Adam Papin/MDN Minot junior forward Justice Amsbury dribbles around teammate Nathan Wistisen during practice yesterday. The Magi have high expectations for the season, as they look to win their third straight WDA title.

Expectations are high for the Minot High School boys’ soccer team. Looking to win the Western Dakota Association regular season and tournament titles for the third consecutive season, the Magi want more.

They want a state championship.

“We always hear about how the girls can win, but the boys never have,” said team captain Brayden Oswalt. “So hopefully, we can change that. We all had that feeling after the [state] semifinal game that we felt we should have had it. “

Fellow team captain Dylan Helde added, “We want to be a part of Titletown. We want to help Titletown out.”

Last year’s squad made it to the state semifinals before falling to West Fargo 1-0 on a late penalty kick. They finished the tournament in fourth place. The program’s lone state championship came in 2006.

“We made a pretty deep run last year, made the semifinals, with 1:09 left had a penalty in the box, which set us behind,” said Minot co-head coach Chad Oswalt. “But I’ll tell you right now, this team has a lot of hard work in them. That’s all we’ve been doing is putting in the hard work, a lot of dedication of these guys working over the summer.”

He continued, “We have high expectations for this team. You know, we weren’t picked three years in a row as WDA champions for no reason. I definitely think we have the guys to do it, and we are going to do what we can to make sure we stay on top for a third straight year.”

Minot plays more conservative formations, but this allows the Magi to run both ways, exploiting their strong midfield and prioritizing ball possession.

“We definitely have the ability to run both ways,” said co-head coach Jordan Foley. “The times when we need to be a little bit back off, we’re definitely able to do it, and when we have to run and gun and put the ball down your throat, I think we definitely have the team that can do it.”

With eight seniors and nine juniors on the roster, the Magi have both the experience and the depth to legitimately challenge for a state title. But first they need to make it through a challenging WDA schedule.

Among the top West Region competitors are Legacy, who defeated Minot 2-1 in last year’s state third-place game. Jamestown and Century will also offer tough competition.

“I think Jamestown has some good kids coming back,” said Oswalt. “The Hardy kid is pretty good. And I think they will give us a run for our money a little bit in some situations.”

The coaches praised team captains Helde and Oswalt, and their role in the success of squad.

“Are they going to be big talkers? Probably not,” said Oswalt. “I think they are going to show it on the field by the hard work and dedication they put in and really want to show these young guys what it really takes to put in that hard work, because they definitely will be putting in the hard work for us.”

Other key seniors include midfielders Tripp Klebe, Osue Hernandez and Ryan Forthum, forwards Ian Hageron and Syrus Mayne, and defender Wayne Robers.

“We got our first win at state in a number of years, and we are hungry to try and get another,” said Foley.

The Magi kick off their season this weekend when they travel to Grand Forks for a pair of games against East Region opponents. On Friday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m., Minot will take on Grand Forks Red River in a rematch of last year’s state quarterfinals game that saw Minot advance with a 1-0 victory. Saturday will see them take on Grand Forks Central at noon.

The Magi will open up WDA play at Jamestown on Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 7:30 p.m.