Twelve high school boys soccer teams across three classifications in Minnesota played state semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium on Tuesday, setting up Friday’s championship games.

Check out the scoring in each game on Strib Varsity. View brackets for the boys and girls soccer state tournaments here.

Tuesday’s semifinal results

Class 3A: 8 a.m. Edina 3, Wayzata 0; 10 a.m. Maple Grove 3, Buffalo 1

Class 2A: 12:30 p.m. Blake 4, Northfield 1; 2:30 p.m. St. Paul Como Park 4, Simley 3

Class 1A: 5 p.m. Holy Angels 2, Southwest Christian 0; 7 p.m. St. Cloud Cathedral 1, Stewartville 0

Friday’s championship schedule

Class 3A: Edina vs. Maple Grove, 10:15 a.m.

Class 2A: Blake vs. St. Paul Como Park, 2:45 p.m.

Class 1A: Holy Angels vs. St. Cloud Cathedral, 7:15 p.m.

Extra reading: All-Minnesota boys soccer team

How St. Cloud Cathedral advanced to the Class 1A final

St. Cloud Cathedral’s 1-0 victory over Stewartville in the Class 1A boys soccer semifinals Tuesday was more chess game than soccer game.

When coach Alex Hess prepped his roster of 22 Crusaders for the semifinal, he knew what was important: making sure a third consecutive trip home with the third-place trophy wasn’t a possibility. Strategy formed from there.

“We were doing a really good job with the ball and then just trapping them,” Hess said. “We studied film. We knew that they like to switch the ball and go to the other side, so just prevent the switch.”

And the strategy against players like Stewartville leading scorer Cole Kropp? “We circled those guys’ names. We know who they are,” Hess said.

After St. Cloud Cathedral’s Drew Lesnau scored the only goal of the game in the first half, fed by Minnesota’s all-time leading goal scorer, Jacob Oliver, the remaining minutes were full of headers and missed chances. The Crusaders (19-1-1) kept control of the ball most of the time with junior defender Jack Ziemann finding pockets in the midfield and Oliver routinely placing his head in scoring range, but nothing could extend their lead.

Oliver, who was embraced postgame by the player whose scoring record he broke this season, Jake Makela of Mankato West, was Hess’ most useful and versatile chess piece.

“All I can do to help the team win is what I want to do,” Oliver said. “So if that’s me sitting back there, winning headers, back there clearing the ball, that’s all I can do. Then I’ll do it. If I need to go score goals, I’ll do it.”

Stewartville senior Matthew Watters said the Tigers (20-1-0) never felt defeated during their first trip to state.

“I think the important thing to note is that, yeah, we conceded early on, but I don’t think that changed our game too much,” he said. “I think that speaks to us as a team, two really good teams out there. They get an early goal, but that really didn’t dictate how we played the rest of the game, and that speaks to the character and constructiveness out on the field.”

St. Cloud Cathedral will play Holy Angels for the state title in a game scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Friday.

— Olivia Hicks

Final: St. Cloud Cathedral 1, Stewartville 0

None of Stewartville’s shots on goal found the back of the net, and St. Cloud Cathedral’s first-half score moved the Crusaders into Friday’s final against Holy Angels.

Senior Crusader Jacob Oliver held on to the ball throughout the second half’s 45 minutes, but freshman Drew Lesnau remained the sole goal scorer with a tidy open-net goal in the first half.

Stewartville’s hopes of making it to the final in its first state tournament visit were crushed by St. Cloud Cathedral’s strong midfield unit.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd half: St. Cloud Cathedral 1, Stewartville 0

Tigers defender Jonas Hanse was hit with a yellow card for tripping St. Cloud Cathedral midfielder Liam Kohn. Kohn had already kicked the ball when Hanse ran into his leg and flipped him.

Minutes later, Stewartville had its best chance yet after senior William Turner’s launch of a kick forward to star midfielder Cole Kropp. Kropp, a Mr. Soccer finalist, failed to get his head on it, and the ball went wide. Tigers defender Cody Clark had a similar chance but couldn’t follow through with a header.

— Olivia Hicks

Halftime: St. Cloud Cathedral 1, Stewartville 0

The score remains at a standstill at halftime as both teams’ defensive lines have blocked any chances on goal. St. Cloud Cathedral’s best shot at extending its lead came on junior defender Jack Ziemann’s wide-open dribble down the field. He ran with the ball from the top of the box to nearly midfield before a wall of red stopped him.

Stewartville’s chances were few and far between. Senior defender Noah Root got as close as anyone to a shot on goal before it was deflected.

Off the field, the fan zones seem to be competing just as fiercely as the players. The Stewartville student section spans only three short rows, but it produces a wave of sound each time the Tigers touch the ball. The St. Cloud Cathedral supporters, dressed in black, stomped their feet and yelled in tune with the marching band.

How Holy Angels advanced to the 1A final

Holy Angels’ 2-0 state semifinal win over Southwest Christian was a “return party” of sorts, said coach James See. Not just for the Stars, returning to the Bank after winning last year’s Class 2A title, but also for senior midfielder Cristopher Romero, who had tweaked his left hamstring in their second section playoff game.

He felt some nerves returning, his athletic trainer pointing out as he eased back into training that he was running as if “I didn’t really trust my left foot to fully sprint again. … I was sort of holding back,” Romero said.

“But it all turned out pretty good,” he added.

Pretty good is pretty understated. Romero netted two long-range shots against a back line that hunkered down, packing the 18-yard box to defend against a team that Southwest Christian coach Luke Herbert had been told by other coaches was “the best high school team they’ve ever seen.”

Herbert, who took over the Stars program the week before the season, said the team’s deep defensive style was a specific change to face Class 1A’s top seed, and he was proud of how his team adjusted, led by just one pair of seniors, Drew Denton and Luke Dore.

“Some games, you go in and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to do what we do this game.’ We felt like … if we do what we normally do, we’re going to be at a disadvantage,” Herbert said. “And so the guys really bought in. They were excited to try to throw something else out there and make it hard.”

They forced Romero to rip some well-placed shots as Holy Angels dominated possession, which often ran through junior midfielder Leo Madrano-Ayala, sliding in centrally to fill in for an injured teammate.

“We think about being successful in October, [and] you have to be able to solve problems with a variety of solutions,” See said. “This group is starting to show that.”

Tuesday night, that solution happened to be Romero’s rocket.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st half: St. Cloud Cathedral 1, Stewartville 0

St. Cloud Cathedral freshman Drew Lesnau opens the scoring. Jacob Oliver, the state’s all-time leader in goals, fed the ball upfield to Lesnau, who swept around, bypassed Stewartville’s keeper and hit the back of the open net.

— Olivia Hicks

Class 1A: Stewartville vs. St. Cloud Cathedral

Under the bright lights here at U.S. Bank Stadium, both Stewartville and St. Cloud Cathedral look to make their own high school soccer history during their Class 1A semifinal.

For the St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders (18-1-1), that means breaking out of the past two years’ pattern of third-place finishes. For the undefeated Tigers (20-0-0), it means winning again on their first trip to state.

Both teams will look to their leading scorers to get the job done. St. Cloud Cathedral’s Jacob Oliver is Minnesota’s all-time scoring leader in boys soccer, and Stewartville senior midfielder Cole Kropp has scored 29 goals this season.

These teams are playing for a shot at Holy Angels in the Class 1A final at 7:15 p.m. Friday.

Final: Holy Angels 2, Southwest Christian 0

Senior midfielder Cristopher Romero’s two goals, both scored from distance, broke through Southwest Christian’s low block, and that did the job. No. 1 Holy Angels returns to the state championship game, this time in Class 1A, and will face the winner of our 7 p.m. semifinal between No. 2 Stewartville and No. 3 St. Cloud Cathedral, two teams both seeking their first state title. Holy Angels’ defense picks up its 14th shutout of the season, ending No. 4 Southwest Christian’s quest for a second state championship in its second trip to the tournament semifinals.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2nd half: Holy Angels 2, Southwest Christian 0

Southwest Christian’s defense has tried to pose a puzzle, but it seems senior midfielder Cristopher Romero has found the key. Eight minutes into the second half, Romero strikes another ball from outside the 18-yard box, this one placed low to the keeper’s left, to give Holy Angels a two-goal lead.

Southwest Christian has been asking leading scorer Javi Ortiz to hold up the ball as the sole attacker, stalling and evading Holy Angels midfielders as his attacking teammates, who dropped back to defend, fly up the wings. No dice so far against a well-organized Holy Angels defense that’s conceded only five goals this season.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Halftime: Holy Angels 1, Southwest Christian 0

So far, Southwest Christian’s defense has held Holy Angels to a single (and pretty extraordinary) goal from senior midfielder Cristopher Romero, struck from distance. Keeper Nolan Kleinprintz has done well to collect anything that’s snuck through his back line. We’ll see if top-seeded Holy Angels makes any halftime adjustments to break through Southwest Christian’s low block and make their advantage on the scoreboard match their advantage in possession. Southwest Christian will need to cook up a way to equalize on a counter attack.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

How St. Paul Como Park advanced to the 2A final

As St. Paul Como Park High School worked through 14 minutes of overtime play in Tuesday’s Class 2A boys soccer semifinals, one player was the “difference-maker,” as coach Brendan Doyle put it.

Stephan N’Da didn’t even play a full half before he went to the bench with an injury this season. Once he returned to the field, the team felt something click into place.

“I feel like the moment that we started playing to the level where we thought we could do this was when [N’Da] got back from injury,” Doyle said. “We knew that when he got back to full health and fitness that he’s a difference-maker.”

In Tuesday’s state semifinal against Simley, the junior forward got the ball past Spartans keeper Dylan Gonzalez to even the score 1-0. He then tied it again at the end of the first half to stretch the Cougars’ lead.

After two full halves and then some, N’Da split Simley’s defensive line and sailed the ball to senior forward Blessed Htoo. Htoo dribbled past and faked out the opposing goalie, scoring to advance his team to the state final.

Simley put up a fight, clawing its way back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the score, and there was another difference-maker in place. Class 2A Mr. Soccer winner Elvis Hernandez Paz led the team in scoring with two goals. The last goal, assisted by forward Luis Ramirez Reyes, sent the game to overtime.

“I have coached close to 25 years, 15 years in high school soccer,” Simley coach David Albornoz said. “I have not seen a player like [Hernandez Paz].”

But despite their efforts, the Spartans couldn’t snag a ticket to the state final, something the team has never achieved.

Como Park will attempt to do what it hasn’t done since 2013, as a Class 1A school: take home the state title. The final, against Blake, is set for 2:45 p.m. Friday.

— Olivia Hicks

1st half: Holy Angels 1, Southwest Christian 0

If Southwest Christian wants to put 10 of its players behind the ball, then Holy Angels senior midfielder Cristopher Romero is going to take that space in the midfield. And he did, dribbling centrally and looking up to see he had time to rip a 30-yard strike over a crowded box and into the top left corner of Southwest Christian’s net. An impressive goal for Romero puts Holy Angels up, 18 minutes into the first half.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st half: Holy Angels 0, Southwest Christian 0

Southwest Christian came out dropping players deep and playing a five-man back line, moving forward Drew Denton back to defense. So far, the No. 4 seed’s plan to stop Holy Angels from jumping out to an early lead — like we’ve seen Blake, Maple Grove and St. Paul Como Park do today — is working. Holy Angels has pressed, maintaining most of the possession in the game’s first 15 minutes, but hasn’t been able to get by junior keeper Nolan Kleinprintz and a Stars defense that’s recorded 10 shutouts this season. Southwest Christian has had a few chances on the counterattack but has no score to show for it.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Class 1A: Holy Angels vs. Southwest Christian

Class 3A? Check. Class 2A? Check. Only one more boys soccer state championship matchup — Class 1A — remains blank, with slots to be filled here with our 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. quarterfinals.

First up is No. 1 seed Holy Angels facing No. 4 Southwest Christian. Expect this to be a game of Stars, since that’s both teams’ mascot.

Holy Angels (17-0-1) is a defending state champ, but in Class 2A. (Read all about that strange situation here.) The team has had a lockdown defense all season, even through a schedule of tough Class 2A and 3A teams, anchored by senior defender and Mr. Soccer finalist Thomas Hopkins.

Southwest Christian (13-6-1) is also a recent trophy-hoister, having won in Class 1A in 2021. Junior forward Javi Ortiz’s 13 goals are a team high. He scored the game-winner in a section championship against a good Breck team, sending Southwest Christian back to state for the first time since 2022.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Final (2OT): St. Paul Como Park 4, Simley 3

Four minutes into the second overtime, Como Park secured its place in the Class 2A boys soccer state final. Senior forward Blessed Htoo dribbled past the goalie to send it in after an assist by forward Stephan N’Da.

The Cougars, who last reached state in 2016 and won the Class 1A title in 2013, ended Simley’s chances at a first trip to the state final.

Como Park will play Blake at 2:45 p.m. Friday in the state title match.

— Olivia Hicks

2OT: St. Paul Como Park 3, Simley 3

As the first overtime concludes, the deadlock remains. Whoever hits the back of the net first will advance to the finals Friday to take on Blake for the Class 2A state title.

— Olivia Hicks

OT: St. Paul Como Park 3, Simley 3

With just two minutes left in regulation, Simley tied it up. Yet again, Elvis Hernandez Paz netted one in with an assist from forward Luis Ramirez Reyes. Paz collided with Como Park’s goalie just as the ball went in.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd half: St. Paul Como Park 3, Simley 2

Just after the blue and white Simley crowd booed Como Park’s open goal, the Spartans gave supporters something to cheer for. The team’s leading goal scorer, senior Elvis Hernandez Paz, boosted his goal stats with a shot assisted by fellow Mr. Soccer finalist Michael Hernandez Ruiz.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd half: St. Paul Como Park 3, Simley 1

With just over 20 minutes left on the clock, Simley keeper Dylan Gonzalez dropped the ball in a kicking attempt, and Como Park’s Blessed Htoo swept in to kick it into the open goal.

— Olivia Hicks

Halftime: St. Paul Como Park 2, Simley 1

There’s been constant back and forth between Simley and Como Park. The Cougars, starting off on the back foot, climbed to the top of the scoreboard with Stephan N’Da’s pass into the goal and Pah Chi’s long shot into the corner net.

Despite what the score reads, the Simley squad has pushed into Como Park territory, challenging its back line with several shot attempts.

— Olivia Hicks

1st half: St. Paul Como Park 2, Simley 1

Como Park junior defender Pah Chi sails the ball across the field past Simley keeper Dylan Gonzalez into the top left corner to give Como Park the lead.

— Olivia Hicks

1st half: Simley 1, St. Paul Como Park 1

Just minutes after Simley opened the scoring, Como Park responded. Senior forward Stephan N’Da got the ball past Simley’s starting keeper Dylan Gonzalez. Senior Ah Phu assisted.

Small yet mighty, the Como Park student section clad all in white let out a roar. The Cougars’ first shot on goal came early in the game on a shot into the box. Defender Blessed Htoo was primed to score but just missed.

— Olivia Hicks

1st half: Simley 1, St. Paul Como Park 0

As soon as the stopwatch started, both teams looked ready for a battle. Simley struck first after Luis Ramirez Reyes, a senior forward, lofted the ball from the left wing. Michael Hernandez Ruiz, a Mr. Soccer finalist and the state’s leader in assists, set up No. 19 with a goal-scoring pass.

— Olivia Hicks

How Blake advanced to the 2A final

There was plenty of pretty soccer in the No. 1-seeded Bears’ 4-1 Class 2A semifinal win over No. 4 Northfield.

Some skilled dribbling by senior midfielder James Lewis to set up his game-sealing goal. A well-weighted pass chipped over the top by junior defender Bergen Levine to tee up Blake’s first scoring chance. A curling free kick buried into the net off the foot of junior midfielder Moises Huerta.

Perhaps the best touch of the afternoon game was one that never happened. Junior midfielder Oliver Brown and senior forward and Mr. Soccer finalist Landon Bell have been a dynamic attacking duo for Blake. With a team-high 20 goals under his belt, it wouldn’t be unfamiliar for Brown to pounce on a first-half pass lofted into the 18-yard box by outside back Greg Perepelitsyn, with hopes of putting Blake up 2-0.

Instead, above the cheering of the nearby Northfield student section, Brown heard Bell yell to him from his left. Bell told him to let the pass go. Brown trusted Bell and listened.

“I’m really proud of Landon, because I wouldn’t have let that go [if he didn’t call me off the ball],” Brown said. “Landon’s always kind of been there behind me in every moment, not even today, just throughout the season.”

Bell never let the ball hit the ground. He tapped a one-touch pass out of the air to junior forward Jackson Fulton, who doubled Blake’s lead.

“I just tried to redirect it back post, and I got lucky, my guy happened to be sitting right there,” Bell said.

Blake’s victory felt all the more sweet after last year’s 2-0 semifinal loss to Totino-Grace stopped the Bears’ quest for a third state title.

“I’ve had countless friends who are on the team last year, who are now graduated, text me, ‘Good luck, got your back, go avenge me,’ ” senior forward Max Vezmar said. “ ‘Bring it home this time.’ ”

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Class 2A: Simley vs. St. Paul Como Park

The Simley Spartans supporters are already filling the purple seats and slotting in line at the concession stands here at U.S. Bank Stadium for the Class 2A boys soccer semifinals against St. Paul Como Park.

Simley is buoyed by not one but two 2025 Mr. Soccer finalists going into its second trip to state. Senior and leading goal-scorer Elvis Hernandez Paz surpassed 20 goals this year while senior forward Michael Hernandez Ruiz boasts 23 assists, which leads the state.

St. Paul Como Park will attempt to find an answer to the co-captains and repeat its three-goal quarterfinal game last week against New Ulm. Stick around for updates as the two teams battle on Vikings turf for a spot in Friday’s finals at 2:45 p.m.

— Olivia Hicks

Final: Blake 4, Northfield 1

The second half was less frantic, but Blake senior midfielder James Lewis sealed the deal for the Bears, beating several Northfield defenders to slot in a low shot with under three minutes to play. Blake moves into the Class 2A state championship, which it last reached in 2019, and will face the winner of our next semifinal between No. 2 Simley and No. 4 St. Paul Como Park.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2nd half: Blake 3, Northfield 1

The halftime score has held here with less than 20 minutes remaining. Blake’s sent a few chances sailing over the crossbar or into the hands of Northfield all-state senior keeper Theo Menk. The three-time defending IMAC champions have been able to stifle most of the Raiders’ attack, even though Josue Lazaro has pressed the Bears’ back line.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Halftime: Blake 3, Northfield 1

We’ve been treated to first-half goals from both teams for the first time today, after the Class 3A semifinals saw neither team find the back of the net early. Both No. 1-seeded Blake and No. 4 Northfield have been quick and aggressive on the counter attack with some pinpoint passing, though Blake’s come away with the advantage in chances on goal — as evidenced in the scoreline.

1st half: Blake 3, Northfield 1

It looked as if Northfield was on its way to holding high-scoring Blake to a pair of goals in the first half, but with less than six minutes to go until halftime, the Bears earned a free kick just outside the 18-yard box. Junior midfielder Moises Huerta curled his sixth goal of the year between a wall of four defenders and a Blake teammate, past diving all-state keeper Theo Menk, and into the left corner of the net.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

How Maple Grove advanced to the 3A final

Each member of Maple Grove’s 25-player roster arrived at the Class 3A boys soccer state semifinals Tuesday morning with confidence, and rightfully so. The Crimson, a runner-up for the state title two years in a row, had been here before under the bright lights and billboards of U.S. Bank Stadium.

Buffalo, undefeated this season, hadn’t played on the Vikings’ turf.

The Crimson’s self-assuredness seeped into the field immediately with two shots on goal in the first 11 minutes of play.

“We’re confident on our attack, and after that we took the lead,” said senior midfielder Solan Gamachis, who racked up one assist and one goal in the semifinal game. “It was just about mind games, playing smart and just getting back defensively.”

Gamachis dribbled through the Bison’s defensive line smoothly in the second half, scoring a third goal to secure Maple Grove’s third consecutive appearance in the finals, where the Crimson will face Edina.

“It was just kind of another game, driving down [to U.S. Bank Stadium] just felt like that,” Maple Grove coach Gregg Leininger said. “So I think we approached it different than in the past, when we came down here, you know, kind of nervous.”

Buffalo’s only goal came via an emergency call: placing defender Wyatt Anderson up top to play forward. Backed by a loud student section chanting “B-I-S-O-N,” the team 40 miles from home found some grit in the second half. Junior forward Owen Seestrom and senior midfielder Hunter Scott edged into the Crimson’s back line.

Despite the effort, the squad couldn’t quite find its form.

The Crimson can empathize after coming up short the past two years.

“I think at the beginning of the game we were kind of still in shock of playing here because they’ve been here for the past, what, three years now, and this is my first year here,” Scott said.

1st half: Blake 2, Northfield 1

Northfield answered with a goal of its own on the counterattack, just over halfway through the first half. Senior forward Josue Lazaro ran onto a low pass from freshman midfielder Levy Carranza Rosas and slipped between the Blake back line players. Lazaro sneaked the ball in near post for his 10th goal of the fall.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st half: Blake 2, Northfield 0

Again, the Bears’ buildup is a thing of beauty. Just under 15 minutes into the match, Blake outside back Greg Perepelitsyn switched the ball across the Northfield 18-yard box to senior forward Landon Bell. Bell tapped a one-touch pass out of the air and across the goalmouth to junior forward Jackson Fulton, who poked in his seventh goal of the year.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st half: Blake 1, Northfield 0

Senior forward and All-Minnesota team honoree Landon Bell’s low, well-placed finish under Northfield keeper Theo Menk was impressive, but the pass to set it up was just as calculated. Blake junior defender Bergen Levine helped break down a surging Northfield attack, took a touch and recognized that the Raiders’ back line pressing high. His chip pass from deep in the Bears’ own half dropped just over the Northfield defenders into the path of a well-timed run by Bell, who netted his 14th goal of the season.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Class 2A: Northfield vs. Blake

With the Class 3A championship all booked, we move on to the Class 2A semifinals.

The first of the pair is No. 1 Blake looking to fend off an upset bid by No. 4 Northfield. Blake (17-1-2) is a two-time champion (2008 and 2018), while Northfield (12-3-5) has finished runner-up four times, most recently in 2016. Both of the current squads have state tournament experience, Blake having reached the semifinals last year, and Northfield on its third consecutive trip to the tournament.

Junior Oliver Brown and senior Landon Bell are a dangerous attacking duo for the Bears, with 20 and 16 goals each, while freshman goalkeeper Samuel Morris holds it down in net. Northfield, which is battle-tested by plenty of close games this season, made it through to the state semifinals thanks to a last-gasp goal by sophomore midfielder Kevin Baez, who scored with three seconds left to win their quarterfinal 1-0 against Sartell.

Final: Maple Grove 3, Buffalo 1

Maple Grove came out on top, ending Buffalo’s streak. The crowd, a sizable turnout for a semifinal game, is equal parts dejected and elated.

The Crimson advance to Friday’s final against Edina, where the team will attempt to turn last year’s runner-up finish into a first-place trophy.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd half: Maple Grove 3, Buffalo 1

Senior midfielder Solan Gamachis dribbled around the Bison’s back line and shot past sophomore keeper Finn Kampa, boosting Maple Grove’s lead with an unassisted goal.

Buffalo’s Wyatt Anderson immediately answered with an unassisted goal from the right. Senior forward Gavin Johnson’s near-goal went just wide of the net.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd half: Maple Grove 2, Buffalo 0

We’re back with the second half. Maple Grove continued to put pressure on Buffalo with two chances on goal. Midfielder Colin Merrit’s double shot attempt swung in from the left but failed to hit the target.

After conceding two goals in the first half, the Bison are making a statement. Junior forward Owen Seestrom and senior midfielder Hunter Scott are connecting passes and pushing into the Crimson’s defense.

– Olivia Hicks

Halftime: Maple Grove 2, Buffalo 0

The Crimson remain in peak form as the first half comes to a close and the student section band trumpets begin to sound.

Maple Grove had a few chances to make it a 3-0 lead, but the Crimson failed to reach the back of the net. The last chance sailed from senior forward Ousman Touray into the goalie’s hand and bounced over the post.

Buffalo attempted to push back with a shot by senior midfielder Cayce Peterson that slid just shy of the goal.

— Olivia Hicks

How Edina advanced to the 3A final

There was a point, not even a month ago, when Edina senior midfielder Carsten Koehler wasn’t sure he would be on the field at U.S. Bank Stadium, playing for a Class 3A soccer state championship.

Koehler had played for Edina as an underclassmen but attended boarding school in England as a junior. Back stateside for his senior year, eligibility complications had him starting the season with the junior varsity team, mentoring younger players and managing the Hornets’ girls soccer team. Later in the regular season, he was cleared to move up, making an already-strong Edina squad even stronger.

“There’s been a lot of adversity just throughout this season, not knowing whether I was going to be able to play,” Koehler said. “Thankfully, you know, this program has been so good to me. … These guys have welcomed me into the team, and I blended in so well again. It’s just incredible to be able to help positively support these guys.”

On Tuesday, in the No. 1-seeded Hornets’ 3-0 win over No. 4 Wayzata in the semifinals, Koehler scored Edina’s first goal, cleaning up his own penalty kick rebound, then helped set up the next two set piece goals, all coming in the game’s second half. A crafty backheel pass teed up senior midfielder Andreas Engle to draw another penalty kick. The pair of penalties the Hornets converted were the only two the Trojans had given up all season, Wayzata head coach Dominic Duenas said.

“I’ve known Carson since we were 7 or 8 years old. I’ve played against him a lot of times, and we made the team together as freshmen,” said Engle, a Mr. Soccer finalist and Harvard commit. “The joy it brought me, not only knowing that it was going to make our team so much better but to have one of my best friends playing alongside me, knowing that he’s got my back and I’ve got his, it’s really special.”

Edina’s defense did the dirty work, shutting down a deep Wayzata team. Senior keeper Griffin Zosel praised the lockdown defending of all-state center back Malachi Sweeney and senior Hunter Fey, whose return from an ankle sprain helped bolster the Hornets’ back line.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st half: Maple Grove 2, Buffalo 0

The Crimson student section, a sea of pink, screams for a second time as Everett Johnston turns one goal into two. Senior midfielder Solan Gamachis dribbled around and faked out the Bison’s defense to drift the ball to Johnston, who soared it past the keeper.

— Olivia Hicks

1st half: Maple Grove 1, Buffalo 0

After just a minute of play, Maple Grove midfielder Everett Johnston sent the ball unassisted past Buffalo’s goalie, Gerhard Ungaro. Following a Maple Grove throw-in, Ungaro deflected the ball and Johnston, a senior, positioned himself just right to kick it in.

— Olivia Hicks

Final: Edina 3, Wayzata 0

The four-time state champion Hornets — this year’s No. 1 seed — booked their ticket to Friday’s Class 3A state championship with a 3-0 win over No. 4 Wayzata. It’s a morning to remember for Edina senior midfielder Carsten Koehler, who got Edina on the scoreboard after putting away his own penalty kick rebound. He later set up the Hornets’ two second-half goals from junior Ronan McArdle and senior Andreas Engle, also both scored on set pieces.

The Hornets will play the winner of the next Class 3A semifinal here at U.S. Bank Stadium, between No. 2 Buffalo and No. 3 Maple Grove.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Pregame: Buffalo vs. Maple Grove

I’m here at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, the Monster Jam truck rally, the Minneapolis Home and Remodeling Show and the most important event of all: the state soccer semifinals. The Class 3A boys soccer matchup between Buffalo and Maple Grove is about to begin. The high school soccer crowd might not fill all 66,400-plus seats, but the energy is high.

The Bison remain undefeated this season. The team secured its spot in the semifinals last week with a win over Rochester John Marshall, made possible by junior forward Cade Nissen’s goal past Rockets star keeper David Carter, a 2025 Mr. Soccer finalist.

Maple Grove returns to state for the 10th time, aiming to turn last season’s second-place state finish into an overall win. The last time the Crimson faced Buffalo, on Sept. 17, the game ended in a draw.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd half: Edina 3, Wayzata 0

Another goal, with 10 minutes left, seems like it might do it for the Hornets. Carsten Koehler threaded a nice back-heel pass to Andreas Engle, running through the Wayzata back line, and Engle was tripped up in the box, earning another Edina penalty kick.

Engle, a Mr. Soccer finalist committed to Harvard, buried the kick to make the Hornets’ trip to Friday’s Class 3A championship look all the more likely.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2nd half: Edina 2, Wayzata 0

A crossbar doesn’t bother Edina when the Hornets are cleaning up everything inside the 6-yard box.

With 12 minutes left to play, senior midfielder Carsten Koehler lined up over a free kick 30 yards out. His first attempt rocketed off the crossbar and down — potentially in, but it bounced out. Junior midfielder Ronan McArdle wouldn’t let the goal go up for debate, tucking in the rebound.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2nd half: Edina 1, Wayzata 0

With 20 minutes to go in this Class 3A semifinal, Carsten Koehler’s penalty kick putback remains the difference for Edina. The senior midfielder almost had another, with a chip from distance glancing off the Wayzata crossbar.

Hornets keeper Griffin Zosel came up big again early in the second half with a near-post save on Wayzata senior forward Aidan Iliff. We’ll see if Zosel’s morning gets busier as the Trojans start pressing higher with the hopes of an equalizer.

Hornets head coach Dave Jenson and assistant coach Bill Garner, both in their 40th seasons coaching with the program, are a quarter of the match away from leading Edina back to the state title game for the first time since its 2019 championship.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2nd half: Edina 1, Wayzata 0

Five minutes into the second half, senior midfielder Carsten Koehler delivered another corner kick for Edina when junior defender Aayaan Roy’s header bounced off the hand of a Wayzata defender stationed on the goal line. Koehler lined up to take the penalty kick for the Hornets.

Wayzata senior goalkeeper Garrett Latus fully extended for a diving save low to his left, but Koehler wouldn’t be denied twice. The Hornets midfielder was first to pounce on the rebound, tucking it in the low back post to put the No. 1 seed ahead.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Halftime: Edina 0, Wayzata 0

Edina managed to tip the offensive pressure in its favor for most of the first half — until the Trojans had the best look of the game so far with less than 10 minutes remaining before halftime.

A well-placed Wayzata corner kick found the head of senior midfielder Jeremy Cordeiro near the back post, but Edina senior keeper Griffin Zosel — also one of the state’s top rugby players — dived to his left to make the save. The ball stuck in his gloves, giving up no rebounds for the crashing Trojans.

Edina’s defense has recorded 13 shutouts this year and is 40 minutes away from another. The Hornets had to weather some chances in the first half, specifically the long throw-in from Wayzata senior forward Aidan Iliff, who was busy launching balls into the 18-yard box from the touchline.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st half: Edina 0, Wayzata 0

We’re halfway through the first half, still scoreless. It’s been fairly even so far, each team with a corner but nothing especially dangerous off those chances. Wayzata defender Reid Bohlsen lofted a free kick not too far over the Hornets’ crossbar, but nothing on net.

The Trojans have been paying special attention defensively to Edina senior forward Andreas Engle. The Harvard commit was a Mr. Soccer finalist and All-Minnesota Team player. He is also the younger brother of former Edina girls soccer standout Izzy Engle, whose 16 goals for Notre Dame this fall rank third in NCAA soccer.

Pregame: Edina. vs. Wayzata

Move over, Vikings. For the next few weeks, between soccer state tournaments and football’s Prep Bowl, we’re going to see plenty of talented student-athletes take the field at U.S. Bank Stadium. We begin that stretch with six boys soccer state tournament semifinals, which run from dawn until past dusk today. First up is Class 3A, with No. 1 Edina and No. 4 Wayzata kicking off the show at 8 a.m.

All four of our Class 3A semifinalists — the prior pair, plus No. 2 Buffalo and No. 3 Maple Grove — hail from the Lake Conference, so they’ve met before this season. Edina and Wayzata split their games, with the Trojans getting the upper hand 2-1 in early September. A week later, the Hornets won the rematch 3-0.

Edina, four-time champion (the last in 2019), returns to state for the first time since 2022. Wayzata won the title that year, and the next year, to add to their 2005 championship.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer