Men’s Premier
Vlora’s mens premier team pulled off a major upset on June 21 to earn a spot in the championship game for the Midwest-West playoffs. Vlora, the fourth seed, traveled to Saint Paul to play the first seed Blackhawks, earning a 2-1 win.
Easton Hoch continued a highly-prolific season with Vlora by scoring the team’s first goal against the hosting Blackhawks, before Joseph Giron scored his third of the season amid a strong run late this spring.
The result means that Vlora will travel to the St. Croix Legends, the second seed, for the grand final on Saturday, June 28.
Women’s
The Vlora women’s team picked up their third win of the season on June 21, traveling to Karen Football Association for a 1-0 win Saint Paul. The victory gave Vlora its first win streak of the season following a 1-0 win over the Tonka Fusion.
The result provided a run of firsts for goalkeeper Kaylie Krueger, who played her first full match of the season against the KFA. Krueger also earned her first shut out and the team’s second of the season. Krueger was called on several times, including in the final minutes of the game with a breathtaking stoppage time 1v1 save against Daniela Garcia.
Vlora’s winner also came in stoppage time courtesy of center-back Hannah Hagman. The defender connected with a corner kick from Tina Million to score the opener and only goal of the night, which reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit on the pitch at one point.
