Reardan soccer qualifies for playoffs

REARDAN -On an evening with the temperatures in the low 20s, Mackenzie Bjornberg scored three goals to lead the Screaming Eagles to a 5-1 win over Upper Columbia Academy that qualified the Screaming Eagles for the NE2B playoffs Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Three minutes into the game, Noelle Raczykowski put the Screaming Eagles on the scoreboard after dribbling the ball through the snow and shooting on goal from 10 yards out.

Reardan led 1-0 at halftime.

Bjornberg and Kylie Alsept took over in the second half. Bjornberg scored with 29 minutes left in the game and Alsept kicked in a deflected shot seven minutes later to give the Screaming Eagles a 3-1 lead.

Bjornberg struck again, scoring two goals in the last four minutes of the game, to give her the three-goal hat trick in the Screaming Eagles' 5-1 win.

Charissa Mundell scored the Lions' only goal of the game.

"It was freezing tonight," Bjornberg said. "I had no feeling from my waist down. The field was slick, which made it hard to get past the defenders. It was hard to breathe and hard to run, but we were motivated to win because we didn't want this to be our last game. Tomorrow I'll know if I got hurt because I sure can't feel it tonight."

The loss ended Upper Columbia's season with a 3-7 record. Reardan improved its record to 5-7.

"Our mighty little nine played amazing," Reardan head coach Richard Breedlove said. "They played smart and did a great job."

Reardan advanced to play top-seeded Davenport in the first round of the NE2B playoffs at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26.