It a game where wind played a major factor, Aberdeen Central was unable to convert with the wind before O’Gorman took control of the game when it owned it.

O’Gorman scored three second-half goals with the wind on the way to a 3-0 girls’ soccer quarterfinal playoff victory Saturday afternoon at Brownell Activities Complex.

“We had a great first half,” said Central coach Kendra Hanley. “We didn’t get any of those shots to fall.”

One of those attempts hit off the cross bar, but none of the shots found the back of the net.

“Everything was just right there,” Hanley said, “tough break.”

And once the Knights possessed the wind, they also possessed the ball and began taking advantage of scoring opportunities.

The visitors scored their first goal on a penalty kick in the first four minutes of the second half, and then had a ball bounce over the Central goalkeeper’s head six minutes later, and eventually added a goal off a corner kick for the final margin of difference.

“Our first half we definitely could press more and then second half the ball turns,” said Central senior Cadence Goethals, “so it was definitely harder for us to push it up and it was more defense the second half.”

As the game wore on the Knights became more and more aggressive, putting pressure on Central while also limiting scoring chances for the Golden Eagles.

“They were definitely a good team today, they were,” Hanley said. “They came ready to roll.”

The decision marked the second time that OG had defeated Central in the past 10 days.

“We worked really hard. I don’t think any of us played short,” said Central senior Kenley Stucke. “We tried our hardest and that’s all we can do.”

Stucke noted that the Knights played a solid game.

“All credit to them,” Stucke said. “They worked their butts off and they deserve it.”

OG did not give up a single goal to the Golden Eagles the two times that they played.

“They pack in really nice and then they’ll double team our forwards, which makes it challenging,” Hanley said. “Still, our forwards were able to get some shots off, which is also very reassuring for us going forward.”

The Golden Eagles put together a solid season on the way to earning the fourth seed for the playoffs, including a win over previously unbeaten Pierre, which ended up as the top seed in the postseason.

“I’m just proud of everyone and how hard they worked,” Stucke said.

Needless to say, the loss in the second round of the playoffs stung.

“We played good the whole season,” Goethals said. “It was a tough loss.”

While Goethals plans on continuing her soccer career at Jamestown University in the future, she said it won’t be quite the same.

“I’ll go play some more, but it will be different,” Goethals said. “Different team, different people.”

The Golden Eagles finished the campaign with a 12-4 record.

“I’m so proud of them. They were phenomenal,” Hanley said. “We had so many leaders on the team, and they were very coachable. It’s sad to see it end.”

The contest marked the end of the first year of being a head coach for Hanley, just the second head coach in program history.

“It was fun coaching. It was a good first season as head coach,” Hanley said. “The athletes definitely made all of us proud and they made the soccer program in general proud, just upholding that piece of being so competitive and tradition.”

O’Gorman 0 3 – 3

Aberdeen Central 0 0 – 0

First Half: no scoring

Second Half: 1, OG, Loretta Hillman (penalty kick), 44th; 2, OG, Layla Ryan, 50th minute 3, OG, Hannah Heineman, 66th minute.