NORTH MANKATO — It proved to be a good week to be a Scarlet.
Mankato West football re-claimed the Kato Jug over Mankato East in football. The two schools collided again Saturday, this time in both boys and girls soccer.
West found itself behind in both games. Yet, it was the Scarlets hosting trophies after either game. Here’s what went down.
Boys game
Mankato West 5 Mankato East 1
West senior Jakobe Tosch proved to be a problem. He netted a natural hat trick as part of five unanswered Scarlets goals.
Junior Oliver Demars tied the game 1-1 off a free kick with 25:12 remaining. A little less than 10 minutes later the ball was on Tosch’s feet. He outran every Cougars defender, zigged past East goaltender Henry Stelter and buried the ball in the back of the open net for a 2-1 lead.
He didn’t stop there.
With eight minutes remaining Tosch found himself with the ball while facing away from the East net. He then kicked the ball with his heel and found the back of the net for a 3-1 lead which held entering halftime.
Less than three minutes into the second half Stelter mishandled the ball in front of the net. Tosch was in the vicinity and scored his third-straight goal of the afternoon for a 4-1 West lead.
Five minutes later West senior Gorka Diaz Alonso scored. Stelter was swapped out for Cole Hudspith. The Scarlets led 5-1 with no rebuttal from East.
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead when Idris Daees won the battle in a mad scramble in front of the West net 15 minutes into the game.
West junior Noah Wersal tallied two assists.
Girls game
Mankato West 3 Mankato East 2
After a scoreless first half Mankato East junior Laina Peterson did what she does best — score goals.
She scored the game’s first goal 3:24 into the second half with an assist from Kate Schimek. After 14 minutes expired in the second half Peterson safely recovered a throw in from senior Eme Asher. Peterson went the distance and snuck her shot inside the low, short corner for a 2-0 lead with 25:35 remaining.
But the Scarlets had a response.
Greta Johnson’s deep kick found the top shelf with 21:01 remaining. The Scarlets cut their 2-0 hole in half.
Nearly 10 minutes later the Scarlets tied everything at 2-2 after a mad scramble in front of the net which forced East goalkeeper Greta Oachs to temporarily leave the game due to an injury. Senior Madelyn Scheel, who normally plays defense for East, slapped on a pair of gloves and a blue practice penny jersey to assume duties in net.
Two minutes later it was West junior Maggie Bollig firing from long range on the left side of the field. Her shot was placed inches above the outreached hands of Scheel and inside the crossbar on the top-right corner of the net.
West had a 3-2 lead with 8:22 remaining. Oachs re-entered the game for Scheel, who later shifted back to defense. But East was unable to find the back of the net for the equalizer.