Unfortunately for the Eagles, Fairmont senior Grace Kotewa was the difference maker in the end as her final shot in the shootout period gave the Cardinals a 2-1 win at New Ulm High School.

After falling in the first-ever Big South Conference Girls Soccer Championship game last season, the Cardinals were looking to make up for it this year.

After two scoreless 10-minute overtime periods and the Eagles tying the shootout at three apiece on their fifth and final attempt, Kotewa stepped in front of Eagles goalie Ellie Dake for Fairmont’s last attempt. Looking left and going right, Kotewa buried her shot to help the Cardinals take home the Big South title.

“I came back from the coin flip and they were telling me that I had to go in number five and I just did not expect it,” Kotewa said. “When I was walking up to the goal, I was just trying to clear my head and once I stepped up, I just took a few steps back, looked straight into the left corner and shot it right.”

Staff photos by Travis Rosenau New Ulm’s Kiyla Kolden (22) tries to get the ball away from Fairmont’s Mollie Leiding (4) during the second half of Thursday’s Big South Conference Girls Soccer Championship game at New Ulm High School.

A coin flip gave the Eagles the first shot in the shootout, which was taken and made by Dake. Fairmont’s first shot in the shootout by Frankie Martin found the crossbar, but the Eagles were unable to capitalize on their next attempt as Zoey Zins also found the crossbar. Fairmont’s second shot in the shootout by Mollie Leiding was knocked down by Dake but found its way into the net to tie it up at a goal apiece.

A shot by New Ulm’s Marlena Kral went high and Fairmont followed that with a made try by Audrey Nemmers for a 2-1 advantage. Jesalyn Skoglund found the net on New Ulm’s fourth try of the shootout, but the Cardinals got it back on a score by Makenzie Gerhardt. Amelia Hinkle kept the game alive for New Ulm with a goal, but Kotewa’s final shot gave the Cardinals the 4-3 advantage in the shootout and ended the game.

“There weren’t any words that were going to make them feel better,” Eagles head coach Jonathan Johnson said of his players. “I told them that they played hard, they didn’t give up and that’s kind of been the theme of our whole season is even in a losing fashion, we didn’t give up. I’m happy for them for that.”

Fairmont was on the board first when Mataya Weber got a pass off to sophomore Lauren Zarling, who fired a hard shot over the head of Dake for a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute.

After falling 3-0 to the Eagles in the second game of the season, Zarling’s goal was an early confidence booster for the Cardinals.

Staff photos by Travis Rosenau New Ulm’s Josie Nelson (23) tries to stop the ball with a header during the first half of Thursday’s Big South title game with Fairmont at New Ulm High School.

“It showed us that we can do it and we can beat this team,” Zarling said. “We just needed to be confident and we needed to fight all the way to the end.”

The Eagles got the goal back in the 36th minute after a corner kick from Skoglund found Allie Nelson, who bumped the ball off her body past Fairmont goalie Addison Folkerts to tie the game.

Fairmont finished the first half with a 3-2 advantage in shots on goal, but the Eagles were more aggressive in the second half as the Cardinals managed just one shot on goal in the second half. The Eagles got two shots on goal from Morgan Zimanski in the second half to lead the way, but Folkerts stayed tough. In the final 10 minutes of regulation, Fairmont’s Audrina Suckow had a breaking chance at the net but eighth-grade defender Josie Nelson met her and booted the ball to the sideline. Moments later, Nelson had a one-on-one chance at the net, but Fairmont defender Alyssa Lowry got a clean the tackle to knock the ball away.

After a 1-1 tie in regulation, Fairmont was the aggressor in the first overtime period. A free kick by Abbie Simpson from the left of the net banged off the post. Dake also hit her leg on the post trying to make the stop but was able to shake it off and stay in the game. Fairmont finished that first OT period with the only two shots on goal.

In the second OT period, Both teams got one shot on goal but were unable to convert, forcing the shootout.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm senior Yuridia Fernandez (10) kicks the ball during Thursday’s Big South title game with Fairmont at New Ulm High School.

“In my estimation, I think both teams picked up their play,” Johnson said. “It was getting a little more aggressive than I’d like to see, but what happens happens.”

The Eagles are now 10-4-2 on the year and travel to take on Southwest Minnesota Christian at 4 p.m. Friday, while the Cardinals (10-5-2) await playoffs.