2024 Soccer State Tournament: Day 3 Recap

Final spots in next week’s semifinals were claimed after teams outlasted heavy rain and lightning on Day 3 of the Minnesota State High School League’s Boys and Girls Soccer State Tournaments on Thursday, Oct. 24. 

Adverse weather won’t be a factor next week when the semifinals and championship games will be played at climate-controlled U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. The third-place games will be played at the West St. Paul Regional Athletics Center. 

Here is a look at what happened in the final day of quarterfinals as teams played for a spot in the semifinals: 

Girls

Class A

• No. 5 Esko 1, No. 4 St. Cloud Cathedral 0, SO: After 100 minutes of scoreless regulation and overtime at Monticello High School, Esko used the game-deciding shootout procedure to earn a berth in the semifinals next week at U.S. Bank Stadium. Senior forward Reese Kuklinski scored the deciding goal for Esko.
• No. 1 Southwest Christian 4, Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa 1: Sophomore forward Caroline Sems gave Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa a one-goal lead in the first half, but the top-seeded Stars answered with four goals of their own at Eden Prairie High School. Senior Maya Johnson had two of those goals in sending Southwest Christian to the semifinals where it will face Esko on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 5 p.m.

Class AA

• No. 2 Mahtomedi 3, St. Francis 0: Senior defender Faith Peper, junior forward Allie Rippentrop and junior Kayla Poirer scored goals to fuel Mahtomedi’s victory at Kuhlman Stadium at Edina Community Center to fill the last spot in the Class AA semifinals. The Zephyrs, a perennial participant in the semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium, will face Mankato East on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 2:30 p.m. 
• No. 3 Mankato East 3, St. Cloud Tech 1: Junior forward Taylor Schilling scored a goal in each half to send the Cougars past the Tigers at Spring Lake Park High School. After senior Molly Burkstrand scored to pull St. Cloud Tech to within a goal, Mankato East’s sophomore forward Jillian Borgmeier restored the two-goal advantage. 

Boys

Class A

• No. 3 Rochester Lourdes 5, Fridley 0: Following a one-hour weather delay because of lightning in the area, Rochester Lourdes was off and running in posting a shutout victory at Kuhlman Stadium at the Edina Community Center. Senior forward Aidan Kane led the way with two goals to power the Eagles into the Class A semifinals next week at U.S. Bank Stadium. It was the fifth time this season that Kane has scored two goals in a game. Sophomore Blake Moynagh chipped in a goal, his 30^th of the season. 
• No. 2 St. Cloud Cathedral 2, Marshall School, Duluth 1: Junior Jacob Oliver scored a second-half goal to snap a deadlock and lead St. Cloud Cathedral to a thrilling victory at Monticello High School. St. Cloud Cathedral senior Jack Stang opened the scoring before junior forward Levi Mertens scored the equalizer for Marshall School. A month ago, St. Cloud Cathedral recorded the same score over Marshall School in a non-conference game. 
• No. 5 Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa 2, No. 4 Breck 1: In the final game of the entire quarterfinal series, Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa earned a spot in the semifinals with a victory over Breck at Eden Prairie High School. After trading first-half goals, it was Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa that found the coveted game-winner when junior midfielder Zachary Breitenstein scored late in the second half. Breck senior forward Asher Leventhal opened the scoring, but Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa senior Jacob Carter would soon answer.

Class AA

• No. 4, Orono 5, No. 5 Mankato East 0: Orono rolled into the semifinals with a convincing victory over Mankato East at Spring Lake Park High School. Senior forward Mylo Doise scored a goal in each half to pace the Spartans, who will advance to play top-seeded Holy Angels next Wednesday, Oct. 30 in the semifinals.