The St. Paul Academy and Summit Spartans defeated the Holy Family Catholic Fire 2-1 in overtime in the Class A boys state soccer tournament semifinals Wednesday night.

The first 40 minutes were mostly a battle of defenses, with only two goals total being scored between the two teams in regulation. The only goal of the half came from St. Paul Academy’s Liam Sullivan in the 24th minute to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead, which they carried into halftime.

The second half had a lot of the same defense-focused strategies from both teams. Holy Family tied the game at one apiece with a goal from senior Jas Czeneszew in the 53rd minute. Both teams’ defenses remained strong for the rest of the half, with the game staying tied at one for the remainder of regulation.

Knotted at one, the two teams entered sudden death in the overtime periods. With one minute left to play in the first overtime period, the fate-sealing goal was scored by St. Paul junior Ethan Peltier in the 89th minute, giving the Spartans a 2-1 victory.

St. Paul Academy advances to the Class A state championship, where they will take on Pine Island/Zumbrota Mazeppa on Friday.

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