2024 Soccer State Tournament: Day 1 Recap

Opening Day of the Minnesota State High School League’s Boys and Girls Soccer State Tournament began with the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at four venues in the Twin Cities. Winning teams this week advance to the semifinals next week at U.S. Bank Stadium. The quarterfinals continue on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Girls

Class AA

• No. 1 Holy Angels 5, Byron 0: Junior midfielder Audrina Hess scored two goals to fuel the Stars’ opening-round victory over Byon at Eden Prairie. Senior midfielder Cora Kmiec had two assists for the Stars. 

Class AAA

• No. 1 Wayzata 7, St. Michael-Albertville 1: Sophomore forward Lauren Craig scored two goals and senior forward Tenley also chipped in two points with a goal and an assist to send the top-seeded Trojans to an opening-round victory over St. Michael-Albertville. It was Wayzata’s second victory over St. Michael-Albertville this season. The other was a 4-2 win during Lake Conference play. 
• No. 3 East Ridge 1, Maple Grove 0: With overtime looming, junior forward Reese Tovar erased that possibility on a goal with nine seconds remaining in regulation to send the Raptors to a victory over the Crimson at White Bear Lake. East Ridge dominated territorial play in the second and that eventually resulted in Tovar’s goal on a shot from 13 yards after a brilliant feed from senior forward Elie Wildman.
• No. 4 Eagan 3, No. 5 Lakeville North 1: Senior forward Josie Seehafer and sophomore midfielder Tess Triplett scored goals to send the Wildcats to a two-goal advantage en route to a quarterfinal victory at Farmington High School. Early last month, Eagan and Lakeville North played to a 2-2 draw during a South Suburban Conference game. Eagan would end up winning the conference crown en route to a second consecutive state tournament berth. The Wildcats won three big-school soccer championships between 2014 and 2017.

Boys

Class AA

• No. 1 Holy Angels 7, Northfield 1: Senior midfielder Colin Pannhoff and junior forward James Parish had two goals each to power the top-seeded Stars to a victory over the Raiders at Eden Prairie High School. 

Class AAA

• Andover 3, No. 3 Minnetonka 2: Junior midfielder Grady Monette scored two goals and sophomore defender Collison Acquoi added another to send the unseeded Huskies past the Skippers at Kuhlman Stadium at the Edina Community Center. Senior midfielder Colin Mascolo and senior midfielder Hudson Benites countered with goals for Minnetonka.
• No. 2 Maple Grove 2, Rochester Mayo 1: For the second consecutive game at White Bear Lake Area High School, an overtime session was held at bay when junior Solan Gamachise scored with 15 seconds remaining in regulation time to give the Crimson a narrow victory over the Spartans. He scored on a long rebound into an open goal from 25 yards to send Maple Grove to the big-school semifinals next week at U.S. Bank Stadium. Teammate Everett Johnston, a junior, opened the scoring for Maple Grove in the 10^th minute, but Rochester Mayo quickly answered on a goal from senior Cadel Wolf. 
• No. 4 Eagan 2, No. 5 Woodbury 1, OT: In perhaps the most dramatic conclusion to Day 1, junior midfielder Eric Noll scored on a penalty kick midway through the first overtime to give the Wildcats a victory over the Royals. Noll’s penalty-kick opportunity was down the middle of the goal to give the Wildcats their 10^th consecutive victory. Eagan earned the penalty kick opportunity when senior midfielder Jake Sondag was taken down in the penalty area.