File photo by Ari Selvey The New Ulm boy’s soccer team celebrates after winning the Section 2AA Boys Soccer Championship 2-1 against Worthington last Tuesday at New Prague High School.

FARMINGTON — After a thrilling 2-1 win over Worthington in the Section 2AA Boy Soccer Championship last Tuesday, New Ulm knows that the season isn’t done yet.

In their first-ever state tournament, the Eagles now must face St. Paul Como Park in the first round of the Class AA Boys Soccer Tournament at Farmington High School at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Eagles head coach Tim Plocher said his squad needs to pass the ball well against a team like SPCP in order to stay in control.

“They’re disciplined with their shape,” Plocher said of SPCP. “They don’t overcommit to a pass, they kind of shift as a team in the direction and it makes it so our passes kind of have to be perfect, even though they’re not pressuring on us. They’re just working as a unit where they can jump in front of an pass that comes their way.”

SPCP was a random draw for the third-seeded Eagles and is the lowest-rated team by QRF in the tournament, ranked below Worthington and Westonka, whom New Ulm defeated in the semifinals of the section tournament. However, that doesn’t mean that the Eagles can bring anything less than their best to the matchup.

“It’s pretty cool being the three seed, but we can’t look at a number,” Plocher said. “They’re unseeded, we can’t look at them and say, ‘Oh, their QRF is lower, therefore it’ll be a cakewalk.’ If we walk into a game like that, then we’re gonna get run over.”

SPCP has scored 48 goals this season, led with 13 by Blessed Htoo, who also had six assists to lead the team. Stephan N’Da is the other main goal-scorer for the team with 10 goals and five assists. The Cougars have also allowed 39 goals on their way to a 13-5-1 record.

Regardless of how united the Cougars have been and how well they have managed teams this season, Plocher said he’s been happy with his team’s passing as of late.

“We perform the best with the most time that we get,” Plocher said. “Naturally, every team should do that, but I think our team’s passing can be above and beyond the best when we have the opportunity and the time to make those passes. Jackson [Ocampo] will thread the needle to Levi [Johnson] or Methodious [Amoah], regardless of where they are. But the goal is, you’ve got to make sure you get it to them.

“So getting to the outside, getting down, crossing, getting the through ball as well, crashing the net. They compact the box a lot, so we’ve got to make sure that we are there for any garbage goals.”

New Ulm enters the tournament with a 15-2-2 record and has scored 60 goals on the year while allowing 13. As it has been the case for much of the season, Ocampo has the biggest target on his back when it comes to New Ulm players opponents focus on. He leads the team with 23 goals and 13 assists.

While the Cougars may not pressure or put extra attention on Ocampo, there is always the chance.

“When other teams have done it before, we transitioned him to more of a center attacking mid where he’ll drop a little bit to open up the defensive end,” Plocher said. “If they do end up man-marking him, if they leave him open it obviously wouldn’t be a problem, but even so he’ll receive the ball and dish it off right away.”

Johnson adds 13 goals and 11 assists for the Eagles, while Amoah sits at nine goals and 10 assists.

Eagles goalie Austin Krohn has been solid in times attackers have got through the New Ulm defense this season as he’s had nine shutouts. He was extra key in New Ulm’s first section tournament game against Mankato West, a 1-0 overtime win for the Eagles on Oct. 7 at New Ulm High School.

“He was really thrust into this position this year and he’s exceeded all expectations,” Plocher said of Krohn. “We have [nine] shutouts and he’s a big part in that. The Mankato West game was a close one with the wet fields, having to make some good saves there. And, of course, his punts will catch anyone by surprise, too.”

While this is New Ulm’s first trip to the state tournament, the team does not lack experience, with 11 seniors on the team: Ocampo, Krohn, Tegan Kral, Logan Enter, Brady Thomas, Michael Hames, Michael Fitterer, Dan Brownfield, Josh Shaneman, Cole Frederick and Ethan Cunningham.