St. Paul Academy routs giant-killer Maranatha; St. Anthony reaches first title match

History was behind the St. Paul Academy boys' soccer team Tuesday.

The Spartans, the most storied program in state history, scored just 1 minute, 18 seconds into the game, extended the lead to four goals by halftime and cruised to a 6-0 victory over Maranatha Christian Academy in the Class 1A semifinals of the boys' soccer state tournament at U.S. Bank Stadium.

St. Paul Academy (13-3-1), a four-time state champion, was making its 18^th state tournament appearance but its first since 2012. The players knew well the pedigree of the program and were determined to live up to it.

"It's been 10 years since we've been here," sophomore midfielder Ezra Straub said. "Ever since we started sections, it was about playing for the people that couldn't get here."

Senior Yash Kshirsagar had two goals and an assist, all in the game's first 27 minutes.

Recent history was also in play for St. Paul Academy. Maranatha (9-11-1) had pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament, beating No. 1 seed Southwest Christian in the semifinals, but never mounted a serious threat Tuesday.

Kshirsagar said the team is zeroed in on adding another championship to the school legacy.

St. Anthony 3, Legacy Christian 0: Through the first 35 minutes of the Class 1A semifinal between a pair of even-matched, first-time tournament entrants, there was a feeling something unexpected was needed to tilt the scales.

St. Anthony got just what it was looking for when sophomore Max Plaza's corner kick bounced in front of the goal and was knocked past the Legacy Christian defenders in the 36th minute, giving the Huskies a crucial 1-0 lead.

They parlayed that advantage into two more second-half goals in a 3-0 victory over the Lions.

"Once we got that first goal, the guys started to get some confidence, and that helped us going forward," said St. Anthony coach Sam Mann Jr.

Recognizing that Legacy would be forced to bring players forward to in an attempt to get the equalizer, Mann moved his wings up to take advantage of the expected holes in the back line.

"It was a big moment for me and my little brother," said Plaza-Alvarado. "We went to go celebrate with our parents."