Before the first kick of the ball in the 2024 Class AA Boys Soccer championship game, the AHA boys soccer team, led by coach James See, was ranked third in the pre-season Minnesota State AA rankings. They outperformed expectations and played an amazing regular season, finishing with a 8-0 conference record and only losing one game the entire season. Their stellar performance resulted in a scoring total of 47 goals over the regular campaign while conceding just 5. This earned them a second consecutive Trimetro Conference Championship and a place in the 3AA Sections as the #1 seed.
In the Section 3AA Tournament, the Stars would not let anything stand in their way as they shut out South St. Paul, Saint Thomas Academy, and Hill-Murray in close-scoring affairs. The determination to win these highly competitive matches led the team to a 7th section title in program history, their first since 2021. The team’s overwhelming success was best represented by the six players who were picked for the All Conference Team: seniors Logan Ciresi, Eli Swan, Collin Pannhoff, and Jackson Hegwood, as well as juniors Tommy Hopkins and James Parish. These players contributed to the team in many areas from protecting the net to holding down a defensive backline and scoring many important goals throughout the season.
As a result of the state tournament draw, the Stars faced Northfield in the quarterfinals and handily disposed of them, racking up seven goals and putting in a complete team performance. In the semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium, with goals on either side of halftime, boys soccer defeated Orono to advance to the finals against Totino-Grace. The championship game began with the Stars on the front foot, and while Totino-Grace put on pressure, the team never relented. Scoring within the first five minutes of the game was Hegwood, Pannhoff doubled the lead later in the half, and Parish scored the third to put the game out of reach and secure the final win. With this victory, the AHA boys soccer team won its second state championship in program history.
While the performances of many players contributed to the championship run, five were selected for the All-Tournament Team: juniors Willy Ferrufino, Cris Romero, and Parish, as well as Hegwood and Pannhoff. With an overall season record of 20-1, a +52 goal differential, and various conference and state honors for many players, it was definitely one of the most successful campaigns in AHA boys soccer history.
