Sports

Class 2A boys soccer: Stillwater, Wayzata wins set up final match of unbeaten teams

Stillwater emphatically slams door shut in 6-1 victory.

By David La Vaque

November 1, 2016 at 1:30AM

Stillwater goalkeeper Fred LeClair (with gloves) made a save amid a scrum in the first half Monday in the Class 2A boys’ soccer semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Ponies kept their undefeated season intact, winning 6-1. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

So, Andover coach John Schlichtmann, what lift did your team receive by scoring first against undefeated Stillwater?

"It would have given us a better lift if they hadn't scored about a minute later," Schlicht- mann said.

Actually, it took just 16 seconds. After falling behind early Monday in the historic first state tournament game played at U.S. Bank Stadium, Stillwater surged to a 6-1 rout.

No. 4 seed Andover (15-3-2) led in the eighth minute on a goal from Hector Coronado. The play served as a triple espresso for No. 1 seed Stillwater (21-0).

"We kind of snapped out of whatever we were in," senior defender Patrick Allan said.

Or as Stillwater coach Jake Smothers put it, "We came to realize that we were actually in a soccer game, that this isn't a tour of U.S. Bank Stadium, that it's time to start playing soccer."

Allan tied the score, and goals from teammates Kohei Adams and Colman Farrington made it 3-1 at halftime. Adams later completed his hat trick as the Ponies outshot Andover 25-6 overall and 13-4 in shots on goal.

"They have so many kids who can score and do things with the ball," Andover senior midfielder Alex Gutenberg said. "They just kept moving it around and managed to find the exact spots where we weren't."

Disappointed to lose, Gutenberg still enjoyed playing at the Vikings' $1.1 billion home. "This was probably the most amazing experience of my life so far," Gutenberg said.

Wayzata 2, Edina 0: Trojans defense shines again.

The Trojans, with their third 2-0 victory over the Hornets, set up a showdown with fellow unbeaten Stillwater.

Erik Aadalen and Maclane King scored second-half goals for No. 2 seed Wayzata (18-0-3), and the defense held Edina to two shots on goal.

The title game will feature contrasting styles. The Ponies score at will while the Trojans defense (12 shutouts) breaks the will of opponents.

"Collin [Kubinski] did a great job in net, and I thought everyone in front of him did a great job as well," Wayzata coach Dominic Duenas said. "It's tough to keep [Edina] off the scoreboard."

Knowing the objective — to score goals — didn't make the job any easier for No. 3 seed Edina (16-4-1) and coach Dave Jenson. "Their defenders just did what they've done all year, and that's just stay on top of the box," Jenson said.

Kubinski praised his back line players. "Our defensemen are amazing this year," Kubinski said. "Whether it's picking up their men on the backside or simply staying in front of the forwards, they block as many shots as they can."

David La Vaque

Edina’s Riley Fitzgerald and Wayzata’s Matthew Muenchow battled for the ball during the first half of their semifinal match. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

about the writer

David La Vaque

Reporter

David La Vaque is a high school sports reporter who has been the lead high school hockey writer for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2010. He is co-author of “Tourney Time,” a book about the history of Minnesota’s boys hockey state tournament published in 2020 and updated in 2024.