Two-time defending state champion St. Paul Academy still has hopes for a three-peat.

Miles Vogenthaler stopped two of four shots in the shootout, his Spartans teammates scored on all four attempts, and St. Paul Academy rallied past St. Croix Prep 2-1 in a Class 1A boys soccer quarterfinal Wednesday at Farmington High School.

Rowan McLean scored in regulation for the Spartans, who advance to an Oct. 30 semifinal matchup at U.S. Bank Stadium against either Breck or Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa. That quarterfinal game is Thursday.

McLean, Andrew Sullivan, Erik Bjorgvinsson and Ezra Straub scored in the shootout for the top-seeded Spartans (15-3-1), who won their 11th straight game. They’ve allowed just four goals in that stretch.

Unseeded St. Croix Prep (16-3-0), a charter school in Stillwater and in the tournament for the first time since 2019, got shootout goals from Brady Harbinson and Landon Oswald.

Down 1-0 at halftime, St. Paul Academy dictated play in the second half and overtime.

Pressing for an equalizer, McLean lasered home a shot from 24 yards out with less than 10 minutes left in regulation, allowing the Spartans to tie the game.

St. Croix Prep goalkeeper Noah Oscarson, who stood tall all night and robbed Liam Sullivan late in the second overtime, had no chance on the shot to the top right corner.

Before then, the junior goalkeeper made two point-blank saves early in the second half and deftly knocked aside another prime opportunity from in the box near the half’s midway mark.

At the other end, Vogenthaler covered the ball after a scramble in the box off a corner kick, a few minutes after McLean’s game-tying tally.

Ethan Hoyos gave the Lions a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute.

A free kick by Ethan Reichow from his own side of midfield landed just inside the box, and off a scramble, Hoyos hammered home a goal from about 20 yards out for his ninth goal of the season.

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