FARGO — The Mandan-St. Mary's boys soccer team was defeated 4-2 by West Fargo in the North Dakota boys soccer state semifinals on Friday at Fargo North High School. The West Region No. 4-seeded Braves saw their state championship hopes conclude after the East Region No. 3-seeded Packers scored two late goals to secure the victory.
Mandan-St. Mary's, initially trailing 2-0 at halftime, mounted a comeback effort in the second half. Braves defender Zach Weiler scored in the 48th minute, putting away a free kick with a header. Later, MSM defender Lucas Howard booted in a header off another free kick in the 63rd minute, successfully tying the match at 2-2.
West Fargo responded quickly after Mandan-St. Mary's pulled even. A West Fargo midfielder buried a deflected ball from a corner kick attempt in the 65th minute, reclaiming the lead for the Packers. Six minutes later, in the 71st minute, Packers attacker Mike Fleury secured the victory by putting away a cleared ball with a high kick that sailed over the Mandan-St. Mary's goalkeeper. Fleury noted that the team "stayed composed" and kept their "heads up" throughout the game, passing the ball and continuing their effort.
West Fargo initially took a two-goal lead in the first half. Cole scored the first of his two goals in the match off a header from a Tresor Rafiki corner kick in the 10th minute. Packers attacker Kalumba Kisela netted a deflected save in the 39th minute, extending West Fargo's lead to 2-0 before the halftime break.
Packers head coach Jensen Waltz stated his team "came out and played West Fargo soccer," a consistent message for the season, urging them not to get caught playing like other teams. After Mandan-St. Mary's tied the game at two, Waltz noted that his team "had to continue to play our game," feeling they were "getting away from it."
Statistically, West Fargo outshot Mandan-St. Mary's 15-11 during the game. West Fargo goalkeeper Emmanuel Awuku made six saves. Braves goalkeeper Ben Allan also made six saves for Mandan-St. Mary's. Both teams were awarded four corner kicks each.
With this semifinal victory, West Fargo (11-3-4) advances to the state championship game. They are scheduled to face East Region No. 2 West Fargo Sheyenne at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 17, at North High. This marks West Fargo's return to the state title match after a two-year hiatus, making it their eighth overall appearance as a program. The Packers fell to Bismarck Legacy in the 2024 title game, according to the report, and are now seeking their sixth state crown. Their last state championship win was in 2022 when they bested Fargo Davies 2-1. West Fargo has appeared in 4 of the past 5 state tournaments. Looking ahead to the championship, Fleury emphasized the need for "passing the ball, communication, energy, everything." Waltz added that the team would be "in a great spot" if they continued their usual performance.
