We have a soccer team for the Hastings girls soccer team that is getting better every time they see the field.”

Head coach Christian Waage

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Hastings continues its varsity schedule Thursday, Sept. 17, at South St. Paul at 5 p.m.

Hastings girls soccer picked up its first Metro East Conference victory of the season Thursday, then faced one of its toughest tests of the year two days later as the Raiders split a pair of games during the week.
The Raiders defeated Tartan 4-2 Thursday, Sept. 10, giving first-year head coach Christian Waage his first conference victory. Hastings followed with a 1-8 loss to Minnetonka Saturday, Sept. 12, leaving the Raiders at 3-3 through their first six games of the season.
Hastings took control early against Tartan and carried a 2-0 lead into halftime. Siena Sanchez opened the scoring with 25:26 remaining in the first half, scoring from inside the box. Summer Diersen doubled the lead with just 1:38 left before halftime, also scoring from inside the box.
The Raiders added to the lead almost immediately after the break. Sanchez scored with 37:57 remaining in the second half, then struck again less than two minutes later to put Hastings ahead 4-0. Her second goal of the half completed a three-goal performance.
Tartan scored twice later in the half, but Hastings finished with the 4-2 victory. The Raiders recorded a 14-5 advantage in shots on goal.
“It feels really, really great. I feel like the girls worked really hard for this win,” Waage said. “Going into this game, we had a lot of confidence.”
Waage pointed to Hastings’ earlier victories over Kasson-Mantorville and Burnsville as signs that the Raiders were beginning to settle into their system.
“We knew that we felt great about our system, and we're just starting to incorporate more depth at different positions,” Waage said. “We've been working really hard in training, and it's starting to show in the games too.”
The schedule became considerably more difficult Saturday when Minnetonka visited McNamara Stadium/Todd Field.
Minnetonka scored with 35:20 remaining in the first half, but Hastings answered. Sanchez converted a penalty kick with 25:28 remaining to tie the game 1-1.
Minnetonka regained the lead with 9:34 left in the half and took a 2-1 advantage into halftime. The visitors held a 13-2 advantage in shots on goal during the opening half.
The second half belonged to Minnetonka. The Skippers scored six times after halftime, including two goals in the opening minute of the half, on the way to the 8-1 final.
Minnetonka finished with a 29-8 advantage in shots on goal. Grace Knoll was in goal for Hastings during the match.
Sanchez accounted for four of Hastings’ five goals during the two-game stretch, scoring three against Tartan and adding the penalty kick against Minnetonka. Diersen scored the Raiders’ other goal.
Before the Minnetonka game, Waage said the challenge presented by one of the state’s stronger programs would provide another test for a Hastings team he believes continues to improve.
“We have a soccer team for the Hastings girls soccer team that is getting better every time they see the field,” Waage said. “And so, every time you see the field, if you are improving, you're going to have a great result at the end of the season.”
Hastings continues its varsity schedule Thursday, Sept. 17, at South St. Paul at 5 p.m. The Raiders travel to Cretin-Derham Hall Saturday, Sept. 19, for a 3 p.m. match, then return home to face Hill-Murray Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. and North St. Paul Thursday, Sept. 24, at 5 p.m.