Eagan defeats Maple Grove in OT to claim Class 3A boys soccer state championship and program’s first title

Attention Minnesota boys soccer teams. Make plans to guard Eagan sophomore forward Zayan Oliyath next year, and the year after that.

On Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium, Oliyath’s hat-trick helped Eagan beat Maple Grove, 4-3, in overtime of the boys soccer Class 3A state championship game.

A scoreless stalemate turned into an offensive blitz as each team scored three second-half goals to force overtime, which Eagan won thanks to Oliyath’s game winner.

Eagan (20-1-1) knocked off two undefeated teams in a row — first No. 1 Minneapolis Washburn 1-0 in Wednesday’s semifinal, then No. 2 Maple Grove (19-1-1) — to hoist the state trophy for the first time.

“We’ve always hovered around five, six, seven, eight (in the state rankings),” Eagan head coach Josue Boutouli said. “I was reminding these guys coming into a game, ‘You’ve got something to prove.’”

Four minutes into overtime, Eagan junior midfielder Owen Juntilla served a corner kick that bobbled around Maple Grove’s six-yard box, flicked on by senior midfielder Blake Prouty. Oliyath poked in the goal, his 15th of the season, to end overtime.

In the second half of Friday’s championship, Oliyath curled in two improbable long-range strikes from outside the 18-yard box. Maple Grove’s answers came from two goals on well-placed free kicks from midfield.

Maple Grove center back Frank Miller broke the deadlock in the 47th minute, heading junior Everett Johnson’s free kick toward goal. Miller had to scramble for two blocked rebounds to force the ball across the goal line.

But the Crimson didn’t have long to celebrate. Eagan answered with two goals in four minutes, first by Oliyath hooking in a well-placed shot from 20 yards out, assisted by senior midfielder Miklo Jones. Then, Jake Sondag — Eagan’s senior forward and late-game semifinal scorer — pressed high to steal the ball and tuck in the Wildcats’ second.

Senior midfielder Ike Deuel delivered a second free kick on a dime a minute later, this time finding senior forward Gannon Farrens for a diving header. Johnston, the Crimson’s leading scorer, found a one-touch goal off pass from senior midfielder Gavin Chabica, putting Maple Grove up, 3-2, with just over 20 minutes left in the game.

Oliyath answered again by ripping another long-range strike from 25 yards out, assisted by Eric Noll, to equalize with 14 minutes left in regulation and force overtime.