In an exhilarating 2-0 victory over Rochester Lourdes, BVS clinched their third straight state championship in a row and did it in style. The first half passed relatively quickly with not much action, except for a sliding tackle by senior Mas Kouakou that nearly won him a goal right in front of the Rochester net. The second half got off to a quick start with senior Ezra Straub scoring the opening goal within the first ten minutes, managing to poke the ball past the keeper through a jumble of bodies in the box. A mere five minutes later after senior Liam Sullivan was fouled on a breakaway, Straub netted a beautiful free kick from over thirty yards out, catching the keeper off of his line.

Gallery • 20 Photos

Caden Deardurff

TRIPLE TROUBLE. BVS players celebrate after winning the state Class A championship three years in a row. Although the team was seeded first in the tournament, it was a challenging journey to get to the state final as in both the quarterfinal and semifinal matches, BVS ended double overtime scoreless and won both games in intense penalty kick shootouts.

The Spartans were able to stand strong on defense for the remainder of the game and ultimately came out on top as the Minnesota Class A State Champions for boys’ soccer.

The road to the state finals was not an easy one. The first two games in the tournament ended in penalty shootouts, making the decisive finals win more satisfying.

“It felt really good to secure that win during the second half,” goalie Miles Vogenthaler said.

This victory was particularly significant because this year’s roster included 16 seniors, many of whom had been on the team for the previous two state wins.

Senior and captain Ezra Straub thought this win felt the most remarkable of the three-peat: “It felt more special than previous years just because we went through two penalty shootouts and in the [quarterfinal] we came back from behind and tied up the game with a few minutes left and then and we were able to get the win,” he said. “I’m really happy I was able to do it with the group that we had.”

This historic win puts BVS down in the record books as the first-ever SPA soccer team to three-peat at the state tournament and only the second-ever boys high school soccer team to three-peat at any level.

“We had worked really hard and spent countless hours working towards this goal. Being able to achieve it—there’s no better feeling in the world,” Straub said. “For the school, it’s a big deal… We are part of a legacy that very few schools have ever had the opportunity to be in.”

The photo gallery was updated 11/14 to add correct details about the 2024 All-Tournament Team.