The landscape of the 2026 boys soccer state tournament shifted dramatically as high-stakes postseason action unfolded across multiple divisions on Wednesday, November 4. While nj.com provided extensive tracking of NJSIAA tournament matchups, Class AA semifinals delivered a dramatic overtime conclusion.
Class AA Semifinal Overtime Thriller
Third-seeded Cretin-Derham Hall advanced to its first Boys Soccer state championship game with a 4-3 overtime victory over No. 2 Sartell in the Class AA semifinals, as detailed by mshsl.org. Just 24 seconds into the extra session, junior midfielder Colin Hafenbrack initiated a give-and-go with fellow junior Will Roedler along the left sideline, maneuvered past several Sartell defenders, and struck the decisive, unstoppable shot. I don’t know really what happened, but I was just through on goal and I let it fly,
Hafenbrack said. It was electric.
Sartell (18-3-0) repeatedly responded to Cretin-Derham Hall goals during regulation. Senior Lucas McGee contributed two goals—highlighted by an equalizer that brought the score to 2-2 with 29:09 left on the clock—while senior Alex Pooler found the net with 11:40 remaining in regulation by sending a right-sideline shot off the crossbar and into the left-side netting. Cretin-Derham Hall (15-4-2) countered with goals from Will Roedler, Henry Stangler, and Logan Ryan, alongside a 27th-minute penalty kick save by junior goalkeeper Isaiah Hanno.
Regional Brackets Advance Through Opening Elimination Games
Across New Jersey, the NJSIAA tournament advanced through first-round and quarterfinal pairings on Wednesday, November 4. Regional brackets featured matchups such as 10-Manville at 7-Dayton, alongside contests including No. 10 Monroe versus Edison and No. 16 Randolph versus Payne Tech. Divisions across the state played out elimination games, including Central Jersey, North Jersey Sections 1 and 2, and South Jersey in Groups 1 through 4, alongside South Jersey Non-Public B quarterfinals.
