SPARTAN THREEPEAT! On November 1, 2024, the SPA boys’ soccer team capped off another remarkable postseason in championship fashion, winning the Class 1A Minnesota State title in a 2-0 victory against Rochester at US Bank Stadium. This is the Spartans’ third straight title, the program’s seventh championship overall, and only the second time in state history that a team has won three consecutive titles since Edina’s threepeat in 1999-2001.

“Every year, we’ve just gotten better and better,” says senior and captain Ezra Straub ’25 who was quoted in the Star Tribune’s recap of the championship game. “At the start of the season, some of us didn’t believe we could get here. It was having faith and discipline.” Read the Star Tribune article.

The road to the State championship was built on the Spartans’ disciplined defense which was on display throughout the entire postseason, surrendering just two goals throughout section play and in the state tournament. Seeded #1 in Section 3A, the Spartans defeated Twin Cities Academy/Great River 2-1 in the quarterfinals and Hiawatha Collegiate 1-0 in double overtime in the semifinals, earning the right to face off against IMAC rival Minnehaha Academy for the third-straight year for a trip to State. The Spartans 1-0 victory in the Section final represented both their ticket to State and their second victory over the Redhawks this season.

With the #1 seed at State, the Spartans defeated unseeded St. Croix Prep 2-1 in the quarterfinal round and the #5 seed Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa 1-0 in a shootout in the semifinals, setting up a showdown against the #3 seed Rochester in the championship game. In the championship game, both teams were scoreless until a second-half corner kick delivered by Graham Waibel ’28 was knocked home by Straub. Shortly after, Straub also scored the team’s second goal off of a 25-yard free kick, giving the Spartans the 2-0 victory to claim the Class 1A title.