Eagan’s boys soccer team enjoyed playing with one another so much this season that they savored their state tournament experience by playing elongated games. When it finally had to end, it was a joyful conclusion.
Sophomore forward Zayan Oliyath put future opponents on notice that he is a force to be reckoned with after scoring three goals, including the winner in overtime, that lifted No. 4 Eagan to a 4-3 victory over No. 2 Maple Grove in the Class AAA Boys Soccer State Tournament Championship Game on Friday, Nov. 1 at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis.
He scored in the fourth minute of the extra session when he one-timed a quick shot from six yards out. Teammate Owen Juntilla, a junior midfielder, engineered the play off a well-placed corner kick. The ball bounced around a bit before Oliyath put the finishing touches on Eagan’s first championship in boys soccer.
En route to winning the big-school crown, Eagan (20-1-1) went overtime in each of its three games. The Wildcats began their championship journey with a 2-1 overtime victory over No. 5 Woodbury in the quarterfinals. Then came a 1-0 victory over No. 1 seed Minneapolis Washburn in two overtimes in the semifinals. The Wildcats finished the season on a 12-game winning streak.
Oliyath’s two other goals were rocket shots from long distance, including a 25-yarder that tied the score at 3-all with just more than 13 minutes remaining in regulation time.
It ended an avalanche of offense when six goals were scored in a 20-minute span in the second half.
In that spree, Maple Grove senior midfielder Gannon Farrens had one of the most impressive goals when he had a diving header, just inches off the turf, that found the back of the goal. Farrens will trade in his turf shoes for lightweight running spikes on Saturday, Nov. 2 when he competes in the League’s Cross Country State Meet.
Maple Grove (19-1-1) finished as the Class AAA runner-up for the second consecutive season.
