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Stillwater revs up in second half to set up championship rematch

By DAVID LA VAQUE, Star Tribune, 10/30/17, 12:15PM CDT

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The defending champion Ponies broke open a tie game after halftime with four goals en route to a 5-1 victory against Duluth East.


Stillwater's Jorge Malon (right) and Even Abrahams of Duluth East battle for the ball Monday in the Class 2A semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Photo: Richard Tsong-Taatarii * Richard.tsong-taatarii@startribune.com

Stillwater began its semifinal game against Duluth East by doing something it had not done in a month — allowing a goal.

The Ponies regrouped, however, scoring four second-half goals in a 5-1 victory Monday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The defending Class 2A boys’ soccer state champion returns to the title game, once again to face Wayzata, at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Seth Hoffman gave No. 3 seed Duluth East (19-2) a 1-0 lead just 25 seconds into the game, converting on a penalty kick and providing the underdog Greyhounds a jolt.

“If there’s a positive to come out of something like that, it’s that it was 25 seconds into the game,” Stillwater coach Jake Smothers said. “It gave us plenty of time to recover.”

No. 2 seed Stillwater (18-1-2) drew even on Jorge Malon’s goal in the 13th minute and the teams remained deadlocked at halftime.

Exploiting what Smothers diagnosed as gaps on the right side of the Duluth East defense, Stillwater pumped in four goals in a little more than 13 minutes. Goals from Max Stauffer, Maxwell Timmons, Jack Boucher and Spencer Scott turned a close game into a rout.

“We’ve been a second half team all year but it backfired this time,” Hoffman said. “They scored first and it just kept rolling.”

 

First report

Defending Class 2A boys’ soccer state champion Stillwater returns to the title game, once again to face an unbeaten Wayzata team.

The Ponies defeated Duluth East 5-1 in Monday’s second semifinal played at U.S. Bank Stadium. They advance to play top seed Wayzata at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Seth Hoffman gave No. 3 seed Duluth East (19-2) a 1-0 lead just 25 seconds into the game, converting on a penalty kick and providing the underdog Greyhounds a jolt.

An early deficit failed to unnerve No. 2 seed Stillwater (18-1-2). Jorge Malon tied the game 1-1 in the 13th minute and the teams remained deadlocked at halftime.

Stillwater went ahead 2-1 in the 49th minute as Max Stauffer scored. Spencer Scott set the play in motion with a nice run-and-leave for Stauffer.

Stillwater took a commanding 4-1 lead on goals from Maxwell Timmons and Jack Boucher scored about two minutes apart.

Check back later for more on the game.

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