St. Cloud -- Anoka senior forward Felipe Genchi continues to torment undefeated soccer foes in the state tournament.
Genchi gave the Tornadoes a 2-1 semifinal upset of No. 2 seed Maple Grove with a goal in double overtime. Last week his corner kick deflected off a teammate to defeat Minnetonka at the buzzer in the quarterfinals.
Anoka and Wayzata, which stunned top-ranked and previously undefeated East Ridge in Tuesday’s other semifinal, advance to the Class 2A championship game at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Husky Stadium in St. Cloud. The Tornadoes and Trojans met for the 2007 state championship, a 2-0 Anoka victory.
Genchi found himself in the right spot for a golden opportunity.
“It was just there in front of me. I saw [teammate Joshua Dobler] going to it, but I felt like I had more of an advantage,” Genchi said. “I toe-poked it right underneath the goalie. It was a great moment.”
Unseeded Anoka (14-6-1) started the game in desired fashion, taking a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute on junior Conner Hudalla’s direct free kick goal. Maple Grove (20-1) had not trailed all season.
Maple Grove coach Greg Leininger downplayed the psychological effect of an early deficit. When the teams met in late September, the Crimson won 5-1.
“At halftime we weren’t incredibly worried,” Leininger said. “We knew we’d get one.”
Sticking together under pressure, the Crimson rallied to tie in the 67th minute on a goal from senior Ben Zaver.
The score remained tied until Genchi found a way to dethrone another undefeated team.
“It’s all in the mind,” Genchi said of Anoka’s improbable tournament run. “You’ve got to keep going until the last second.”
Anoka defeated a second previously undefeated team in as many Class 2A state tournament games, stunning Maple Grove 2-1 in double overtime on Tuesday in St. Cloud.
Felipe Genchi was credited with the winning goal. Anoka, which defeated Minnetonka in a quarterfinal game last week, advances to the championship game at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Check back later for more on the game.