The Chaska boys’ soccer team wrapped up September with a two-game winning streak. They defeated Hastings (3-1) and Richfield (4-2) before taking on Chanhassen on Oct. 1.
Junior Gavin Burger scored a goal for Chaska against Chanhassen, and senior Taylor Meserth kept the Storm from scoring as Chaska came away with an exciting 1-0 victory.
Chaska (5-2-4) faced Waconia (6-4-4) in Waconia on Oct. 8, seeking a favorable seed for the upcoming Section 3A tournament.
From the opening kickoff, Waconia showed considerable energy, applied pressure and sought to control the pace of the game. Waconia’s home field features artificial turf, which provides a faster playing surface than the grass field on which Chaska plays.
It took Chaska a few minutes to adjust and react effectively to the matchups they faced. Just as the Hawks began to settle in, Waconia put the Chaska defense under pressure and lobbed a shot over Meserth’s outstretched hands to score with 29:21 remaining in the first half, taking a 1-0 lead.
A few minutes later, Meserth sustained an injury while making a routine clearance and was replaced in goal by Riley Heil.
Waconia continued to apply pressure with close man-to-man coverage. This limited Chaska’s passing efficiency and kept play concentrated in the Chaska end of the field. The pressure paid off again when Waconia scored with 16:47 remaining in the half, extending its lead to 2-0.
With about 10 minutes left in the half, Waconia appeared to lose some of the energy it had been expending to maintain its high level of play. Chaska improved its ball movement and enjoyed several extended periods of play in the Waconia end.
With 2:20 remaining in the half, junior Giovanni Diaz Basaldu scored off an assist from junior Cesar Corrales Castro, cutting Waconia’s lead to 2-1.
At halftime, the Chaska coaches pointed out areas where the team could improve. Players on both offense and defense also shared insights with one another. The keys were to maintain possession, play with energy, communicate, relax and play “their” game.
Rejuvenated by the halftime break, both teams returned to the field ready for a competitive second half. Chaska adjusted well and connected on its passes, and the ebb and flow of the game seemed to even out. With 16:35 remaining, junior Mahmoud Omar scored off an assist from Corrales Castro to tie the game at 2-2.
The equalizer appeared to provide extra motivation for both teams to finish strong. Play swung back and forth as each team looked for scoring opportunities while working to close gaps on defense.
With 14:44 remaining, Waconia found a seam in the Chaska defense and regained the lead, 3-2.
Play intensified further, and Chaska made several key pushes into the Waconia end during the final five minutes but could not find the equalizer. The game ended with a 3-2 Waconia victory.
The Chaska players were visibly disappointed with the result and were quiet in their reactions after the game.
Coach Michael O’Reilly offered an encouraging perspective when he addressed the team.
“The scoreboard may show otherwise, but you guys are winners,” he said. “You played great. You left it all on the field. Be proud of your effort and the game you played. Shout-out to Riley for stepping in at goal. You did a great job of keeping us in the game.”
Chaska returned to action on Oct. 10 against Robbinsdale Cooper and came away with a 3-2 victory. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 6-3-4 record and earned the sixth seed for the opening round of the Section 3A tournament. They faced Prior Lake (9-3-3) on Oct. 13 and dropped the match 0-6.
The team will lose six seniors and are poised for a competitive 2027 with many remaining players having gained valuable game experience this year.
