By Nick Gerhardt
The Northfield boys soccer team opened the season Thursday with a sharp 1-0 victory over Farmington at Memorial Field at Northfield High School.
Ninth-grade midfielder Wyatt Norrie scored on a header in the 28th minute from a corner kick to lift the Raiders to the victory.
Minutes earlier in the first half sophomore goalkeeper Theo Menk stopped a Tigers penalty kick to keep the score nil-nil.
Northfield lost to Farmington last season 2-0 in the season opener and began the season 0-4 before finishing 9-8-1 overall. The Raiders reached the Class 2A state tournament after defeating Faribault 2-0 for the Section 1AA title. Orono defeated Northfield 1-0 in overtime in the Class 2A quarterfinals.
The Raiders look drastically different this season with just two seniors on the roster and will miss junior midfielder Tait Narveson, who suffered a torn ACL.
Northfield faces New Prague Saturday at 2 p.m. in New Prague.
Northfield girls fall 5-1 to Farmington
Farmington pulled away late in the first half against Northfield en route to a 5-1 season-opening victory.
The Raiders played well through the first half until the final 10 minutes when the Tigers struck twice to build a 2-0 halftime lead. Gianna Carpentier scored the first of her two goals with seven minutes to play in the half when she found herself alone in front of Northfield goalkeeper Linnea Wilhelm for a finish into the corner.
Katelyn Kiage added a goal with 53 seconds to go in the half for the 2-0 lead.
Carpentier tallied her second goal of the game off a cross in the 54th minute to extend the lead to 3-0 before the Raiders responded.
Northfield’s Olivia Rasmussen converted a penalty kick a minute later to draw the game to 3-1.
A minute later Kylee Komis struck for a Tigers goal to make it 4-1 and Leah Dreher added a goal with 11 minutes to play for the 5-1 final.
The Raiders move on to face New Prague Saturday at 4 p.m. in New Prague.
