Preview of boys' and girls' soccer state tournament

A ll four classes of high school soccer are assured of having new champions this week in the state tournament held at Husky Stadium at St. Cloud State. Husky Stadium also is a newcomer to hosting the semifinals and finals, which were previously played in the Metrodome. A look at the matchups:

Maple Grove at a glance: Deep and talented, the Crimson boast eight players who have scored five to 11 goals this season. Maple Grove overwhelmed Anoka in a 5-1 victory earlier this season.

Anoka at a glance: The Tornadoes are not afraid of a challenge. They stunned previously unbeaten Minnetonka in the quarterfinals on a last-second goal.

Key to watch: Maple Grove tries to put teams under tremendous pressure for the first 10 minutes of a game. Anoka must not wilt.

East Ridge at a glance: The top-seeded Raptors, averaging three goals per game, are led by senior striker Connor Stevenson, with 28 goals and 13 assists. Samuel Ruiz Plaza acts as the de-facto point guard of the offense from his place in the midfield.

Wayzata at a glance: All-conference midfielder Clayton Smith leads the team with 10 goals and 11 assists. Senior midfielder Arthur Parens had two goals in a quarterfinal victory over Rochester John Marshall. Junior goalkeeper Troy Louwagie has recorded eight shutouts.

Key to watch: How will the Royals defense stack up against the Raptors powerful front line? Louwagie faces a stiff test against the Raptors' possession-heavy attack. Wayzata will have to close down on Ruiz Plaza.

Eden Prairie at a glance: State tournament jitters and a dash of overconfidence diminished Eden Prairie's performance in a 1-0 quarterfinal victory against Anoka. Neither should be a factor in this game.

Key to watch: Lakeville North must contain Eden Prairie forward April Bockin, the Ms. Soccer recipient who has scored seven of the Eagles' nine postseason goals. Bockin is fast, smart and puts stress on defenses with her penchant for creating chances out of seemingly nothing.

Eagan at a glance: The top-seeded Wildcats have scored 59 goals and only conceded nine this season. All-state players Jade King, Taylor Kenealy, and Margaret Harings pace the attack while giving opposing defenses fits. The Wildcats' brand of keep-away has helped them record 13 shutouts.

Centennial at a glance: The Cougars have allowed six goals all season and senior goalkeeper Morgan Wirz has 15 shutouts. Wirz's penalty kick save in the quarterfinals against Cretin-Derham Hall clinched the victory. On offense, the Cougars are led by junior forward Nan Glinsek's 11 goals.

Key to watch: Can Eagan's all-state trio figure out a way to beat Wirz? Both teams pride themselves on controlling possession, so the battle in this game may be won or lost in the midfield.

Mankato West at a glance: Expect the Scarlets, who average four goals per game, to go on the offensive early and often. Sophomore Jacob Makela, a fleet and instinctive attacker, has 37 goals in 20 games.

Key to watch: St. Cloud Apollo on the counterattack. Mankato West is used to scoring in bunches, but its attacking style could leave it vulnerable on defense.

DeLaSalle at a glance: The Islanders, unranked to start the year, are the top seed and making their first state tournament appearance. DeLaSalle, which won the Tri-Metro Conference for the first time, finished fifth in the Class 1A coaches poll. Michael Wageman leads the Islanders with 41 points on a team-high 17 goals and seven assists.

Chaska at a glance: Chaska played a tough Metro West schedule. The Hawks finished the regular season 10-5, but weren't ranked in the top 10 in the final coaches poll. Chaska, seeded fifth, knocked off defending Class 1A titleholder St. Paul Como Park 2-0 in the quarterfinals. The Hawks are playing in their first state tournament.

Key to watch: This one could be a shootout. DeLaSalle is averaging 4.3 goals per game this year, and Chaska is scoring nearly three goals a game. DeLaSalle is starting freshman keeper Will Hagg after all-state senior captain goalie Nicholai Anderson Pena broke his leg three weeks ago. Hagg held Mahtomedi scoreless in the state quarterfinal.

Orono at a glance: The Tigers allowed less than a half a goal a game during the regular season. They control the center of the field and don't allow opponents much time in the offensive zone. Orono's offense is fueled by Sophie Babo, recently named Ms. Soccer in Class 1A. She leads the team with 30 goals.

Key to watch: Whose style is going to dictate the game? Will it be the pressure of the Pirates or the defense-leads-to-offense style of the Spartans.

Minneapolis Washburn at a glance: Washburn is the Concorde jet of girls' prep soccer. The Millers quickly reach a much-higher cruising level than their competitors and stay above them from there. Washburn scored 97 goals, including three or more on 14 occasions. Defensively, it's been more than two months since it has given up a goal, a string of 16 consecutive shutouts.

Hill-Murray at a glance: After a 6-6-4 regular season in which they never won back-to-back games, the Pioneers have won four consecutive postseason games. Midfielders Maddie Conners and Emily Heslin and defender Callyn Loughrey accounted for more 80 percent of the team's goals. They combined to score all five in the Pioneers' quarterfinal victory over Princeton.

Key to watch: Washburn's ability to score early. If the Millers get on top quickly, their suffocating defense can squeeze the life out of opponents.