It took a while, but Rosemount finally got the goal it has sought for the better part of three years.
Senior forward Shay Payne picked up a cross from teammate Taylor Heimerl that had deflected off a defender and drove it home in the 56th minute, helping the Irish to a 1-0 victory over Stillwater in the Class 3A girls' soccer state semifinals Wednesday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
"I predicted their outside backer was going to miss it, and she did," Payne said. "It bounced right off her stomach, and I was there to finish it."
In each of the past three years — twice in the state tournament, in 2019 and 2020 — the Irish have watched a promising season crumble when they couldn't score a goal in a must-win situation.
"Our slogan this year was 'unfinished business' because we've had this goal in mind all season," said Heimerl, a Star Tribune All-Metro first-team selection.
"This is our third year in the state semifinals and we've never been able to finish," Payne said. "Finally getting a goal in [U.S. Bank Stadium] was such a big confidence boost. We lived up to our potential."
The Irish (20-1) will play Edina in the state championship game Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Rosemount is in the state championship game for just the second time in team history. The Irish lost to Centennial 2-1 in the Class 2A final in 2016.
Stillwater, the 2021 Class 3A state champion, fell to 17-3.
Edina 1, Mounds View 0: As a freshman, Edina forward Lou Ruffien doesn't have a wealth of experience to draw from. No wonder she admits to being nervous when she took a pass just outside goal box with less than 10 minutes left in a scoreless game.
"I was shaking a lot," Ruffien said.
Not so much that she wasn't able to come through. She scored on a point-blank shot past Mounds View goalkeeper Lauren McAlpine in the 71st minute, lifting Edina to a victory in the other Class 3A semifinal.
Edina (16-4-1) will make its first championship game appearance since 2007.
McAlpine had stymied the Hornets before Ruffien's goal. She finished with nine saves.
"Lauren McAlpine kept them in the game," Edina coach Katie Aafedt said. "She was incredible. Lou had to hit the absolute perfect goal to beat her."
Ruffien, who had taken a pass from teammate Grace Pohlidal that put her in prime position, admitted she didn't stop to think about how well the Mounds View keeper had played to that point.
"It was all instinct. I just shot it," Ruffien said.
Edina midfielder Izzy Engle, a Star Tribune All-Metro first-team selection, acknowledged that the Hornets were getting edgy, having carried play for so long without a goal.
"It was definitely a relief," Engle said. "Their goalie, she was playing insane. Once it finally came, we could all take a deep breath."
