Championship Saturday: Mounds View 3 Rosemount 2 Class AAA Boys Soccer Championship

Mounds View found itself in unfamiliar territory on Saturday, Nov. 6 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Throughout their journey to the 16^th state tournament appearance in program history, the Mustangs had never trailed by two goals. But in the pinnacle game of the season, they stared at a two-goal deficit against Rosemount in the Class AAA Boys Soccer State Championship game.

“Being in that spot made what we did even more special,” Mounds View head coach Joe Warren said.

Using a late offensive surge in the first half to trim the deficit to one goal, the No. 4-seeded Mustangs rallied with three unanswered goals to record a 3-2 victory over unseeded Rosemount. Senior forward Sam Hoyt scored a goal in each half and senior forward Henry Elias scored the winner with just under six minutes remaining in regulation to send the Mustangs (16-5-0) to the school’s first boys soccer championship since 1977 in the single-class era. Mounds View was the runner-up in 1974, 1976, 1984 and 2006.

On the winner that clinched a title, Mounds View senior midfielder Joseph Swallen crossed a low pass across the 6-yard box. As the ball traveled through a crowd of players, it fell to Elias, who scored into an empty net. Eighteen minutes earlier, Mounds View climbed into a 2-all tie on Hoyt’s second goal after a passing feed from teammate Simon Greer, a junior midfielder.

Mounds View’s path to a championship included a 2-1 victory over Stillwater in the quarterfinals and a 2-0 win over Rochester Mayo in the semifinals.

Rosemount (9-7-3) built a two-goal advantage with an early goal from junior midfielder Reid Wolf and an own-goal in the 24^th minute. Junior midfielder Domingo De La Cruz Delgado had the assists on each Rosemount goal.

Rosemount, making its third state tournament appearance, qualified for the championship game with a 2-1 victory over No. 3 Edina in the quarterfinals followed by a 2-1 win over No. 2 Duluth East in the semifinals.

All-Tournament Team

• Abdiwassa Musse, Minneapolis Southwest, F
• Riley Buxell, Stillwater, MF
• Ryan Swanda, Edina, MF
• Ben Colborn, Moorhead, MF
• Jack Hobday, Rochester Mayo, GK
• Alec McBane, Rochester Mayo, D
• Evan Tomczyk, Duluth East, MF
• Kai Hoffman, Duluth East, MF
• Aiden Olson, Duluth East, MF
• Sam Hoyt, Mounds View, F
• Joe Swallen, Mounds View, MF
• Bryce Dullum, Mounds View, MF
• Isaac Lewis, Rosemount, MF
• Leyton Simmering, Rosemount, GK
• Domingo De La Cruz, Rosemount, ,MF