In a game that Aberdeen Central coach Merle Aske called the team’s most complete performance of the season, the Golden Eagles collected a 1-0 Eastern South Dakota Conference girls’ soccer win over Brandon Valley on Saturday afternoon at Brownell Activities Complex.

“It’s really good to play like this and play an entire 80 minutes, and finish the game the way we wanted to,” Aske said.

While there was no individual standout, the Golden Eagles receive major contributions from everyone on the way to the victory.

“The girls did a really good job focusing in these last couple practices, moving the ball when we needed to,” Aske said. “They did a really good job of working hard today, and working for each other, so we kept possession of the ball, we kept pressure on their end. They had their opportunities, but we cleared the ball when we needed to.”

The only goal of the contest came late in the first half when Espynn Kuhfeld took a feed from teammate Keyana Stillman and put the ball in the back of the net in the 36th minute.

“I need to thank my teammates for that, because we never would have gotten down there if we didn’t connect well,” Kuhfeld said, “and Keyana’s pass happened to get at my feet, and I just kind of toe-poked it in.”

Kuhfeld paused for a second following the goal, not fully recognizing what had just transpired.

“It didn’t set in that I scored until everyone was running after me, jumping up and down, cheering,” Kuhfeld said.

When asked who would get bragging rights for the day, she or her brother Zander who recorded his fifth straight shutout for the Central boys just two hours earlier, Espynn responded, “Me, because I’m just better like that. I’m the better Kuhfeld.”

Central’s defense was up to the challenge against the Lynx, who didn’t get many good looks on goal. That’s defensive effort is something the Golden Eagles work on in practice.

“In practice we’ve been really working on connecting, mostly with the defense, we’ve been really working on staying balanced and getting it together,” said Central junior defender Megan Brakefield, “because if you have a strong defense, you’ll get the ball forward, and that kind of makes the game for us.”

Central, 4-3 on the season, has a road game at Sioux Falls Roosevelt on Tuesday.

The Golden Eagles will try to produce more quality team efforts in the future.

“I think we really have to start connecting and just staying calm,” Brakefield said. “We have to connect in the back, in the mids, and then get our runs forward, and I think once we get the shots on goal we’ll be really strong.”

Central has now won three of its last four games, and Kuhfeld likes the direction the team is headed.

“I’m really excited for the season to come,” Kuhfeld said. “We’re really starting to get together more and we’re starting to click more, and you can notice it on the field.”

Brandon Valley 0 0 – 0

Aberdeen Central 1 0 – 1

First Half: 1, AC, Espynn Kuhfeld (Keyana Stillman), 36th minute

Second Half: No scoring.

Shots on Goal: Brandon Valley 21 shots, 8 on goal; Aberdeen Central 26 shots, 14 on goal.

Goalies: Brandon Valley, Brenna Haas (13 saves); Aberdeen Central, Ava Beck (8 saves).

Records: Brandon Valley 2-4-1; Aberdeen Central 4-3.