2 weeks Ago By Andy Rennecke
MONTICELLO — Jacob Oliver is a big reason why St. Cloud Cathedral has Duluth Marshall's number in boys soccer. The Cathedral junior midfielder scored his 42nd goal of the season, in the 66th minute, to propel the Crusaders to a 2-1 win over the Hilltoppers in a Class A state tournament quarterfinal game on Thursday, Oct.
24, at Monticello High School. ADVERTISEMENT That was the same score that the Crusaders beat the Hilltoppers by back on Sept. 24 in St.
Cloud. "I shot it with my left foot and found the bottom corner," Oliver said. "And I did that while getting plowed over.
(Duluth Marshall) played hard and the season was on the line. They had a few chances at the end. They pushed hard for that equalizer and wanted it just as much as we did.
" It was the second straight year that Cathedral ended Marshall's season in the state tournament quarterfinals. The second-seeded Crusaders move on to play Rochester Lourdes (16-3-1) in the Class A semifinals at 7 p.m.
on Oct. 30 at U.S.
Bank Stadium. Jack Stang put the Crusaders (20-0) up 1-0 less than five minutes into the game with a goal past Marshall goalie Thomas Falgier. The Hilltoppers (9-11) tied it up at 1 on a goal from Levi Mertens about nine minutes later.
The game stayed that way until Oliver came through in the clutch — again. "Your best players need to step up and our guys have done that time and time again," Cathedral head coach Alex Hess said. "I don't have to say 'hey Jacob, you can take this game over.
' He just does it. He's so hungry to grab the ball. He doesn't like to be without it.
He's a shadow of everyone out there. He's just a fantastic player.".
