Game of the Week: Royals a Game Away from State

The girls soccer team is a game away from a trip to the state tournament.

But getting the one more win they need will not be easy.

Section 4AA championship, Woodbury at Mahtomedi

• Site: Mahtomedi High School
• Time: 7 p.m. Tuesday
• Radio: N/A

The winner will advance to the Class AA state tournament, which starts Oct. 26. Based on a vote of the coaches of the eight teams that make it to state, the top four teams are seeded for the tournament, with their first-round opponents determined by random draw of the other four teams.

Mahtomedi, the only unbeaten, untied team in Class AA, would be virtually guaranteed one of those top-four seeds, while the Royals,

Woodbury (15-3), the No. 2 seed for the section tournament, edged 3-2 in the semifinals after beating Cretin-Derham Hall 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

The Suburban East Conference champion Royals have won every game in which they've scored this season—all three of their losses were by shutout—and 11 of their 15 wins have come by shutout.

Mahtomedi (18-0) needed overtime to get past White Bear Lake 2-1 in the semifinals after topping Tartan 5-2 in the quarterfinals. The Classic Suburban Conference champion Zephyrs, ranked second in the final state coaches poll, have allowed more than one goal just twice in 18 games, and have five shutouts on the season.

OTHER SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS

1AA: No. 1 Lakeville North vs. No. 3 Northfield; 2AA: No. 1 Burnsville vs. No. 3 Edina; 3AA: No. 1 Eagan vs. No. 2 Eastview; 5AA: No. 1 Centennial vs. No. 2 Mounds View; 6AA: No. 1 Wayzata vs. No. 3 Hopkins; 7AA: No. 1 Blaine vs. No. 2 Duluth East; 8AA: No. 1 Anoka vs. No. 2 St. Michael-Albertville.