Clare Ryan Bradley said she didn’t do very well when St. Paul Academy practiced penalty kicks Wednesday, but the sophomore came through Thursday.

“I knew I was going to make it today because I knew I could do it,” she said.

Ryan Bradley scored the final goal in the shootout and the Spartans made all five of their kicks to defeat Esko 2-1 in a damp state quarterfinal at Irondale High School.

Sawyer Danielson, Lucia Gonzalez, Aurelia Meza and Elizabeth Tuttle also scored shootout goals for No. 4 St. Paul Academy.

“We played the full 100 minutes; this is what we’ve been training for. We’ve been doing PKs every practice, getting them consistent. I guess it paid off,” said Danielson, a junior who’ll play at the University of Minnesota.

The Spartans (10-6-4) get top-seeded Providence Academy in a semifinal at 5 p.m. on Halloween at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Last year, St. Paul Academy lost in the championship game.

“We went last year for the first time in a while. It’s nice to go back and prove it wasn’t like a lucky run,” Danielson said.

Ryan Bradley scored in regulation for the Spartans; Britta Koski scored for Esko.

Koski got Esko (13-3-3) on the board with probably one of the easiest team-high 19 goals she’s had this season.

Jordyn Randa dribbled down the left side, and, approaching the goal line, centered to Koski in front of the net for a simple redirect less than three minutes into the game.

The game’s next goal came early in the second half — the game’s 44th minute. This time it was the Spartans getting the equalizer, a tally that nearly came a couple feet away from not happening.

Sprinting past a defender while chasing a long ball from Gonzalez, Ryan Bradley was able to chip the ball over the Esko goaltender a split second before the ball would have entered the box and been picked up. The orb bounced a couple times on the turf and across the line.

St. Paul Academy had a couple prime chances later in the half, including a 2-and-1 with about 16 minutes left, and a centering pass by Danielson just missed being converted nine minutes later.

Twice in the first overtime the Spartans could not convert a corner kick that went through the box.

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Far too often, the public gets a stark reminder of why law enforcement is important.

Wednesday night’s mass shooting at a bowling alley in Lewiston, Me.; the gunfire at a Dorchester parade in August that left eight injured, the shootings that shatter the peace of Boston’s streets night and day. These are, sadly, just to name a few.

Law enforcement is vital to the central nervous system of this city, and a crucial voice at the table.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t have one.

The Boston City Council votes on the Boston Police Department budget, makes declarations and proclamations and protestations about neighborhood policing and safety, but none of the councilors knows what it’s like to work those streets as a police officer.

Enter Jose Ruiz.

The City Council candidate for District 5 has been in the BPD for 29 years. He can speak from experience of what’s needed to make communities safe, because he’s seen what happens when they’re not. And not from the vantage point of a press conference, or day-after statement at City Hall, but as a first responder at the scene of a crisis.

We need this wisdom and lived experience now more than ever. Even sections of the city not known for gun violence have been disrupted by demonstrations and riots in recent years, from outside agitators to home-grown protests. The rancor over the terrorist attacks in Israel has spurred a heightened sense of vigilance, particularly in public spaces.

While the council had a heated discussion last week regarding the Israel-Hamas war, police set up a barricade at the entrance to City Hall.

And no plan for Mass and Cass is possible without a BPD component, requiring officers to work in a dangerous, often violent area most people try to avoid.

None of this is abstract. Policing is boots on the ground, real-life, real-world efforts to keep Boston safe and communities strong.

We need a police veteran like Ruiz to add depth and breadth to the council.

The progressive agenda holds that crime can be solved not so much by going after criminals, but by strengthening the foundations of neighborhoods. Ruiz has that covered.

Uplifting communities has been a key part of Ruiz’ contributions to Boston. He organized the largest city-wide youth baseball and softball league, including life skills presentations for players. He doesn’t talk about giving back – he does it.

The elections on Nov. 7 will come and go. After the dust has settled, there will still be criminals trafficking in drugs and illegal firearms, there will still be murders committed with ghost guns, predators stalking the vulnerable, and any number of sudden, unexpected events that necessitate all hands on deck for local law enforcement.

These could be talking points for the city council, issues of debate swayed by agendas. Or, a new voice on the council could bring insight and expertise and ideas that have real-world resonance.

This is critical if Boston is to grow and thrive.

The city needs Jose Ruiz as councilor for District 5.

 

 

Dear Abby: I have been dating “Paul” for several years. He lives about an hour away, and we see each other a few weekends a month. I know he loves me. A few months ago, his dog suddenly died from cancer. It was traumatic because “Bruiser” was his best friend.

Paul has been different since Bruiser’s death. He has zero interest in anything physical. To me, touch is important — not just sex. There’s shared intimacy in holding someone’s hand or kissing. I feel like a plant that’s wilting with no sun. I know Paul is struggling, but I don’t know how to help him through. We talked about it once, but other than acknowledging he’s struggling, he has done nothing further.

I don’t want to force the issue, but time is precious. I know what it’s like to struggle with depression, and I recognize the signs, but he won’t get help. How can I support him through this and get over my selfishness? — In the Dark in New York

Dear In the Dark:  Tell Paul you know he is hurting because since Bruiser’s death, his behavior has changed. Explain that he may be depressed — AND WITH GOOD REASON — and that it might help him to contact his veterinarian and ask if there are grief support groups for pet owners who have lost their furry family member. His vet may be able to suggest one or more. However, if that doesn’t appeal to Paul, he should consider talking to his doctor because he is exhibiting some classic signs of depression. After that, the ball’s in hiscourt.

Dear Abby: I am one of nine children who all still get along. One sibling belongs to a religious order. At least one (for sure) is not a Christian. One is a born-again Christian. One of us is gay and married. We are not all of the same political persuasion. Yet somehow, after all these years, we have managed to get along and still gather for family fun, whether it’s a holiday or just a cookout. We don’t all live in the same state, but more often than not, most of us are there.

There’s no secret to us still loving as well as liking each other. We simply respect each other’s opinions and realize that although we don’t always agree, it’s not worth cutting out of our lives someone we have known “forever.” I can’t imagine losing even one sibling over a silly disagreement. That’s not to say we haven’t had arguments, because we have certainly had our share, but we simply take the high road and agree to disagree. I love my siblings with all my heart. Just wanted to share an uplifting note with you. — No Problems Here

Dear No Problems: Most of the mail I receive concerns relationships that fractured because of a lack of respect for someone’s feelings. Thank you for your, frankly, refreshing letter. If more people emulated your family’s example, this world would be a happier, less complicated place in which to live. I wish your attitude were contagious.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com

When he was introduced as Wisconsin’s new head coach last spring, Minnesota native Mike Hastings talked about his long friendship with Gophers coach Bob Motzko. Hastings was gently reminded that in his new job, he would need to beat Motzko’s team from time to time.

The new Badgers boss checked that off his list right away, as Wisconsin rallied from an early deficit for a 5-2 win at top-ranked Minnesota on Thursday in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

Mathieu De St. Phalle and Cruz Lucius each scored a pair for Wisconsin (6-1-0 overall, 1-0-0 Big Ten), which has won three in a row. The Badgers got 22 saves from goalie Kyle McClellan for their first win in Minneapolis since February 2021.

The Gophers (3-2-0, 0-1-0) got an early goal from captain Jaxon Nelson and the first career goal from sophomore forward Charlie Strobel, but lost their second consecutive game. Minnesota goalie Justen Close had 29 saves in the loss.

Minnesota grabbed the lead just 15 seconds into the game when Nelson tipped a blue line shot past the Badgers goalie, getting the arena’s packed student section into a festive mood in a hurry. But Wisconsin needed barely a minute, and the game’s first and only power play, to forge a tie.

After a seeing-eye shot from long range by Lucius gave Wisconsin the lead, the visitors took the momentum and tested Close again and again for the rest of the first period and early in the second. But Stobel — whose father won a national championship for the Badgers in 1990 — popped a low shot past the Wisconsin goalie for a 2-2 tie at the midway point of the game.

Then the Gophers had defensive hiccups on back-to-back shifts, leading to a pair of Badgers goals just 62 seconds apart, and the visitors took a two-goal lead into the second intermission.

McClellan, a transfer from Mercyhurst, is looking like the answer in goal for a Wisconsin program that has struggled to find consistent goaltending for some time. He has played every minute in goal for the Badgers this season and stopped Gophers rookie Oliver Moore on a first-period breakaway.

Extra pucks

Scratched from the Gophers lineup on Thursday due to injury were defenseman Mike Koster (lower body) and defenseman Max Rud (upper body). Wisconsin was missing forwards Charlie Stramel (lower body) and Owen Lindmark (upper body). Gophers freshman goalie Nathan Airey was in uniform for the first time as a collegian, but did not play.

Minnesota started the season a perfect 16-for-16 on the penalty kill this season, but the streak was snapped just 1:38 into the game via Wisconsin’s first goal, which came with Gophers defenseman Carl Fish in the penalty box.

The Gophers series with Wisconsin concludes on Friday evening with another 8 p.m. puck drop, televised by Big Ten Network.

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