Wazyata boys soccer defeats Maple Grove in Class 3A state championship game
MINNEAPOLIS — The No. 1-seed Wazyata Trojans (20-0-2) defeated the No. 2-seed Maple Grove Crimson (19-1-1) 2-0 Friday in the Class 3A boys soccer championship at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The state title is the second in a row for the Trojans and fifth in school history.
"I couldn’t be more proud of this group because it is a fantastic family," Wayzata head coach Dominic Duenas said. "The 15 seniors, they made it very special."
The Trojans took a 1-0 lead in the second minute. Senior midfielders Charlie Pillar lofted a ball into the box from a corner kick and it connected with junior Aiden Judickas, who knocked it into the top corner.
Pillar and Judickas connected again on a corner kick. In the 20th minute, another of Pillar's crosses fell to Judackis, this time his right foot, and he put it past tMaple Grove senior goalkeeper Beckett Carlson for a 2-0 lead.
The Crimson struggled to maintain possession in the first half. They didn't fare much better in the second half. Maple Grove had some opportunities with crossed, but the Trojans back line continued to stymie and Crimson attempt.
"Our goals are the same every game, and our two goals are keeping a clean sheet and scoring off the set pieces," Duenas said. "If we can accomplish both of those goals then we can get the results that we like."
Maple Grove was undefeated entering the game, and it's the best finish for the Crimson since they were runners-up in 1998.
"Going into the season we didn’t know what to expect," Carlson said. "I’m just proud of the guys."
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