Sioux Falls Lincoln’s dynasty survived its hardest test yet. The Patriots beat Watertown 2-1 in a penalty shootout on October 17 at the Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex in Watertown to win their fourth consecutive South Dakota Class AA boys soccer state championship.

On a cold, windy afternoon, Watertown, playing in front of their home crowd, struck first when senior Roger Carranza scored his 23rd goal of the season six minutes into the second half. Lincoln levelled with 5:46 remaining, Jacob Burchett converting a penalty kick, and after two scoreless overtime periods the title came down to a shootout.

Both teams converted their first four kicks. Then senior goalkeeper Opland Sonnichsen saved Watertown’s fifth attempt, from Xane Fligge, and Marlo Gerling buried the winner into the upper-right corner.

“We practice a lot,” Sonnichsen said. “I knew they were good penalty kickers, so I knew I would have to dive left and right. But we got the job done.”

The title is Lincoln’s sixth overall, tying Sioux Falls Christian’s state records for consecutive championships and total championships. Head coach Alex Nelson called it “a storybook ending for these seniors.” Watertown finish a historic 16-1-1 season, the program’s best, with 16 seniors playing their final high school match.