Stillwater Takes on White Bear Lake in First Round of Soccer Playoffs

The team is the No. 2 seed for the Section 4AA Tournament and will host White Bear Lake Thursday in their playoff opener. 

BOYS TOURNAMENT

Two of the best teams in the state—Stillwater (13-2-1) and North (15-0-1)—are on a collision course, set to meet in the section finals. But both have some work to do to get to that showdown.

Both teams begin section play Thursday, when the top-seeded Polars take on the winner of Tuesday's first-round match between No. 8 Cretin-Derham Hall and No. 9 Tartan. The in their playoff opener.

In other first-round action Thursday, No. 4 East Ridge (8-7-1) hosts No. 5 Woodbury (7-8-1) at 7 p.m.

The Royals topped the Raptors 3-1 in regular season action Sept. 1, while Stillwater downed White Bear Lake 2-1 in their Suburban East Conference matchup last Thursday in Stillwater.

GIRLS TOURNAMENT

Fifth-seeded Stillwater (9-5-2) and White Bear Lake (11-5-0) will be meeting for the second time in a week after the . The Ponies will travel to White Bear Lake to take on the fourth-seeded Bears at 7 p.m. Thursday.

In other quarterfinal action Thursday, third-seeded East Ridge (13-3-0) hosts sixth-seeded Hill-Murray (11-4-1) at 5 p.m.

Woodbury (13-3-0) are the No. 2 seed for the Section 4AA tournament, but the bad news for the Royals is that they're going to have to somehow get past unbeaten Mahtomedi (16-0-0) if they plan to reach the state tournament.

But the Royals have a little time before they have to worry about that, and two bridges to cross before they get there. First they host seventh-seeded Cretin-Derham Hall in first-round action at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Woodbury girls had their way with Cretin-Derham Hall in two meetings this season, winning 4-0 at a tournament in Duluth on Aug. 26, and again by that same score in their conference matchup at Woodbury on Sept. 13.

BOYS BRACKET

First round (Tuesday, Oct. 11): Game 1—Tartan at Cretin-Derham Hall, 7 p.m. Quarterfinals (Thursday, Oct. 13): Game 2—Game 1 winner at North, 7 p.m.; Game 3—Woodbury at East Ridge, 7 p.m.; Game 4—Hill-Murray at St. Paul Central, 4 p.m.; Game 5—White Bear Lake at Stillwater, 7 p.m. Semifinals (Saturday, Oct. 15, at high seeds): Game 6—Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner; Game 7—Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner. Finals (Tuesday, Oct. 18): Semifinal winners.

GIRLS BRACKET

First round (Tuesday, Oct. 11): Game 1—North at Tartan, 7 p.m. Quarterfinals (Thursday, Oct. 13): Game 2—Game 1 winner at Mahtomedi, 7 p.m.; Game 3—Stillwater at White Bear Lake, 7 p.m.; Game 4—Hill-Murray at East Ridge, 5 p.m.; Game 5—Cretin-Derham Hall at Woodbury, 7 p.m. Semifinals (Saturday, Oct. 15, at high seeds): Game 6—Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner; Game 7—Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner. Finals (Tuesday, Oct. 18): Semifinal winners.