GROTON – It started out with a win over a perennial power and will end with a chance to play for a state championship.

When Groton defeated West Central to begin the season back in August, it served notice that the Tigers would be a force this year in Class A girls’ soccer. The squad built on that performance, losing just twice this fall and will now play in its first state title game against Tea Area at 11 a.m. Saturday in Brandon.

“From day one, when we beat West Central, my motivation for the girls was you have turned heads and now it’s just up to us as to what we do with that,” said Groton coach Chris Kucker.

It’s safe to say the Tigers have done plenty with that.

Groton enters the state championship contest with a 9-2-1 record, the only losses coming to Tea Area, and Class AA finalist Mitchell.

“We’ve told the girls for a long time, that you have it,” Kucker said. “It’s in you, we just need you to put it all together and make everything click.”

The squad, which does not have a single senior on the roster, features an athletic group of girls who share a common trait of working together to make each other better.

“Our team has just been very bonded. We really get along,” said team member Jerica Locke. “We’ve been through some ups and downs with losing seniors (in the past) and we’ve just kind of played together for a while.”

Kucker said the team has bought into the philosophy of “selfless not selfish” and there is a strong spirit of unity among the players.

“Everybody supports everybody whether they’re one of the starting 11 or one of the subs coming in off the bench,” Kucker said.

The Tigers feature a balanced attack on offense as a trio of girls (Locke, Laila Roberts and McKenna Tietz) lead the team in scoring with eight goals apiece.

Roberts, a sprinter in track and field, uses her speed to put pressure on opposing defenses.

“It really plays a big factor whenever you’re chasing down the ball that goes past their defensive line, trying to just beat them and go and score,” Roberts said. “So having that speed really helps beat them and have a one on one with the goalie.”

Meanwhile, the defense is keyed by Kennedy Hansen, also a track and field member, who uses her speed to prevent goals more than score them.

“If anybody gets past us, Kennedy is pretty good about running them down,” Kucker said. “She definitely gives us a good X factor of the defensive line.”

Hansen can also put the ball in the back of the net. She talked about her dual roles for the Tigers.

“For me, it’s preventing the other team from scoring a goal. On corners, it’s helping our team score,” said Hansen who takes those corner kicks. “We mainly score off of corners most of the time.”

While she enjoys scoring, she also takes pride in keeping foes off the scoreboard.

“My main thing is cleaning up after everyone,” Hansen said. “If someone makes a mistake, I go and try my best to keep it out.”

Groton’s last line of defense is goalkeeper Jaedyn Penning, one of the key reasons why the squad is still playing for the first time in mid-October.

“She’s tremendous. She pours her heart and soul into it,” Kucker said. “She guards that net like anything and just does a great job.”

Penning, who joked that she started out as a goalie many years ago because she hated running, has been rock solid in net, although she said she gets nervous every time she steps onto the pitch.

“I’ve gotten more comfortable as I’ve gotten older because I’ve been there for a while, but still, if it goes in it’s my fault,” Penning said. “It’s a nerve-wrecking position. It’s not as easy as people make it seem to be.”

While Penning takes satisfaction in shutting out opponents, she is quick to deflect the praise saying … “it also shows how strong my team is as a whole. It’s not just me. My team is very powerful.”

Interestingly enough, the majority of the soccer players are also key members of the Groton volleyball team which has also had a stellar season, compiling a 14-4 record so far this fall.

The players said the demanding schedule takes a toll, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s difficult because you have the schooling” Roberts said, “and right after that you go straight to volleyball for an hour and half-two hours, and then you come straight here (for soccer practice), but you get used to it after a while.”

That hard work has paid off this year and it can all be traced back to that early-season success and the team’s ability to channel that energy and momentum into a season unlike any other in program history.

“After getting some wins early in the season, we realized that we might be pretty good this year,” Locke said. “We just kept growing from there as a team and individually with our skills.”

And now, the Tigers are on the doorstep of the team’s first ever state championship.

Kucker and the players know the challenge in front of them, but also understand the golden opportunity they have as well.

“The girls have worked for this,” Kucker said. “I believe that they really do finally believe that they are at that level, so that’s probably the biggest thing.”

It’s already been a memorable season for the Tigers, and now there is just one more goal to accomplish.

“It’s just super exciting. Soccer has never been this far,” Penning said. “This is something new for us. It’s very much enjoyable and I love it.”