GIRLS SOCCER: Bemidji scores 8-0 win in the kind of game 'players remember'

Sep. 28—BEMIDJI — At their best, there's nothing quite as pure as high school sports.

And on Tuesday, Gracee Bieber submitted Exhibit A on behalf of the Bemidji High School girls soccer team.

"This is what players remember," head coach Logan Larsen said. "They remember the connections they had with their teammates. They won't remember that one thing the coach said... but I think they will remember the people they were with. Games like this can create all those memories."

Bieber, a senior defender, often patrols the BHS backline. But when she scored — not once, but twice — for her first-ever varsity goals, her offensive heroics were a worthy cause for jubilation during an 8-0 win over Hillcrest Lutheran Academy at Bemidji Middle School.

"It was crazy. I couldn't believe it," Bieber said of scoring. "I've tried for it, and I could never score because I'm on defense. I'm not used to being up there and shooting the ball."

She was one of three players to earn a brace in the game. So too did Hannah Voge and Marah Bitter, while Emma Wright and Lily Paquette also added one goal apiece.

But for Bieber, the feeling is totally fresh. The second-year varsity player has carved out a significant role, but it's a defensive-minded one that can unintentionally slip into the shadows. But on a day like Tuesday, there was plenty of glory to go around.

It came from Bieber, who scored in the 11th minute and then again in the 64th. It came from Kiera Hagman-Nyagaka, a sophomore midfielder who made her varsity debut. It even came in the form of Morgan Myers, the keeper who ran upfield to try a penalty kick late in the game, because why not?

And that's precisely the point of high school athletics. Over time, most Lumberjacks will forget the final score of Tuesday's game. But all those moments embedded throughout will be hard to ever forget.

"You'll remember this special game where you score a goal," Bieber said. "If you ever see your teammates in the future, you can remember the time you had on the field together and just cherish it."

Not to be outdone by the avalanche of goals, the Bemidji defense pitched its fourth consecutive shutout. The club's clean sheet streak now stands at 329 minutes, by far its longest of the season.

"Defense doesn't always get a lot of praise," Larsen said. "It's a different kind of role, and you don't always get recognition for every tackle and every save. But I'm extremely happy for them, and I hope they keep the streak going."

Wright began the day's scoring in the fourth minute, while Bieber and Voge respectively scored in the 11th and 12th for a quick 3-0 edge that held into halftime.

Bitter scored in the 44th and 54th minutes — with Voge's 47th-minute strike sandwiched in between — and Bieber completed her own brace 10 minutes later. Paquette ended the fireworks with her goal in the 73rd minute.

Assists flowed freely, as well. Kjerstin Ekhoff and Bitter had three apiece, while Wright and Addy McCrady also got in on the action.

"There were moments in time where we didn't play our best game, but there were moments when we did connect really well," Larsen said. "When we were on our game, it looked pretty."

Kiera Nelson started in net for BHS and recorded two saves. Myers came on in the second half and stopped three shots.

The Jacks (6-4-1) return to action at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, to face Brainerd in the opening game of a weekend tournament in Brainerd.

Bemidji 8, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 0

HLA 0 0 — 0

BHS 3 5 — 8

First half — 1, BHS GOAL, Wright (Ekhoff), 4'; 2, BHS GOAL, Bieber (Ma. Bitter), 11'; 3, BHS GOAL, Voge (Ma. Bitter), 12'.

Second half — 4, BHS GOAL, Ma. Bitter (Ekhoff), 44'; 5, BHS GOAL, Voge (Wright), 47'; 6, BHS GOAL, Ma. Bitter (Ekhoff), 54'; 7, BHS GOAL, Bieber (McCrady), 64'; 8, BHS GOAL, Paquette (Ma. Bitter), 73'.

Saves — Nelson (BHS) 2; Myers (BHS) 3; Rodzwill (HLA) 17.