Despite facing an early deficit, the Albert Lea girls’ soccer team rallied to keep its season alive.

After New Ulm took a 1-0 lead, Turena Schultz scored the equalizer, and Rachel Rehnelt buried the go-ahead goal to boost the Tigers to a 2-1 win Tuesday in the first round of the Section 2A tournament at Martin Luther College in New Ulm.

“We displayed an amazing amount of resolve and composure for a team in our position and in a section game environment,” said Albert Lea coach Rick Barnhill.

The Tigers scored multiple goals for the fourth time this season and for the first time since a 3-0 win Sept. 22 at Faribault.

Albert Lea (4-9-2, 2-8-1 Big Nine), the No. 9 seed out of 15 teams in the section, came into the game after a 0-0 overtime tie on Senior Night against Winona (0-15-2, 0-9-2), which was frustrating for coach Barnhill.

New Ulm (7-8-2, 5-5 Big South), the section’s No. 8 seed, entered the postseason with a .500 record and five wins in its last six games by a combined score of 17-7.

When the Eagles scored their lone goal, Barnhill said Albert Lea had the advantage in shots on goal 9-2 but missed on several breakaways.

“We could have been damaged mentally at that point, especially with how the season has gone, but I think they knew they were playing too well to be denied by just one goal,” he said.

Kathryn Flaherty led the Tigers with six saves, while Albert Lea amassed 35 shots on goal.

The Tigers had an advantage of 50 minutes in time of possession and a 9-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Next, Albert Lea, the defending Section 2A champions, will play in the section quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Thursday at No. 1-seed Mankato West (13-3, 9-2 Big Nine).

The Scarlets finished second in the Big Nine Conference standings. Rochester Mayo (14-2-1, 11-0 Big Nine) won the conference title — and beat Mankato West and Albert Lea by the same score: 6-0 — but was upset 1-0 in a shootout Tuesday by Rochester Century (7-7-3, 5-4-2 Big Nine) in the Section 1AA quarterfinals.

Albert Lea will be looking for a similar upset, Barnhill said.

“Mankato West is a Goliath and an overwhelming favorite to win the section, so we will probably need more than one pebble in our slingshot,” he said.