Forum News Service The game-winning goal for the North Dakota State Soccer Championship against Minot was made by Shanley/Oak Grove's Hadley Huber (11) as she celebrates with teammates, Madison Ahlers (2), Ella Frisk and Abby Promersberger, right, Saturday in Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN (FNS) — It was rare for the Fargo Shanley girls soccer team to face serious adversity during an undefeated run this season.

But when those rare situations occurred, Hadley Huber made a habit of getting the Deacons out of them.

With 17 minutes, 29 seconds to play, a redirected Abby Promersberger shot landed right at Huber’s feet, and the junior forward delivered the winning goal, as the Deacons held off Minot for a 2-1 victory Saturday in the North Dakota state title game at Jamestown High School.

Shanley, which took a 1-0 lead on a first-half goal by eighth-grader Haley Von Bank, found itself in rare territory in the second half, as the Magicians pulled even in the 44th minute on a goal by MaLiah Burke. The goal marked the first time all year the Deacons had surrendered a lead in the second half.

But as she did when her team fell behind 1-0 in a May 10 game against Fargo North, the only game in which the Deacons trailed all season, Huber got the offense back on track, as she found herself in perfect position to score the decisive goal.

“Coach always tells us every chance we get might be our only one,” Huber said. “So I just kind of put a toe on it and it went in. It’s awesome.”

As they have all year, the Deacons leaned on their defense the rest of the way. Not surprisingly, the unit was up to the task.

The second-half goal was a rare occurrence, as it was one of just three goals that Shanley allowed this season.

“I don’t think in my wildest dreams I’d think a team could lock somebody down that well,” said Deacons head coach Lance Hansen, who credited assistant Kirsten Bokinskie for helping mold a near indestructible unit. “We have a lock-down defense. We don’t allow much scoring and once we got that (goal) back I liked our chances.”

The Deacons, who finished the spring 15-0-2 overall, improved to 2-3 all-time in state championship games, with all five decided by one goal. Two seasons ago, Shanley was on the wrong end of a one-goal final, a 1-0 loss to Fargo Davies.

For players who tasted sour defeat in that title game, Saturday was a more fulfilling experience.

“Two years ago at the end I was crying because it wasn’t fun (to lose),” said senior defender Natalie Heinrich, one of five Deacons to earn all-tournament honors. “But to end this on a good note, in my last game ever, it feels amazing.”