High school soccer went from no state tournament a year ago to an expanded field this season. For the first time, three state champions in boys' and girls' soccer will be crowned. Section playoffs begin this week, paths varying in difficulty but all culminating in November games at U.S. Bank Stadium. Here's a look at teams to watch.
Class 3A
Maple Grove, the state's top ranked team, isn't the only top-10 team in Section 5. The Crimson (14-0) opened the season with a 3-2 defeat of Champlin Park. A likely section final tussle with the fourth-ranked Rebels awaits.
Three additional sections feature at least two top-10 teams: Section 1 (No. 2 Lakeville South and No. 10 Rochester Century), Section 4 (No. 3 East Ridge and No. 9 St. Paul Central) and Section 6 (No. 5 Minneapolis Southwest and No. 6 Wayzata).
On the girls' side, No. 1 Edina (15-0) headlines Section 2. Other favorites for section titles include second-ranked Centennial (14-1) in Section 7, and three teams whose rankings match their section: No. 3 Rosemount (15-1), No. 4 Stillwater (11-3-2) and No. 5 Maple Grove (11-2-2).
Class 2A
Benilde-St. Margaret's (14-0-1) holds the top ranking and is favored to win Section 5 and earn an 11th trip to state. Another undefeated team, St. Francis (15-0), is poised to win Section 6 and make school history with a first state tournament appearance. For the boys' teams, No. 1 DeLaSalle (15-0) holds a slight edge over No. 2 Orono (14-1-1) in Section 5.
Class 1A
