Staff photo by Travis Rosenau
New Ulm’s Olivia Enter kicks the ball towards the Southwest Christian while guarded by Southwest Christian’s Maddie Ringo (6) during a nonconference girls soccer game at New Ulm High School on Friday.

NEW ULM — It’s not often a soccer coach will be in good spirits after seeing his team shut out 3-0.

When that shutout loss comes at the hands of an undefeated team ranked No. 1 in their class, however, it’s easy to see why New Ulm Eagles girls soccer head coach Jonathan Johnson had many good things to say following a 3-0 loss to the Southwest Christian Stars at New Ulm High School on Friday night.

The Stars improved to 15-0-1 on the year with the win and are the No. 1-ranked team in Class A. While the Eagles are a Class AA team and fell to 6-9-1 with the loss, the Stars struggled to play up to their name as the Eagles frustrated their opponents often.

“The girls played lights out,” Johnson said. “I am so proud of these girls, they played so well tonight. I think that [the game] pumped them up, because there were a few games that they had trouble believing in themselves. They proved tonight what they can do against a formidable opponent.”

The Stars outshot the Eagles 27-5, but Eagles eighth-grade goalie Greta Berger made several big stops in net for her 24 saves.

Berger played in her third varsity game this year after filling in for sophomore Ellie Dake, who left a game in St. Peter last week with an injury and was recently declared out for the season by Johnson.

New Ulm has also put sophomore Chloe Sherrod in net this year, but she’s still healing from a sprained wrist. Junior defender Betsy Joyce has also played goalie for the Eagles this season but was deemed too needed on the field by Johnson to use in net again unless absolutely necessary.

Regardless of how many goalies the Eagles have sent to man the net this year, Berger had arguably her toughest challenge yet in limited action this year and kept the Eagles in the game.

“She was on fire tonight,” Johnson said of Berger.

The Stars had three good shot attempts early in the first half, the second coming on a through pass by Isabella Travis to Maya Johnson, but Berger made a diving stop to her left to keep the ball out of the net. Berger caught another shot moments later on a free kick by Ava Nelson.

The Eagles’ best chance to score in the half came on a breakaway by Olivia Enter in the 19th minute, but Stars goalie Saraphina Bettin beat Enter to the ball with a sliding stop. The Stars got on the board minutes later on a low shot into the right side of the net by Gisella Harder in the 24th minute.

After a corner kick bounced around in front of the net, Aubrey Burkhart chipped a shot in the back of the net in the 27th minute for a 2-0 lead. The Stars got their third goal by Travis in the second half to complete their scoring.

The Stars’ goal total could have been higher if not for New Ulm’s defense and ability to lure in its opponents for offside calls.

“We were definitely frustrating the other team because they were getting a little cranky with each other out on the field,” Johnson said. “Our defense was awesome tonight, they were doing an offside trap, which we must have nailed them with it a dozen times tonight. They had one goal that they thought they scored and [the referee] said, ‘Nope, offside.’”