It’s rare for a pair of teammates to be finalists for the prestigious Minnesota Mr. or Ms. Soccer award in the same year.

In Simley’s 2-0 win over Delano in the Class 2A state quarterfinals Thursday night, Simley seniors Elvis Hernandez Paz and Michael Hernandez Ruiz showed why they were worthy of being finalists.

“These kids are literally writing history,” Simley head coach David Albornoz said.

Their whole team is writing history, too.

On only their second appearance at state, the Spartans booked their ticket to the program’s first state semifinal game with Thursday’s victory. The Metro East Conference champs last advanced to state in 2009.

Simley will play St. Paul Como Park in the semifinals at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

After their win, Albornoz gathered the Spartans at the corner flag and told them to remember this feeling of joy, warming the cold night at Monticello High School.

“It’s a great feeling. We’re excited to be this far, our first time playing at the Bank for all of us and in school history,” Hernandez Ruiz said. “We want to make it amazing.”

Based on the 21 goals and 18 assists he’s recorded this season, one might expect Hernandez Paz to start up top for Simley, next to Ruiz, who led the state with 23 assists this year. But instead, Class 2A’s Mr. Soccer winner played most of the game at center back for the Spartans.

Depending on the matchup, Hernandez Paz will shift around the field, since he can “do anything” for the Spartans, Albornoz said.

Eight minutes into the second half, with the Spartans up 1-0, Hernandez Paz, on the back line, began a winding journey dribbling through the Tigers’ half. He weaved his way between defenders and out wide, before cutting down the end line and slipping a pass in front of the goal that Hernandez Ruiz poked in for his 10th goal of the year.

“Being recognized as one of the top five players in the class is always a great achievement and a memory that will stick with me for the rest of my life,” Hernandez Ruiz said.

Senior midfielder Daniel Niño Puentes was “the man of the match,” Albornoz said, controlling the midfield and initiating transitions while the Spartans dropped most of their team behind the ball to shut down Delano early in the match.

“It’s a big dream for us,” Niño Puentes said. “Three years ago [I was] thinking about going to state, but right now is the time, and we’re ready for this.”

Simley couldn’t convert any of its first-half chances until the Spartans forced Delano to convert one for them. With five minutes left in the first half, senior forward Luis Ramirez Reyes delivered a corner kick to the back post that bounced off a Delano player and in.

Delano had its chances but couldn’t find the back of the net, with shots high and wide. A flurry of corner kicks with 20 minutes left to play provided the Tigers a chance to make it a one-goal game, but Simley senior defender Cole Wanek cleared the ball off the goal line to guarantee the Spartans their fourth consecutive shutout.

“Goals are fancy and whatnot, but defenses win championships,” Albornoz said. “The fact that we have been able to keep some of the best teams of the state to zero … tells you that the commitment is the whole team, because the first defender of the team [is] my striker.”

Albornoz added: “That’s why we’re so hard to beat, because we have learned how to win, and we win in any possible way.”

Delano was making its state tournament debut, winning a penalty shootout against Orono to advance out of Section 6 for the first time.

Class 1A

No. 3 seed St. Cloud Cathedral 6, random draw Cristo Rey Jesuit 2

Jacob Oliver, Minnesota’s all-time scoring leader in boys soccer, scored four goals for St. Cloud Cathedral (17-1-1), which advanced to a semifinal against second seed Stewartville on Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Oliver, the Class 1A Mr. Soccer winner, ran his record total for career goals to 138 and his record for goals in a season to 55.

No. 4 seed Southwest Christian 2, No. 5 seed Duluth Marshall 1 (OT)

Andrew Nicholson scored in overtime for Southwest Christian (12-6-1) at Forest Lake High School. Southwest Christian moved on to a semifinal Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Marshall’s Benson Peterson and Southwest Christian’s Brody Uglum scored goals in the second half. Southwest Christian, the 2021 state champion, is on its third trip to state, all in the past five years.

Class 3A

No. 1 seed Edina 3, random draw St. Paul Central 2

Stellan Twill scored twice for Edina, which advanced to a semifinal against fourth seed Wayzata on Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Andreas Engle also scored for Edina, a four-time champion making its 13th appearance in the state tournament. St. Paul Central got goals from Firomsa Aman and Tommy Voshell. Voshell’s goal came in the 71st minute and made it a one-goal game.

No. 3 seed Maple Grove 2, random draw Eagan 1 (OT)

Emmaus Olson scored in overtime and settled a rematch of last season’s state championship game. Parker Carlson scored for Maple Grove in the 55th minute, but Eagan, which won the 2024 title game 3-2 in overtime, tied it in the 62nd minute on a goal by Kevin Cotorra Valencia. Maple Grove (14-2-2) moved on to a semifinal against second seed Buffalo on Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium.