BEMIDJI 鈥� Lily Paquette isn鈥檛 going to forget Senior Day, nor will the hometown faithful who attended Chet Anderson Stadium on Thursday night.
The senior forward broke the Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 girls soccer single-game scoring record with six goals. With a hat trick in each half and an assist to Kate Halden, Paquette鈥檚 touchdown capped the senior celebration and a 7-0 win over Lakes to Prairie Conference rival Detroit Lakes.
ADVERTISEMENT
鈥淚 just had some good shots on frame,鈥� Paquette said. 鈥�(I had) a few powerful ones that just got through the keeper鈥檚 hands, so that felt good. It鈥檚 nice to score.鈥�
Paquette has 14 goals this fall 鈥� 10 of them coming in two games. Her four-score effort against Crookston on Sept. 19 came seven matches before Thursday鈥檚 offensive outburst. The previous program record was set by Peyton Oelrich in 2020 and Josie Spry in 2010. Both had five goals against Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in first-round section playoff games.
Her first three goals came in the opening 20 minutes. Another in the 46th minute set the table for back-to-back strikes late in the second half.
鈥淥f course, her finishing was on point,鈥� BHS head coach Logan Larsen said. 鈥淩ather than blasting a shot, I think she has her head up more and is seeing where the keeper is. She鈥檚 placing (the ball) with intent.鈥�
It came on a night when the Lumberjacks (10-5-0) honored their seniors, a group that pushed through early-season adversity to rope off six wins in their last seven matches and a perfect 6-0 record in conference play.
鈥淚t is special to me and makes me feel so good,鈥� Paquette said of her record-breaking performance coming on Senior Day. 鈥淚 got four in one game a few weeks ago, and I really just wanted to beat it. I beat it, and that feels so good.鈥�
Larsen started the game with his eight seniors 鈥� Paquette, Halden, Hannah Voge, Tahia Hatlen, Makayla Meza, Claire Derby and Anna Nygren. Nygren, who logs most of her minutes in junior varsity action, assisted Paquette鈥檚 second goal. She added two more assists in the 75th and 76th minutes.
ADVERTISEMENT
鈥淧ersonally, I hope this made for a special night for her,鈥� Larsen said of Nygren. 鈥淪he鈥檚 certainly earned it. She鈥檚 been a part of our program for four years and always had a great heart and attitude. I hope it meant something to her.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the fact that they were doing it together. Lily got those goals, but three assists from Anna Nygren, I think that鈥檚 huge.鈥�
The Jacks head to Duluth Marshall on Saturday for the final game of the regular season before the Section 8-3A Tournament begins on Wednesday. Bemidji currently owns the fourth-best QRF score among 8-3A teams, but it鈥檚 believed that fifth-best Elk River could still earn the No. 4 seed with a better strength of schedule in Monday鈥檚 coaches鈥� vote.
The Lumberjacks went 3-2 in Section 8-3A play this fall, beating Moorhead and Brainerd twice. Losses to Buffalo and Sartell loom large, as they could cost BHS a home playoff game.
Regardless, Larsen still likes the confidence he鈥檚 seeing out of his girls heading into the postseason.
鈥淚t鈥檚 much, much higher than it was during tryouts,鈥� Larsen said. 鈥淲e graduated eight strong seniors, and we weren鈥檛 sure (how this roster) was going to shake out. We struggled against some good teams. But we improved. I think our confidence is peaking at the time it should be.鈥�
Bemidji 7, Detroit Lakes 0
ADVERTISEMENT
DL 0 0 鈥� 0
BHS 4 3 鈥� 7
Bemidji 鈥� Paquette 4鈥� (Voge), 9鈥� (Nygren), 20鈥� (Thompson), 46鈥� (Nygren), 75鈥� (Halden), 76鈥� (Nygren); Halden 27鈥� (Paquette).
Detroit Lakes 鈥� No scoring.
Saves 鈥� Bieber (BHS) 0, Sietz (BHS) 0; Bettcher (DL) 17.
The Trust Project
