Nielsen's team finished the regular season with 10 straight victories.
"I'm unbelievably proud of this team," Nielsen said. "They've just been a delight to coach, and it’s been all sorts of fun."