The third time was a charm for St. Charles.

Sophie Slavin scored with 2:02 remaining in the first overtime, and the Saints beat St. Paul Academy 1-0 Wednesday in a Class 1A girls soccer quarterfinal at Farmington High School.

“It doesn’t feel real,” she said.

The third-seeded Saints (17-2-1) will face No. 2 Providence Academy or unseeded Concordia Academy in a Oct. 29 semifinal scheduled for 7 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium. Those schools played later Wednesday.

Both St. Charles and St. Paul Academy are in the tournament — and playing each other — for the third straight season. The Spartans won 3-0 in last year’s championship game and won 1-0 in a 2022 quarterfinal.

“We were really hoping to switch it around,” said St. Charles goalkeeper Addy Overkamp.

“It’s not the way we wanted to end it, but I’m really proud of them,” said Spartans coach Aileen Guiney. “It was a great game. Soccer will break your heart.”

An unsuccessful clear set up the game winner as Ryan Vatland’s pass got through a couple of St. Paul Academy defenders and to Slavin, who put it away for her eighth goal of the season.

“We know Sophie is just waiting for her time to shine,” said St. Charles coach Taige Puetz. “I don’t care who scored it.”

St. Paul Academy (10-8-2) was unseeded in the tournament but came in with plenty of momentum.

The Spartans had a two-week September stretch where they lost five of seven games (all by shutout), but won six straight since, the last five by shutout.

Guiney was not surprised because of a tough conference that includes Breck, Blake and Providence Academy. “We lost one non-conference game. Six of our losses were to those three teams who are top five in the state.”

A controversial call with 13:22 left in regulation kept the game scoreless.

Clare Ryan Bradley raced past three defenders to chase down a loose ball, and her left-footed tap dribbled into the far corner of the net for an apparent 1-0 Spartans lead. However, the celebration was short-lived as it was quickly noted the junior was whistled for an infraction.

When asked if the call was legit, Guiney had a quick, brief answer. “Terrible call.”

Ryan Bradley nearly put the Spartans up midway through the first half — twice.
Chasing down an up ball, the junior got behind the St. Charles defenders, but her shot went off the hands of Overkamp and over the crossbar. Less than two minutes later, her shot from 10 yards out went just over the crossbar.

The Spartans got some unintentional assistance from St. Charles about seven minutes later. An arcing shot from near the left sideline by the Saints’ Braelyn Gust looked to be dropping in, but Sam Perez went up to head it, inadvertently sending the ball over the net.

Perez, the Class A Ms. Soccer with 35 goals, was largely held in check with Elizabeth Tuttle, an all-state player, constantly marking the senior. It’s the first game Perez hasn’t scored since the opener.

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