The road to Minnesota high school soccer supremacy runs straight through downtown Minneapolis this week. Six boys’ semifinal games will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 4 while an additional six matches on the girls’ side will be contested 24 hours later as Round Two of the Minnesota State High School League’s Boys and Girls Soccer State Tournament takes place at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Winners from each of those games advance to Championship Saturday on Nov. 7. Third-place games are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5 and Friday, Nov. 6 at the West St. Paul Regional Athletics Center.
Blake, Breck, Duluth East, Holy Angels, and St. Croix Prep each have representation for their boys and girls programs in the semifinal round. That dual-bracket depth highlights a high-stakes week where historical rivalries meet tournament pressure.
Boys’ Semifinals Open Wednesday at U.S. Bank Stadium
The Trojans (14-1-3) punched their ticket with a 2-0 quarterfinal victory over St. Michael-Albertville, featuring goals from senior defender Preston Williams and senior forward George Soelfker. Standing across the pitch will be a surging Duluth East squad (15-0-4). The Section 7AA champions erased a deficit to defeat Eastview 2-1 behind two second-half tallies from senior forward Jacob Sherman, marking the Greyhounds’ first state tournament appearance since 2021.
Later in the morning session, Edina takes on No. 6 St. Paul Central. The Hornets (17-2-0) secured their spot with a 2-1 win over Rochester Mayo, pushing for what would be the 215th overall state championship across all sports in school history—a state record. St. Paul Central (13-3-3) survived a tense 100-minute deadlock against Maple Grove before junior forward Andrew Whittington clinched a shootout victory.
In Class AA, top-seeded Blake (16-3-1) rides a nine-game winning streak into a matchup against tournament debutants Winona (16-2-1), whose sophomore Leif Overhaug notched the lone goal needed past St. Paul Como Park. Meanwhile, No. 2 Sartell (18-2-0) brings an 18-game win streak against Cretin-Derham Hall (14-4-2), which survived a wild 6-5 shootout against Grand Rapids.
Class A action features top-ranked Holy Angels (18-0-1) facing Cotter/Hope (18-2-0), while No. 2 St. Croix Prep (19-0-1) meets No. 3 Breck (14-5-1). St. Croix Prep has outscored its four postseason opponents 19-0, while Breck counters with senior defender Ellis Preissing, supported by assistant coach John Swallen, a former Minnesota Thunder all-star goalkeeper and Breck alumnus.
Girls’ Matches Take Over the Turf on Thursday
Thursday, November 5 brings the girls’ semifinals, anchored by a marquee Class AA showdown between No. 1 Blake and No. 4 Mahtomedi. This pairing is a direct rematch of last year’s title game, where Mahtomedi prevailed to win its second crown in a row and 12th overall. The Blake Bears (18-2-0) advanced behind a natural hat trick from sophomore midfielder Lauren Breyer in a 7-0 rout of Cloquet. The Mahtomedi Zephyrs (11-6-1) arrive on a nine-game win streak after erasing top-seeded Hill-Murray and Totino-Grace in section play.
In Class AAA, top-ranked Lakeville North (15-1-2) relies on senior Brynn Koehnen—who scored four first-half goals in the quarterfinals—to face Mounds View (17-2-1), the team that ended Stillwater’s championship reign. Eagan (14-2-3) meets Duluth East (15-4-1), whose head coach, Steve Polkowski, is an Eagan graduate who once led the Wildcats to four consecutive state tournaments.
Class A girls’ semifinals round out the week as Esko (17-1-1) faces St. Croix Prep (14-3-3). Esko secured its berth with a 2-0 victory over Cannon Falls powered by sophomore Hanna Rautell and senior Madeline Hipp.
