The distraction in the air couldn't be ignored by Rochester Lourdes. The Eagles showed up to an empty field for Friday's Class 1A boys' soccer quarterfinal at Roseville Area High School. Empty meant that the scheduled first game would not be played because Section 5 champion Prairie Seeds Academy had officially been disqualified.

It was an opportunity for the Eagles, but Mankato East was in their way. The bigger Cougars did all they could to take advantage of the Eagles' distraction, but it wouldn't last as Rochester Lourdes pulled away for a 4-0 victory in a game similar to one the two teams played earlier this season.

"I think we started out nervous," Rochester Lourdes coach Tom Kane said. "I think with what's happened in this state tournament, we saw an opportunity for us. The guys knew they had to get past this game to get to the dome and they felt pressure."

The last time these two teams met, the game developed in similar fashion. A close first half was quickly forgotten after Rochester Lourdes overwhelmed Mankato East in the second half. The Eagles made up for their scoreless first half with five goals, in the 5-1 victory.

Meeting the Cougars this late in the season was a surprise for the Eagles. Mankato East lost five of its last seven games of the season to finish under .500 before stringing together the four wins to land a spot in Friday's quarterfinal.

The late-season surge quickly faded after the halftime break. Johnny Lawson scored the Eagles' second goal five minutes into the second half, before Alan Schembri-Wismayer scored goals three and four within three minutes of each other to pull ahead 4-0.

"We just couldn't connect," Wismayer said about the quiet first half. "But in the second half we had a good pep talk … and we managed to move the ball better."

Karl Krecke scored the game's first goal, with Jack Convery getting the first of two assists.