Austin Packers boys’ soccer team blanks Winona Cotter in Section 1A first round 14-0

The Austin Packers boys’ soccer team, the No. 1 seed in the Section 1A  boys soccer tournament and ranked No. 2 in the state in Class A in the latest polls played host to #16 seed Winona Cotter in the first round of the Section 1A boys’ soccer tournament at Art Hass Stadium Tuesday evening, and the Packers put on a clinic in all facets of the game on their way to a 14-0 win.

Andres Garcia, who came into the game in a three-way tie for the most goals in the state in either Class A or AA with 22 added to his total in the 5th minute to put the Packers in front 1-0.  Senior captain Henry Tolbert then went on to score four of his five goals in the game in the first half, with Tu Reh, Peter Li and Garcia each adding a goal of their own to stake Austin to an 8-0 lead at the halftime break.

After an own goal opened the scoring in the 44th minute in the second half to put Austin ahead 9-0, Joel Thwang made the score 10-0 with a goal a minute later.  Tolbert then tallied his fifth goal of the game in the 48th minute to increase the Packers’ lead to 11-0, and Garcia then netted his third and fourth goals of the game in the 57th and the 59th minutes, respectivley to increase Austin’s lead to 13-0.  Li then closed out the scoring in the 65th minute to make the final tally 14-0.

The 14 goal deluge marked the fourth time this season the Packers have scored 10 or more goals in a game, and Garcia and Adian Martinez added two assists apiece for Austin in the win, while Tolbert, Tu Reh and Mee Reh each added one assist.  The Packer defense held the Ramblers to only one shot on goal, and Casey Berg and Dane Mitchell combined to earn the fourth straight shutout in goal for Austin.

With the win, the Packers move on to the Section 1A quarterfinals, and they will meet Big 9 foe Winona Thursday night at Art Hass Stadium at 7:00 p.m.  The Winhawks, the #8 seed downed #9 seeded St. Charles/Lewiston-Altura 4-1 in Winona Tuesday night.  In other scores from around Section 1A, #4 seed Rochester Lourdes was stunned by #13 seed Caledonia 2-1, and the Warriors advance to play fifth-seeded Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa, as they defeated #12 seed Kasson/Mantorville 5-1.  In the other half of the 1A bracket, No. 2 Dover/Eyota blew past #15 seed Red Wing 8-1, and they advance to host No. 10 Lake City, who sprang a bit of an upset over seventh-seeded Cannon Falls 2-1.  #3 seed Byron downed No. 14 seed Schaeffer Academy 7-1, and they will host #6 seed Plainview/Elgin-Millville Thursday night, as the Bulldogs upended #11 Stewartville 3-1.