Boys State High School Sectional Finals on Tuesday Determine State Tournament Teams

Many Minnesota State High School League sectional finals were played on Tuesday. The winner of those games will be moving on to the state tournament quarterfinals that start next week and finish up with semifinals and finals being played inside the Mall of American Dome the following week.

Boys 2A Section 6AA Final

Minneapolis South 2-1 Minneapolis Southwest - Report by Dean Campbell

Freshman Chico Molina’s goal with 5 minutes, 3 seconds remaining lifted Minneapolis Southwest past Minneapolis South 2-1 in Thursday’s Section 6AA final at Roosevelt HS.

Southwest, last year’s state AA runner-up, advanced with a 14-3-1 record. Minneapolis City Conference champion South finished 14-3-1 after losing the rubber match of an exciting series that featured 15 goals and three dramatic endings.

Molina’s goal from 6 yards out came after senior Garrett Powell’s throw-in from the right skimmed off a group of players at the near post. Another Powell throw-in led to the game’s first goal, a penalty kick that was converted by senior Shane Marshall in the 12th minute.

South tied the game in the 38th minute on junior Elliot Cassutt’s left-footed volley from 15 yards. Senior Hamdi Abdullahi’s throw-in from the left bounced out to Cassutt, who finished coolly into the upper right corner.

Powell figured in three quality scoring chances in the second half, including his 20-yard shot in the 44th minute that skipped just wide. Powell throw-ins set up senior Charlie Shepard for a close-range shot in the 54th minute and a 74th-minute header by sophomore Zach Neiberger that floated just over the crossbar.

South edged Southwest 3-2 in their first regular-season meeting on Cassutt’s goal with 15 seconds remaining, but the Lakers returned the favor one week later with a 4-3 overtime victory that featured three goals in the final 4 minutes.

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Boys 2A Section 4AA Final - Report by Brian Quarstad

North Saint Paul 3-2 St. Paul Central

The North Saint Paul Polars will be making a trip to the state finals this year representing section 4AA after defeating St. Paul Central in penalty kick shootouts 4-3. The shootout took place after 100 minutes of end to end action and a 2-2 deadlock.

North St. Paul goalkeeper Eric Mantueffel had to come up big many times in the match to keep the Polars in the Tuesday night sectional final. But none more important than the senior’s dive to the left to deny Central’s junior defender Henry Andrastek who was the 5th and final penalty kick shooter for Central. The block sent the Polars players diving on Mantueffel to celebrate their berth in the state tournament.

It was Central’s senior defender Cooper Hagmen who put his team out in front 1-0 in the 56th minute. He poked the ball into the net after a scramble in front of goal and sustained pressure from the Minuteman.

Ten minutes later North Saint Paul’s freshman forward Jonicel Martinez equalized for his team. It was the Polars again who scored in the 75th minute. Junior attacker Tyler Oliver looked like he could have netted the game winner with only 5 minutes left of the 80 minute contest. North Saint Paul had taken several good shots forcing Minuteman senior goalkeeper Saw Napoleon into several saves. Finally a ball rebounded out to Oliver who made no mistake with his shot, burying a cannon into the upper netting from 8 yards out.

The Minutemen were awarded a free-kick with 2 minutes remaining in regulation. The ball was spotted near the touch line and 35 yards from goal. Senior midfielder Jonah Van Why who was in the center of most of the Minuetmens’ playmaking all night long, served a ball into the box which found the head of Andrastek. He flicked the ball on and past Mantueffel for the all important equalizer.

The game went through a scoreless 20 minutes of overtime before going to penalty kick shootouts. NSP – Ocampo blocked. SPC – scored right. NSP – T. Oliver scored down center. SPC – Hageman missed goal wide right. NSP – J. Oliver scored left. SPC – Habte scored low right. NSP – Martinez scored low left. SPC Ortiz scored upper left. NSP – Marren – scored upper right. SPC – Andrastek blocked right. North St. Paul 4-3 St. Paul Central.

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In other Boys 2A section final and 1A section semifinal and final action:

Section 1AA
The number 1 & 2 seed had already been upset in this section. In Tuesday’s sectional final Rochester Mayo moves on to the state tournament with a 2-1 win over Northfield.

Section 2AA
Eden Prairie (#3 seed) upsets Bloomington Jefferson (#1 seed) 2-1.

Section 3AA
Eastview (1) defeats Eagan (2) by a score of 3-1.

Section 4AA
North St. Paul defeats St. Paul Central. (see game recap at top of article)

Section 5AA
Maple Grove, the #2 seed upsets #1 seed Spring Lake Park/St. Anthony Village with a 3-1 win.

Section 6AA
Minneapolis Southwest upsets Minneapolis South. (see game recap at top of article)

Section 7AA
Number one seed Blaine scored two goals in their 2-0 win over Andover (2).

Section 8AA
Anoka (1) gets the job done with a 4-2 win over St. Michael-Albertville (2),

In Boys 1A Sectional action:

Section 1A
Rochester Lourdes (1) defeated Austin (2) 2-0.

Section 2A (Semifinals)
Mankato West (3) upset Mankato East (2) 4-0 and Wilmar (5) upsets Fairmont (1) 5-0. Wilmar will face Mankato West in the finals this Thursday 10/20 and Dakota Meadows at 4:00 pm.

Section 3A
St. Paul Academy (1) wins over Academy of Holy Angels (3) 2-1 in overtime.

Section 4A (Semifinals)
South Saint Paul took care of business and disposed of St. Croix Lutheran (5) by a score of 2-0.
St. Paul Humboldt (3) upset conference rival St. Paul Como Park (2) 2-0. Humboldt will now face South St. Paul in the sectional final at South St. Paul at 5:00 pm.

Section 5A
Prairie Seeds Academy (1) disposes of Totino-Grace (2) 6-0.

Section 6A
Number one seed Benilde-St. Margaret’s School got moves onto the state tournament with a sound defeat of Waconia (3) 6-0.

Section 7A (Semifinals)
Marshal School Duluth (1) took out Grand Rapids (4) 3-0 setting up a #1 & #2 sectional final as Cloquet (2) disposed of Proctor (6) 2-0. Sectional final will take place on Thursday at Public Schools Stadium, Duluth under the lights with a 7 pm kickoff.

Section 8A (Semifinals)
St. Cloud Cathedral (3 seed south) upset Bemidji (1 seed north) by a score of 3-2 and 2-2 tie in overtime. SCC wins in PK’s 3-0.
Sartell (#1 seed south) defeated Hillcrest Lutheran (#2 seed north) 4-0.
The two winners will face each other on Thursday evening with a 6 pm kickoff at SCSU St Cloud.