1A boys' soccer: Mahtomedi shoots past Totino-Grace

Totino-Grace boys' soccer coach Bill Vance steered Paul Yonga, his dejected star senior, from the bench and around reporters asking Mahtomedi goalkeeper James Neher about making the shootout save on Yonga that propelled the Zephyrs past the favored Eagles.

Mahtomedi's 1-0 victory in the Class 1A state semifinals, decided by a 5-4 shootout, sent No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Totino-Grace home without a title for the second consecutive season. The Eagles lost in the 2008 Class 1A championship game to Blake.

"I didn't think the one save I'd make would be on Mr. Soccer," Neher said. "Paul is a great player, and they've been a great team, but soccer comes down to the final whistle."

The teams failed to score through regulation and overtime. Totino-Grace (18-4) outshot the Zephyrs 14-4 and generated several good scoring chances, but Neher made eight saves and kept Mahtomedi (16-3-3) in the game.

With each team scoring on their first two shootout attempts, Neher settled in to face Yonga. Beaten twice to his left, Neher said he had "a gut feeling" that Yonga would shoot to the right.

"I've played with Paul a long time, and we practice penalty kicks on state select teams," Neher said. "I had a split second to read his hips and knee placement, and it worked out."

Tabor Wolde secured the victory by scoring the Zephyrs' fifth goal of the shootout.

Hermantown 2, Simley 1: Brandon Crusan and his Hermantown teammates were a little overwhelmed by their trip to the Metrodome, a first for the Hawks soccer program.

"It was completely new to us," Crusan said. "It was a different atmosphere. It was more intense every play."

Crusan and No. 3 seed Hermantown (21-1) showed some veteran composure late in the game. He scored with 1 minute, 29 seconds remaining to lift the Hawks to a 2-1 victory. They advance to play Mahtomedi in the championship game at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

Hermantown scored first in a battle of two programs making their state tournament debuts. A corner kick put the ball in play near the Simley goal. An initial shot was blocked by goalkeeper Andrew Nelson, but the ball popped out to Kevin Danielson, who drilled it home in the 16th minute.

The Spartans (18-2-4) tied the score in the 39th minute, as Oja Ena won a foot race and headed the ball past Hawks goalkeeper Andrew Samberg.

After combining for 14 first-half shots, the teams played tighter defense in the second half. Each team took just three shots, and Crusan's became the biggest.

"Charlie [Comnick] dropped it in behind the defender, I made one touch, cut to the right and shot," said Crusan, who tallied his team-leading 23rd goal.

"It was a big relief. We did not want to go to overtime or a shootout."