State Championship Round vs St. Charles

On Friday, 11/3 the SPA girls’ soccer team clinched the Class A State Soccer Championship with a convincing 3-0 win over the St. Charles Saints.

The girls were in control of the game from the start. Clare Ryan Bradley ’26 scored the lone goal in the first half. U.S. Bank Stadium was full of SPA fan support. With almost five hours of cheering under their belt, the fan section was noticeably quieting down. The anticipation of another potential SPA championship kept the community together with the boys’ soccer team earning a State title of their own the game prior. 

A thrilling performance from the Spartans brought the fans back to life early in the second half. DI Gopher commit, Sawyer Danielson, scored a beautiful goal in the 62nd minute. She continued to bombard the Saints’ goalkeeper before finding the back of the net again to put the Spartans up 3-0. 

Coach Aileen Guiney praised the girl’s execution of the game plan, including the “dynamite” performances from their shooters AND their backs. Senior captain, Aurelia Meza’s aggressive play was crucial to their dominating possession. 

The crowd counted down the final moments of the game with enthusiasm and school pride as the girls brought home the second State Championship title on the night. They had played with a vengeance after falling short in last season’s State Championship game. Senior captain, Annika Lillegard commented on this fact, stating the team had been playing for more than themselves. They were also playing for the seniors before them. 

It was truly a night for the history books and an unforgettable experience for all. We couldn’t be more proud to be a Spartan!

State Semi-Final Round vs Providence Academy

On Halloween night, SPA took on the No. 1 seeded Lions of Providence Academy. The Lions’ offense went to work early, scoring two quick goals within the first eight minutes of play. The Spartans battled back with a first-half goal from Lucia Gonzalez ’26 in the 36th minute.

The second half was thrilling, with impressive looks from both teams. The Spartan defense kept the team in the game to give them momentum in the second half. Elizabeth Tuttle ’26 played a crucial role in their success with her efforts to ice out Providence’s top scorer Maddyn Greenway, holding her to a rare, one-goal game. Goalkeeper, Annika Lillegard ’24 played lights out with over 10 saves on the night.

The Spartan offense came to life with a tying goal from Sawyer Danielson ’25 in the 42nd minute. Danielson continued dominating the second, scoring two more goals in the half to complete a hat trick. With the 4-3 lead, the Spartans held on to the win in the final two minutes of play. The upset over the Lions earned SPA another trip to the State Championship game for the second year in a row! 

The Spartan girls’ team will compete with a vengeance after finishing 2nd in the State Championship game in 2022. The girls take on a familiar foe from the regular season against St. Charles at U.S. Bank Stadium on Friday, 11/3 at 7:15 p.m. in double-header fashion with the SPA boys’ team. 

Go Spartans!!

State Quarter-Final Round vs Esko High School

On October 25th, the No. 4 seeded Spartans faced off against the No. 3 Eskomos of Esko High School at a neutral site in Irondale. Under the lights and in the pouring rain, Esko scored just three minutes into the game.

In the second half, Clare Ryan Bradley ’26 chipped the ball past the Esko goaltender off of a beautiful long ball from Lucia Gonzalez ’26 to get the equalizer goal for the Spartans.

Neither team could get another in regulation, sending them into overtime while the rain continued pouring down. After twenty more scoreless minutes, the teams lined up to finish it in a shoot-out. 

SPA went 5/5 on their kicks, including goals from Clare Ryan Bradley, Sawyer Danielson ’25, Lucia Gonzalez, Aurelia Meza ’14, and Elizabeth Tuttle ’26. Goalkeeper, Annika Lillegard snagged a beautiful save to secure the 2-1 win for the Spartans (10-6-4).

The girls advanced to the Semi-Final round at U.S. Bank Stadium versus the top-seeded Providence Academy on Halloween.

MSHSL All-Tournament Team: Sawyer Bollinger Danielson ’25, Clare Ryan Bradley ‘26, Elizabeth Tuttle ‘26 and Annie Zhang ‘25

All-Metro Second Team: Sawyer Bollinger Danielson ’25

All-State: Sawyer Bollinger Danielson ’25 and Annie Zhang ‘25

All-Conference: Sawyer Bollinger Danielson ’25 and Annie Zhang ‘25

All-Conference Honorable Mention: Lucia Gonzalez ‘26, Clare Ryan Bradley ‘26 and Elizabeth Tuttle ‘26