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Friday, September 5, 2008
Soccer
St. Paul, MN
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Photo(s) By: Steve Murphy
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Ladies First
The players have taken to the pitch yet again for arguably the most metro-competitive sport in the state of Minnesota as the two-month blitz known as the girls soccer season commenced in late August.
In its annual eight-to-nine week span, the state’s two classes of girls soccer competition continuously proves to be an all-out battle for one of the prized eight state tournament spots in each A and AA competition.
This year promises to be no different as no fewer than nine teams from within the seven-county metro area garnered a position in the season-opening Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Class AA poll. In the Class A survey, eight of 10 teams noted were from either inside or on the Interstate 694/494 loop.
Class AA
The No. 1 spot in the Class AA poll was inhabited by a very familiar team — Woodbury. As the “Yankees of Minnesota high school girls soccer,” the Royals have qualified for the State tournament in each of the past six seasons and nine of the past 10, winning four titles. Woodbury returns a strong scoring punch with Kassey Kallman and Catie Sessions.
Last season’s Class AA champion, Lakeville South, occupied the No. 3 position in the preseason poll after winning their program’s first-ever state championship last October. The Cougars return a number of players from last year’s top team, including Madeline Russell and Olivia Bagnall.
Sandwiched between the Royals and Cougars is Mounds View. The Mustangs lost to eventual state runner-up Edina in the first round of state last season and return all but four seniors this season with Allie Phillips, who scored the team’s lone goal against the Hornets last October, back in the fold.
Eden Prairie, who’s season was also ended by Edina last year in a sectional semifinal, cracked the 2008 preseason poll at No. 4 with leading scorer Taylor Uhl returning for her sophomore season after scoring 17 times in her first tour with the varsity.
Bloomington Jefferson, the No. 5 rankee, also fell to Edina in its 2007 season finale, one step from state. The Jaguars will battle Eden Prairie for the section title with last year’s top point-earner, Maren Werth, back for her junior year.
Filling out the preseason top-10 in Class AA were a number of teams with state aspirations, including Eagan, Wayzata, Park of Cottage Grove and Maple Grove. The lone non-metro team to crack the top-10 was the Greyhounds of Duluth East, who look to knock off two-time defending Section 8 champion Brainerd this fall.
Taking spots 11-15 in the coaches poll were: White Bear Lake, Edina, Apple Valley, Coon Rapids and the aforementioned Brainerd.
Class A
Back to take care of some unfinished business is this year’s pole sitter in the Class A rankings — Benilde-St. Margarets. The Red Knights entered last season’s Class A tournament as the No. 1 seed, only to lose to archrival — and eventual state champ — Totino-Grace in the semifinals. This time around, Benilde looks to take their first-ever title with a balanced offensive/defensive squad that includes forward Jordyn Burns and goalkeeper Madeline Jobe.
Another state semifinalist, Mahtomedi, was awarded the No. 2 spot. The five-time state champion was stopped short of their fourth-consecutive Class A championship last year, but returns strong yet again with attacker Brittany Henry leading the way on an upper-classmen dominated squad that does feature one freshman in Mehan Bolton.
The team responsible for Mahtomedi’s fall from the top spot last season, Blake, began this season as the No. 3-ranked club in Class A after finishing last year as No. 2. Defender Claire Wilson returns for her sophomore season, as does goalkeeper Addie Adams.
Last year’s state champ entered 2008 with a No. 4 ranking as Totino-Grace looks to earn their fourth state title this autumn after losing the bulk of their championship team to graduation. Senior Abby Serreyn is among those returning from last year’s title team.
Richfield’s Academy of Holy Angels did not qualify for state last year, but entered 2008 as the No. 5-ranked team in Class A. The Stars return a good portion of their 2007 team that lost to Blake in section play, including lead scorer Rachel Hoaglin.
Three more metro teams join two outstate teams in spots 6-10, as Orono, Minnehaha Academy and St. Paul Academy look to make return trips to state after hiatuses of varied length. No. 7 La Crescent and No. 10 Sartell-Saint Stephen both qualified for last year’s state field.
Simley, Breck, Fridley, Mounds Park Academy and Visitation claimed spots 11-15 and hope to climb into the top 10 before season’s end.
This year’s state Class A and AA Tournaments will take place Oct. 22-30, with first-round games being played at various sites with semifinal, final and third-place games being played at the Metrodome.
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