Take that to the Bank.
Park’s improbable run in the state boys' soccer tournament continues as the Wolfpack upset third-seeded Minnetonka in a dramatic 1-0 victory on a very soggy Oct. 24 …
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Take that to the Bank.
Park’s improbable run in the state boys' soccer tournament continues as the Wolfpack upset third-seeded Minnetonka in a dramatic 1-0 victory on a very soggy Oct. 24 at Farmington High School.
Park senior Brayden Kortus punched in the game winning goal with 5:09 to play and the Wolfpack defense held up the rest of the way to preserve the victory.
“I just had a feeling that if we kept getting corners, kept getting fouls within like 10 yards out, we’ll get it eventually,” said Kortus of his game-winning score. “And I’m pretty solid in the air so it took just one lucky through ball and I headed it in and now we’re going to the bank. So, I’m pretty excited. I never thought it would be happening.
“I love these boys, they push us every day in practice, we bust our butts off and I couldn’t ask for a better team to be playing with,” Kortus added.
The win puts the unseeded Wolfpack into the 2023 State Class AAA boys' soccer semifinals. Park (12-7) will play No. 3 and second-seeded Maple Grove (18-0-1) on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, starting at 10 a.m. Second-ranked Wayzata (18-0-2) will play 10th-ranked and fourth-seeded Woodbury (14-2-3) in the first semifinal game, starting at 8 a.m.
After being absent from the tournament since 1994, the Wolfpack are now two wins away from a state championship.
Park ended fourth-ranked Minnetonka’s season at 14-2-3.
Park head coach Andrew Bourgoine said the Wolfpack got stronger and played better as the game worn on.
“The resilience of this team to just bear down, and when the game gets tight, they just play their best game,” said Bourgoine. “Like the first half I thought, if we weather the storm, Minnetonka was the better team in the first half and by that we stayed with it, we weathered the storm. Second half we were the better team. We weren’t the team that was trying to play defense. We were the team that was aggressive. We were going at them. We had four or five good chances to score and the last one finally went.”
Minnetonka came into Tuesday’s contest with just a single loss on the season, a 1-0 defeat at Eagan on Sept. 9. The Skippers then sailed to 12 straight wins since Set. 19, including two victories over fifth-ranked Edina. Park and Minnetonka had one common opponent this season, Stillwater. Minnetonka edged Stillwater 1-0 on Sept. 23, while Park dropped a 0-2 decision to the Ponies Sept. 28.
“Before the game we’re in the locker room and they were talking about how obviously we’re the underdog and that we have to work harder because the team might be ranked higher but then we’ll come out with a W because all that matters is if we work harder than the other team,” said Park junior Mac Maluski. “I think that everybody had heart and that’s what it takes. We didn’t give up. That every time we get a shutout and we get that last goal, that little foul goal, and it gets us the win because we’re just working harder than the other team.”
With back-to-back shutouts in section play, and only allowing two goals in the last four games, Park has gotten outstanding play in goal and defensively in midfield and in the back.
“A lot of the team played well tonight, I thought the midfield team played well against a very good midfield team that Minnetonka has,” said Bourgoine. “I thought the two stars of the game tonight were the two center backs in the second half, Joey Reunion, senior, and Mac Maluski. I thought those two kids were the best two players on the field in the second half.”
“I think I’ve helped; I’ve done my part, they’re doing theirs, and we’re just keep moving through,” said Park goalkeeper Joe Cison. “I can’t put words to it I’m so happy.
In the other Class AAA quarterfinals, top-seeded and defending Class AAA Champion Wayzata kicked St. Michael-Albertville 5-0, fourth-seeded and 2022 state runner-up Woodbury dominated fifth-seeded New Prague 6-0 and second-seeded Maple Grove took out Andover.
“Right now I’m feeling good but the job’s not finished,” said Park midfielder Tristan Lee. “We’ve got to keep going. But we’re in the bank now so expectations are high we expect to win it.
Asked if he expected the Wolfpack to be in the state finals, Lee said, “If I’m being honest, really no, but we’re here now so that’s all that matters.”
The state championship game will be held Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 a.m., also at U.S. Bank Stadium. The third-place game will be held Thursday, Nov. 2, in the West St. Paul Regional Athletics Center starting at 9 a.m.
Bourgoine gave the Wolfpack a pre-game speech that obviously worked.
“I said if we play the way we did against Rosemount and if we play with the heart of Park High School – way back when we were in the 1990s the teams which always went to the state tournaments were always hard, gritty, just play with heart. And I said if you get down to that, plus your talents, you guys will win most games that you play in. I just had to remind them to bring their heart tonight.”
They did.
