BEMIDJI 鈥� Clara Bieber doesn鈥檛 exactly know how she became the goalkeeper for the Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 girls soccer team.
鈥淒uring the summer soccer season, our goalie got hurt in practice,鈥� Bieber said. 鈥淎s a joke, I always said I was a goalie. I was always kidding, but I鈥檇 joke around and say, 鈥業鈥檓 a goalie. I can go out there and play goalie.鈥� In the second game of a tournament, (my coaches) were like, 鈥極K Clara, go in (and play goalie).鈥�
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鈥淚鈥檓 not really sure how it happened, but I guess from there, I just became a goalie. I had one goalie practice before that game, but I didn鈥檛 know if I鈥檇 actually end up playing. It鈥檚 so weird, and I don鈥檛 know how it happened. But now I鈥檓 playing goalie.鈥�
The sophomore forward-turned-keeper has backstopped the Lumberjacks in 10 of her team鈥檚 12 games this fall. She鈥檚 recorded five clean sheets in her last six starts, including a 3-0 win over Brainerd on Thursday night at Bemidji Middle 歪歪漫画.
鈥淲hen the season started, I definitely felt a lot of pressure,鈥� Bieber said. 鈥淚 felt like there was a lot for me to worry about. But I also knew that my team would support me. They weren鈥檛 going to be hard on me or get down on me.
鈥淚 feel like our backline is really good and really good at (communicating). We have really good chemistry. The backline always works really hard. They don鈥檛 want to let the ball in as much as I do. They鈥檙e all working for the same goal.鈥�
Bieber鈥檚 backline includes Makayla Meza. Bemidji鈥檚 senior captain put Thursday鈥檚 game out of reach with a penalty kick in the 79th minute.
Tahia Hatlen also got in on the action offensively. She found a way to wedge the ball into a crowd of players in Brainerd鈥檚 goal area on a midfield free kick. The ball bounced to Kate Corradi, who found Izzy Renn for the game鈥檚 first goal in the 38th minute.
鈥淚t was a great finish,鈥� Jacks head coach Logan Larsen said. 鈥淯nfortunately, I don鈥檛 think we have the touch to do that every time. But Izzy was first to the ball, and it was a goal derived from effort.鈥�
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Lily Paquette gave the Lumberjacks (8-4) a two-goal lead in the 78th minute. Corradi fed her a pass on the right side of Brainerd鈥檚 penalty area. Paquette then lobbed a seeing-eye ball over the right shoulder of Warriors keeper Chloe Patrick.
The Jacks鈥� two late goals secured a second win over Brainerd in five days. It鈥檚 the first recorded time a Bemdiji girls soccer team has beaten Brainerd twice in a given season.
鈥淭here would be a lot more up in the air in terms of (Section 8-3A Tournament) seeding if we lost this game,鈥� Larsen said. 鈥淏rainerd and I would surely be fighting for the higher seed (at the coaches鈥� vote). This will surely lock us in at least one seed higher. That definitely is a weight off our shoulders.鈥�
Bemidji has won six of its last seven games and now holds a 3-4 Section 8-3A mark. Likely earning the fifth seed in the postseason, which will be decided by a coaches vote on Monday, Oct. 9, the Lumberjacks will need to keep riding their defensive momentum.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had players rotating through,鈥� Larsen said. 鈥淭ahia has stepped up. Matjea (Malterud) looks like she鈥檚 back to 100%. 鈥� Our center mids are winning more 50/50s, which means you get to play more of the game on the other half of the field. Hannah Voge is pressing backward consistently. 鈥� If we鈥檙e not on the ball, we have 11 players defending.鈥�
Larsen continued to speak highly of Bieber鈥檚 growing confidence in goal, noting that her high level of hand-eye coordination likely stems from a promising high school basketball career.
鈥淲hen the play is developing for other teams, she鈥檚 more likely to step up on a long through ball rather than having her defenders sprint 30 yards to make a play,鈥� Larsen said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 saving her defenders, and she鈥檚 not setting herself up for (one-on-ones) in front of her net. She鈥檚 more proactive.鈥�
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As for Bieber, she鈥檚 learning to love being the last line of defense.
鈥淚 have lots of fun playing forward,鈥� Bieber said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a thrill. But I think I might stay goalie at this point. It has its own thrills, so why not?鈥�
Bemidji 3, Brainerd 0
BRD 0 0 鈥� 0
BEM 1 2 鈥� 3
Bemidji 鈥� Renn 38鈥� (Corradi); Paquette 78鈥� (Corradi); Meza 79鈥� (PK).
Brainerd 鈥� No scoring.
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Saves 鈥� Bieber (BEM) 4; Patrick (BRD) 6.
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