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Eagles feel good, look good in rout

By Travis Rosenau 4 min read

NEW ULM -- Getting everyone back and healthy was one of the biggest challenges for the New Ulm Eagles girls soccer team heading into the 2026 season.

On Tuesday night, the Eagles were feeling good and showed it with a 7-1 victory over the Waseca Bluejays in a Big South Conference, Black Division game at New Ulm High School.

Having senior midfielder Piper Kapolcyznski back from an injury that saw her miss most of last season has been big this year for the Eagles, who also got senior striker Jesalyn Skoglund back on the pitch for the first time this season.

Skoglund missed the first few games of the year due to a strained quad and scored a goal Tuesday in her first game of the season.

"I think it calmed her teammates down a little bit with her presence on the field," Eagles head coach Jonathan Johnson said. "I just told her that we were going to use her a little bit sparingly and see how she progressed through the game. Everything's good, even at the end of the game, she said, 'I feel great,' so that's huge."

Kapolcyznski also added a goal in the win,

"Piper, having her back is a total plus because she's such a leader," Johnson said. "Verbally and through example out on the field. She goes 100% all the time. She does the same in practice. I'm glad she's back."

The Eagles were led on the attack by freshman phenom Morgan Zimanski, who had a hat trick and scored the first goal of the day on a corner kick in the eighth minute. Zimanski's corner kick did hit Waseca goalie Lilly Muff's hands but bounced off them and into the net.

Skoglund had a shot minutes later off the crossbar, but the ball found its way back to Zimanski, who fired a straightaway shot from 25 yards out that bounced in for another goal in the 13th minute for a 2-0 New Ulm lead.

Then it was Kapolcyznski's turn to get in on the goal scoring. After a shot bounced off the post, Kapolcyznski and teammate Mia Peart battled a crowded goal box for the loose ball in an attempt to get another shot off. Kapolcyznski ended up getting enough of the ball to put it in for a 3-0 Eagles lead in the 24th minute.

Peart got the fourth goal of the night in the 25th minute before Amelia Hinkle recovered a deflected shot by Grace Barie and put it in for a 5-0 lead in the 27th minute.

Skoglund's goal came in the 35th minute for a 6-0 New Ulm lead before the Bluejays were finally able to generate some offense with a goal from Rachel Mielke in the 39th minute.

The second half was scoreless, but Waseca got several more shots off in the half to counter New Ulm's attack. Eagles goalie Greta Berger was able to get her hands on the ball more in the second half after a first half that saw her face just two shots on goal.

Berger ended the night with seven saves. Muff finished the night with 18 saves.

New Ulm's lone goal in the second half game on a penalty kick by Zimanski in the 77th minute.

"I told them to keep up the intensity and after seven or eight minutes, we started putting more bench players in," Johnson said of the second half. "I think that kind of made the difference in [Waseca] getting more shots and stuff like that. Greta played a phenomenal game and I can't say enough about that. And not to take away from my bench because I've got a lot of really good bench players, just maybe them not playing together as much. But I'm proud of the way they played tonight and the outcome was excellent."

The Eagles (3-1, 1-0) travel to Montgomery to play Tri-City United on Thursday night.

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