Friday, August 03, 2007
2007 HS Soccer
Hard to believe that captains practice is starting in the next week or so. Time for some high school soccer talk. With the relative parity last year, will this year provide one or two dominant teams? Who are your favorites to win State for AA and A? Who will be the surprise teams? Who are the favorites for Mr. Soccer? Note the links for getting to the coach's site, schedules and stats and the State high school league.
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1 – 200 of 495 Newer› Newest»Favorites have to be Apple Valley, Eden Prairie and Wayzata. I think it will be another year of parity. EP probably has the most premier players that play on the same team, but they should have been better last year...could be coaching?
Mr. Soccer candidate favorite is probably the center midfielder from EP...not sure of his name, but he is the complete package: defense, ball winner, distributor, attacker, etc. There is also Vint and Montestario from Wayzata, but the coaches like to spread the award around and I don't think EP has had a winner in recent time. Wayzata has had 2 in the past 5 years.
The section realignments should also make things interesting for sections and state tournament.
Do the changes in Section assignments really make a difference?
HS soccer is usually a numbers game.
The schools with huge enrollments are almost always competitive.
EP, Wayzata, Stillwater, Woodbury etc.
Bloomington Jefferson got lucky a few years ago when they won "AA". They had kids who had opted out of the faltering BYSC program and had joined premier teams/clubs including Hopkins and Bangu among others.
It helps if they're in a community with a decent community club that gives decent training so the kids aren't entering HS and still clueless about the sport.
Edina Hs guy....If you think HS soccer is usually a numbers game. Why aren't Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids, Champlin Park, in the mix? True they are all coming out of the same section but the last time I looked they are like 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 6th in enrollment size in the state.
goal post,
I said "usually" and acknowledged a strong community club program was also a component.
The schools that succeed usually have a strong coaching director running the CC program that feeds the HS.
If you have some old "gym teacher" running a HS program you "usually" won't succeed.
I agree, I also think a good HS coach, can mustard up a winning team every three years or so. But I seen many a HS team with tons of talent and a good community program go nowhere because of the old "gym teacher". Makes you wonder what some High School are thinking?
EP has absolutely no midfielder even remotely close to deserving mr. soccer! Im interested in seeing his name. also, callum mallace has to be considered for mr. soccer (sibley). been on varsity since eigth grade and went all state last year.
its funny how no one says Eagan in the beginning of the year but yet every year they are one of the top teams in the state. clowns
I read that the ussf academy starts in early October, its a good thing for H.S. soccer in Mn that no MN clubs were chosen.That is if you enjoy H.S. soccer like I do.
Our HS soccer year may be the raeson no one in this state was chosen.
Mallace is a nice kid, but no where near the quality for Mr. Soccer.
I am already tired of the Eagan whining (see above), just like last year. Who will you Eagan parents push for this year for Mr. Soccer? There section play last year showed that they did not belong in the top 10, at all.
Not sure our high school season is the reason USSF left MN off their list. If I'm not mistaken, IL high school (boys) soccer runs in the fall. IL clubs are well represented.
Didn't the one Eagan kid already get busted for breaking team rules regarding underage drinking?
Will he be able to play this year?
I disagree, I think Mallace should be in the mix with Vint, the EP kid (I don't know his name either), Monasterio and other.
so,Eagan makes it to the section final and loses to a very strong stillwater team that took third and doesnt belong in the top ten? also, mallace is 1000000 times better than that ep kid. we shouldnt waste time talking about mr. soccer anyways with monasterio as a lock already. Winning metro player of the year and going all american with the season he had last year makes me want to puke. no doubt he will get mr. soccer if he can get more than 10 pts which he didnt do last year. what a joke!
Why the exaggeration? The EP kid is in the mix. Montastero did not deserve metro player of the year. His stats were minimal, his play was very average and he was probably the 2nd or 3rd best player on his HS team. (I saw him play 4 times.)The reason he won't win Mr. Soccer, even with a better year, is that the HS coaches like to spread the award around. They also know that he was gifted one of the top 2 awards last year based on his ODP play...which I've heard has not been great for the last 2 years either. If a Wayzata kids gets it, it will go to Vint who shows up to play every night.
Not sure if Eagan deserve any pre-season attention or not. Their 17s C1 team going 2-7-1 in MYSA and getting relegated to C2 next year. I admit I don't know this team very well, what else do they have?
Mahtomedi had a pretty good 17s C1 team this year and may be a contender in Class A.
Don't know if any of the Minneapolis or St. Paul schools will have much this year. Last year, South was build around a couple of seniors and St. Paul Central had a pretty bad year by their standards.
eagans best players play for woodbury premiere and bangu. only 3 kids from the eagan c1 17's will make the HS team.
ODP should have absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Soccer.
ODP should have nothing to do with any post season awards from the coaches or media. But, who do you think the Strib writters talk to about the Metro Player of the year award??? The people that run ODP. The Wayzata kid is a good player, but last season was very, very average. 20+ kids had better HS season.
If that is true it is a shame. ODP is rife with favoritism and politics. If you are a favorite of the State team coaches and they push you at camp you have a chance to be selected. If they do not you are out of luck. Let the awards be earned on the field.
Then Eagan should probably be in the mix from "have the players" standpoint. Anyone know how many of the EP U18 PR boys go to HS in EP?
EP did not have a Boy's U-18 PR Team this year. They did have a U-19 and most of those guys should be long gone from HS soccer. For instance, Brandon Miller is entering his sophomore year at Madison.
Since we are now past August 1st, this past summer seasons U17s are now U18s...so EP does have a U18 premier team.
You are correct. That Team has at least two kids from BSM and one from Wayzata. Not sure where the others are from.
The U-19 Team I referenced was from Eagan not EP.
Kedo Pour, Colin Monestario, and Tyler Vint are certainly three candidates for Mr. Soccer. Any others out there that come to mind?
Dula Fadis is the real deal. He'll be a junior this year but may be best of any class in the metro.
Your joking right? He disappearred this year out on the field for the Wings.
I beleive there a kid in MV that pretty good. The twins in AV. A kid at Meadow Creek how is very good but probably no one will see.
DF may have peaked as a freshmen. He is certainly a very technically gifted player. His challenges are pace, strength and the ability to lead. He is a very good complementary player. Since he made the region pool a couple of years back, he is in for life (a different blog thread.)
It will be interesting to see how he/South play this year. They could struggle finding goals outside of their conference. I would not be suprised to see them drop a game or two and tie a game or two in conference this year.
BTW, if Poure plays well this year at St.Agnes, he is a lock for Class A Mr. Soccer. Class AA is wide open.
Mallace is the hands down favorite.
Callum is a very good player. It will be fun to see how his season plays out. Does he have a supporting cast? Colin should be surronded by a few talented, hard working players like Vint and Tim Paulson, an All State Honorable Mention. The big question out West at Wayzata may be their ability to fill the GK spot. It is a position that has been strong for them the last few years. Does anyone know who their back up keeper was last year?
KP is probably the best all around player in the state. Great technical skills, great pace and very strong. He's been playing with men for years.
Much of the year end accolades will depend upon the success of the team or goals scored...or politics.
Unfortunately we see teams running up scores in order to get "ink" for their players.
Look no further than Cambridge-Isanti and Mpls South last fall.
I also think it was a joke last year that the Wayzata player got that award. What a joke.
A lot of people wonder how Monestario won Meto Player of the Year and All American last year in what was a very average season. He is a talented player and with some hard work this year could have a very good year. He will have a strong team who looks to have a strong schedule. He will have the opportunity to display his talents. Can he help lead his team to success? This year will show us a lot about him as a player. He could "earn" all of the acolades this year if he brings it every day.
I'm finding this thread a bit of a hoot. Has anyone else noticed that most of the canidates in question are Wings Players? From the same Wings teams that have had a very medicore season? Monestario, KP and gang did not win State Cup, Midwest League they stunk it up pretty bad, and did not even win MYSA League. People, their actions must support your conclusions. So...beyond the dad in EP who thinks his son is great, and Wings contingent. Who else is out there?
The best player in the State, Teal Bunbury won't be playing HS Soccer so he won't be a candidate. Neither will Chris Sutton. As far as team go BSM will be way down this year, Holy Angels will too. AV lost a ton, South lost the Twins. Armstrong is a big question mark. Wayzata didn't lose much but they are coming off of a disappointing Section loss. Maple Grove returns very few. MV doesn't seem to have much. EP seems to have some real promise. Eagan is a bit of an unknown. How does Southwest look? Stillwater? Edina will play hard but doesn't seem to have a lot of talent. Minnetonka is a wildcard as is Anoka, Highland Park and Eastview. Anybody else out there? Any players other than KP, Mallace, Monestario, Vint, the kid from EP, the twins from AV, the MV kid and the Meadow Creek kid? It would be great to put some names to these players. Can someone help us out?
I think the twins from AV will only be juniors as will KP.
The twins from AV will be seniors.
I believe they are the Hutton twins. Both are good players, but not sure if they would be in the race for Mr. Soccer. Although being on last years championship team will certainly help their cause. Mallace from Sibley had a mediocre season last year with only a few goals on a mediocre team, in a mediocre conference. Stats aren't everything, but he will need a year with some team and individual success to get any consideration. Montestario from Wayzata has to be the favorite. I know he had a down year and didn't deserve the Strib award, but he has name recognition. The previous poster pointed out the number of award Wayzata has received over the past few years and that may work against him.
Overall the quality of individual players has dropped on the boys side. The past 4 or 5 years have seen a high number of D1 prospects coming through the HS ranks. This year the pickins are slim and I don't see it improving much over the next few years.
It's all good fun competition and it's always exciting to see what players and teams step up their game.
Awards are nice, but I have never seen one HS award get you playing time on the college pitch.
Didn't the one of the Hutton twin score the winning goal in last years championship? I'd be interested to see what his stats were like and compare them to Monestario and KP.
Is the MV kid related to Menk? I heard he played for AV and was pretty good.
The Meadow Creek kid is Schultz, he plays C1 in the summer and is pretty good, but I don't think he has a chance. Not enough exposure.
Anoka depending on their coach could surprise alot of folks. There Premier team this summer did pretty good I thought for a first year team Premier Team. I also hear that everyone on that team goes to Anoka High School. So EP is not the only team at that age level witht there high school team playing all summer together.
I would like to think this year Mr Soccer award is wide open. I would like to see someone get the award who is hungry and goes out and takes it rather than someone who just thinks it already in the bag.
Tomass and Anon I agree. I think we are due for a little more parity in HS ranks. Maybe a few teams will elevate themselves, time will tell. Even if the overall level of individual player has dropped a bit, more parity, means more good games.
KP will be a Senior this year and the MV player is Spencer Menk. He is the nephew of Menk from the Thunder.
Vint had 6 goals and 5 assists last year.... now that's what I call mr. soccer material.
How many goals and assists did John Terry of Chelsea have last year for his club? Yet he captains the English national side and is considered one of the best in his home land.
Silly rabbit, goals and assists are for kids!
I don't understand your logic tomass... John Terry is a center back.
Even at the highest level strikers are always judged on how many goals they can bag.
That would suggest then, based upon your logic that the young man out of Meadow Creek Christian who now has the state record for points was the best striker in Minnesota last year and possibly ever.
Strikers ARE judged by goals and assists but that is tempered by the competition they face.
John Terry is judged as one of the best center backs in the world and scores a few goals usually on set pieces. Very few goals get scored against him.
You have to look at who they are up against.
Great point. Let's try to bring this back to the original discussion around who do we think may be the best Teams this season and who do we think may win the Mr. Soccer awards. I agree that Monasterio and KP have to be two of the candidates and that Wayzata, EP and possibly South are three of the stronger Teams. Any other thoughts?
Is there ever a chance for a non-metro player to win an award like Mr. Soccer?
Anyone in particular you might be thinking about?
anon 1:10 PM, that's why we have class A mr. soccer.
Ouch...not all schools out of the metro are A schools. The lack of metro press hurts them for the mr soccer award. You gotta be a part of cities soccer politics to be considered. Cant help the talent you play living out of the metro
just like we know the big clubs does not always represent talented players, big schools does not always represent talent players either.
HS coaches need to rethink their approach and look for talent in smaller schools and non-metro schools.
Oh well HS is HS!
who is still playing D1 soccer and which schools they went to.
our Mr. soccer the last three years - are they doing in college?
Last 3 Mr. Soccers:
'06 AA Abe Gibbons - UW-Milwaukee (D1)
'06 A Paul Grandstrand - Brown (D1)
'05 AA Ryan Vint - UW-Madison (D1)
'05 A Brandon Miller - UW-Madison (D1)
'04 AA John Stillwell - St. Thomas (D3), 1 year at UW-Milwaukee
I've heard that Stillwell is a standout at St. Thomas, as you would expect. Miller scored some goals at Madison last year and Vint was redshirted. Grandstrand and Gibbons will be freshmen this year.
Some Metro area schools are A also.
Coaches vote for talent they know and have seen more often...A/AA is irrelevent. Coaches in the metro are aware of metro players--(there is a "family" of sorts in the soccer world,) so they vote on metro players. greater MN players are at a disadvantage. With the papers doing "awards" and conference awards, is there really a need for mr/ms anything? Is it truly the best single person? So big school or small school, outstate players are not recognized for the talent they have cuz they are the "estranged relatives" Something they gotta deal with (tolerate). Find me a non metro team who has been one of the top seeds for the state tourney. That whole process is biased as well...metro protecting metro...kind of like the anti bangu sentiment...keeping it in the family....
I agree with your first point, you can only vote on what you see. (I think IN GENERAL metro teams get all of the competition they need in the metro and the outstate teams/AD's won't pay for the travel to the metro, IN GENERAL).
On the last point, can you name a outstate school that has won a recent state tournament?
(And remember, we have only seeded for years).
CavJ
two years.
CavJ
Can anyone identify an out state player who would even be in the top 25 seniors (A and AA)? There was a Mr. Soccer from Rochester, Chris Galinski (sp?), 6 or 7 years back. Rochester has turned out some good players but would they be considered outstate? I know I smell cow dung when I drive there!
Of course Rochester is outstate! Duh...Individuals don't stand out as much and get the attention they deserve when they don't get the visibility of metro teams. Fewer to choose from. Rochesters teams are divided because of rules preventing kids from switching schools. so even the best talent from there is not together
You believe soccer players switch schools in droves to play together? Besides the private schools who can help steer kids in the doors who else is doing it? Please be specific.
I don't want to rehash the whole subject but does anyone know the final word on the Super Eagles?
The Super Eagles coach "took his ball" and ran to a new club which has about about 3 teams. A club where the coach can continue to control the team's direction.
Obviously he has their development close to heart.
anon 5:09-JY's record speaks for itself. Many of the older players he helped develop are now competing @ the collegiate level. I for one am glad he is keeping control of his team. In another few years, this crop of boys will also be recruited. And, they will have this present coach to thank.
JY's "stars" would excel anywhere as their natural ability stands out.
It's the other kids on the team that are missing out on better opportunities and development options.
They don't get the coaching and development they need as field players from a former goalkeeper.
Can anyone on this blog explain how we went from HS soccer to super eagles.
Anyone that wants to rehash this subject is nothing but a jealous human being and full of envy and hate.
why is this of interest to you?
Are we seeing the development of great boys players coming from Bangu or Wings?
Are we seeing great development of the "other" kids coming from our great CC programs.
Can we show the great talent coming from SSM.
People go drink the Koolaid and get over your hatred and envy.
Let's talk HS!
MN futbol create another topic just for super eagles so people who want to continue the discussion have a place to go since this team is of interest to many idle parents.
top 20 HS seniors and top 10 teams. only AA, throw some names out here...
anon1110 - very simple it is more a form of what the blog site allows and MNfutbol doesn't need to spend another minute on it since it is time comsuming and he doesn't make a penny from it.
However the blog site format does not allow posters to begin their own topics so we are limited to what topics are available to post within and new subjects invade old subjects all the time
and I can be as guilty as the next person.
mnfutbol - thanks for the forum and the work you put into it - maybe you and word-soc can combine and create a blog forum like the hockey one.
I saw AV scrimmage Sibley today. When the starters were in Sibley were sharp with most of the possession but Apple Valley did have their share of chances. It looks like AV lost alot and wont have enough support for the twins. Mallace really stood out for Sibley along with their backline.
When you say JYs record speaks for itself, I assume you mean that he destroys teams, creates controversy and leaves families in his wake. Surley 3 times demonstrates a pattern.
What was the score in the AV-Sibley game?
name your top 5 teams for both A and AA
anon 7:23 - come out and identify yourself and stop hiding. Can you please get off the cry baby crib and tell us what you want.
Since last May, are u still feeling bad that you could not beat SE? And that one MN boys team made it to regional semis two years in a row?
Why is it that in MN if a coach wins that only breeds jealousy. If these teams had not been winning, would you care?
That's just the way it goes in sports. Winning or losing programs are always going to have someone not happy.
When does the Star Trib come out with its poll? I thought last year it was right around this time. Or did it alrady come out? Having been out of town for a few weeks, I could have missed it.
Top 10 A Team
1. Totino
2. St Paul Academy
3. BSM
4. Blake
5. Mankato West
6. DeLaSalle
7. Breck
8. St. Thomas Academy
9. Saint Louis Park
10. Rochester Lourdes
I've seen plenty of high school and summer soccer and these are based off of the talent that each team has...any opinions?
St Thomas Academy has lost their keeper. He has gone to Holland to play with an academy there.
May have a big impact on their success.
Here is the newly released Coaches Poll.:
1. Wayzata
2. Minneapolis South
3. Apple Valley
4. Stillwater
5. Eden Prairie
6. Burnsville
7. Henry Sibley
8. Mounds View
9. Woodbury
10. St. Paul Central
Others: Hill-Murray, Champlin Park, Minnetonka, Eagan, Maple Grove
And the Class A Poll:
1. Bennilde-St. Margaret's
2. Totino Grace
3. Mankato West
4. Academy of Holy Angels
5. Rochester Lourdes
6. Mahtomedi
7. Breck
8. Blake
9. St. Paul Academy
10. Duluth East
Others: Marshall, Orono, Hillcrest Lutheran, Meadow Creek Christian, Chisago Lakes
eagan will be a much weaker team this year, with their top goal scorer out, much of the playmaking responsibility will fall on Alex Daley. One player is not enough to win games. Im suprised Eagan is even listed in the "others"
Minneapolis South #2? I think they will show in their first game v Osseo (who should be a very average team) if they deserve to be in the top 10. I think they will struggle out of conference this year as they lost some very good seniors.
Wayzata plays Stillwater tonight. #1 vs. #4. Could help to shed some early light on both squads.
Wayzata plays Stillwater tonight. #1 vs. #4. Could help to shed some early light on both squads.
EP vs. St. Paul Central in the early game tonight at the Minnesota Cup. #5 vs. #10.
When you guys look at rankings are you looking at Sectionals at all or just who you think are good teams?
I know stillwater is a big school, but after losing all those seniors I would be shocked if they are able to reload fast enough to contend.
Class AA - Boys
Section 1 Rochester?
Section 2 Eden Prairie
Section 3 Henry Sibley (AV & Burnsville maybe good but you can only have one winner)
Section 4 Stillwater
Section 5 Champlin Park or Maple Grove (Moundsview has a good coach but barely any returning seniors)
Section 6 Wayzata
Section 7 Anoka
Secion 8 St Cloud or Brainerd
We were using the rankings from the Coaches Poll out Sunday the 19th.
Wayzata coming out of Section 6 now with South and Southwest could be tough.
I picked Stillwater more based on coach than players, but upon reflection I think your right. It will probably be Woodbury comming out of Section 4. As far as Wayzata, I don't know....that will be an interesting Sectional to watch.
South and Southwest are both way down this year. Wayzata should walk away with the section.
I'd have to go with hill-murray out of section 4.
Anoka 4 Burnsville 3 tonight according to maxpreps.com
Maple Grove beat Orono last night but gave up two goals early. I think they are a young team and need at least a year to develop.
Minnesota Cup results tonight:
EP 1 St. Paul Central 0
Wayzata 3 Stillwater 1
What's the Minnesota Cup and how did the Teams look?
The Minnesota Cup is an early season tournament that Phil Johnson at Stillwater set up with Mike Wager from Wayzata and Dan Storlien from Jefferson. The idea was to try to get four quality teams from different parts of the Twin Cities to compete in a tourney to kick the season off. It has been going on for almost 10 years. This year it happened to include Wayzata #1, Stillwater #4, EP #5 and St. Paul Central #10.
EP beat Central in a fairly competitive game. EP seemed to have more of the play and they won 1-0. In the second game Stillwater and Wayzata played a pretty even first half with Stillwater scoring late in the half. Wayzata scored early in the second half and about a minute later Vint scored his second goal of the game on a nice header from #18. Wayzata continued to control a bit more of the play although Stillwater had a number of opportunities. Wayzata scored their final goal #8 on another nice cross from #18 with about 25 minutes to go. It seemed that there were a number of substitutions after that for both teams. Two good games on tap for tomorrow. EP vs. Wayzata in the Final at 7 pm and Stillwater vs. Central in the third place game at 5 pm. All games are at Stillwater.
Thanks for this last post. It is just the kind of thing that makes this blog enjoyable to read. All those nasty posts, especially about silly club rivalry drama, are even sadder when compared to comments like this last one.
Benilde #1 vs. Breck #7 at 5 pm today at Benilde.
KP starts out with 5 goals in his first game! He's got to be the early season favorite for Mr. Soccer (Class A) and Metro Player of the Year.
That great, who did they play?
They played PACT Charter...not very impressive to score 5 against a team of this quality. Most teams PACT plays will have a 4-5 goal scorer against them. KP may still be the leading Class A Mr. Soccer candidate, but stats from this game will be irrelevent in the voting.
For those who do not know who PACT is, it is a charter school with a total enrollment (9-12) of maybe 175 kids.
Sibley's trip to compete against Milwaukee elite cancelled due to flooding. Mallace get extra days to rest before eating somebody's lunchmeat, beginning next week. Earlier blogger is right, Sibs backfield, scattered on 4 different club teams, should be solid.
Wayzata wins Minnesota Cup over a very good EP Team 2-1. Stillwater beats St. Paul Central 1-0 to capture 3rd. Good start to the High School season. All four squads have a good level of talent. They certainly learned some things by playing against some strong competition. All for have something they can build on.
top 5 lake conference teams?.... EP,valley,burnsville,eagan,EV.... what are thoughts about this conference......weak? strong? key players from the teams...?
i know it will be difficult, but can we focus on the teams rather than individuals for a couple weeks?
all the mr/ms soccer talk reminds me of the presidential candidates jockeying for position...i can see the next post, 'my kid, who's only 13, is a lock on the award in 2012'...
anon 1134 was right, this site is the 'thinking man's' site.
i'll go back to the other one now.
Sorry to dissapoint ems, but I think this post is about both top teams and top players. After watching the MN Cup, Vint has to be the AA Mr. Soccer favorite. While he make lack polish at times, he is the complete player. His work ethic, determination, ability to make things happen all over the field, put him above everyone else...so far. I have heard Mallace described the same way, but have not seen him play for a while.
Wayzata looks to be fairly deep. They beat a good EP team without Monasterio playing his best. EP will play Benilde on Tuesday. It should shine a light on just how strong EP might be.
Benilde #1 1 vs. Breck #7 0. Benilde looked to be the much stronger side. Benilde launched a lot of shots. Need to get those on net. Rochester Lourdes #5 2 vs. Holy Angels #4 0. Did anyone catch that game?
ems
I can't agree more with your sentiment on the Mr. Soccer thing. Can we say hype? I think everyone knows what names are playing on what teams. Lets focus on the teams without any hype for Mr Soccer. Wouldn't it be nice if the play on the field decided who would be Mr. Soccer instead of a proganda hype.
Goal Post - who have you seen play this year? Who are some of the teams you like. Like to hear your thoughts?
Any quality games on tap this week?
Mahtomedi and Sibley, BSM and EP, ...
one advantage to hearing people praise individual players is it does reveal what parents post on the blogs.
How is South looking? #2 in the Poll. Are they able to fill the voids left by last years graduating class. How about AV, MV and Woodbury. Have they played yet?
As a parent I learned long ago not to comment on my own children. Not only did I run the risk of crossing that fine line to "self-promotion" but I also ran a huge risk of opening my children up to ridicule. My son does read this blog from time to time and he has talked to me about the comments he has read about himself, his teammates and his team. He tells me that it feels good when someone says something nice that he can believe and it stings when someone makes a critical comment, even if it is off base. It seems that he is learning an important life lesson. Don't get too full of yourself when the press clippings are good and don't take it too personally when the comments turn negative. Let's do our best to make this a spot that people who enjoy the game of soccer, turn to to hear about other teams and players. Let's be careful with our criticism and let's try to use this as an opportunity to promote the game and not our son or daughter.
I been traveling quite a bit for work and have only heard from my soccer sources (ref's) about, Moundsview, Coon Rapids, Spring Lake Park, Champlin, Maple Grove, Orono, Osseo and Park Center. Needless to say no ones has been impressed. Reports are Moundsview plays a well organized game but has no spark and a tiny goal keeper. Champlin Park has good striker but is completely unorganized. Maple Grove needs some seasoning and could be the team to beat next year.
Here's my wish list of games to see:
8/28/07 Eden Prairie vs Benilde
9/6/07 Woodbury vs Stillwater
9/15/07 Wayzata vs Totino Grace
Beside knowing guys on all the teams it would be interesting to see the Match up "Little Private School's" vs Mega School's. I think the Woodbury/Stillwater game will just be plain interesting.
I'm hoping my (ref) freind can see the
9/6/07 Anoka vs Osseo - Anoka one of my dark horse picks this year.
I'd love it if Cable TV would pick up some of these games and let us know when they are broadcasting them. It would also be nice if we could use this blog to report on some of these games (as in the MN Cup report)
My big work project ends next week and I'm looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel. Sitting down and watching some high school soccer (no snow please) sounds like a good way to unwind to me.
What games are you hoping to catch or you think are key games of the season.
watch for this week's StarTribune soccer preview and let's use this blog to share our reaction. John is usually fair in his comments, albeit his scope is obviously limited to what he is exposed to.
Mpls south falls to Osseo 3-1... it was a good run.
Trib's Rankings
1. Wayzata: Seven players were on the 2005 state championship team.
2. Eden Paririe: The Eagles have plenty of speed and experience.
3. Apple Valley: Plenty of depth on the defending Class 2A champions
4. Benilde-St. Margaret's: Three Class 1A crowns since 2000
5. Minneapolis south" A lot of talent and a very deep bench
6. Eagan: If the Wildcats find some scoring watch out.
7. Henry Sibley: Strong on defense. The offense will determine fate.
8. Mounds View: Lost to Apple Valley 2-1 in the Class 2A a year ago.
9. Anoka: Won the Northwest Suburban crown in 2006
10. Stillwater: Lost a lot of experience (17 players) from last year's squad.
Comments....Anyone....Anyone???
Let them now determine it on the field of play
South will falter this year.
AV will be strong again.
EP should be good...didn't Wayne coach most of those kids this summer?
Wayzata has the numbers and will be in the hunt...same for Stillwater.
Eagan will drop from rankings in a few weeks.
BSM will be tough in "A".
eagan wont drop
The rankings have some "what could he possible be thinking" Like, Stillwater had 17 varsity player leave last year but are still rank??? Phil's obviously god like. South has already lost to Osseo, but Osseo wasn't ranked. Mounds View has a great coach but no goalie. My assestment of the ranking by the Trib writer is he is writing what the coaches from the west burbs are telling him.
What I going to find amusing is the spread on High School Football tommorrow. How many pages of the sports section will be devoted to one sport. How many writers will they have forming those opinions and rankings?
I don't fault the writer regarding his rankings but the paper for devoting so few and little resources to the rankings. I wonder how they came up with the rankings for cross country, tennis and volleyball.
Eagan will sink like a rock once they play LC opponents.
they will sink like a boulder
Totino Grace High School has a pretty good mens team this year. Look out for that player Justin everyone calls Hute
The kid that plays soccer from Totino does he also kick for the football team
Eagan looses to Owatanna 3-4. Owatana lost to AV 0-4. Eagan could be in for a rough season.
Wayzata by 1-0 over Elk River. Not so impressive.
AV pounds Coon Rapids 6-1.
AV should move up in the rankings as South has a lose to an unranked team and could drop way down.
Wayzata outshot ER 21 to 6. ER GK made 7 saves, 3 of which were impressive and he gave up one goal. Score could have easily been 4-0. Wayzata didn't finish their opportunities. I am sure they are working on that as we speak. AV is sounding like they may have one of the top squads. Look forward to hearing about some of their upcoming matches. Any other Teams looking good early? EP tied BSM 1-1 last night. Anyone see that match?
MG has a good side this year. Watched them play (vs a weak AHA)and saw a very strong middle. #6 is very strong.( would get more attention if on a stronger team.) Only weak spot is #15. (Looks lost) Strong keeper. A couple of fast forwards but trouble finishing. Defense is suspect but they have a strong stopper.
CP v MG will be conference championship.
I think Edina might to fairly well this year. They smoked a cretin team which beat stillwater yesterday, and they beat SPA.
Please refrain from calling a team or player "trash". These are HS kids we are talking about. While over zelous parents may create favorable posts about their teams, it is not acceptable to take cheap shots at the players or team.
who thought sibley was gonna be good? cus they just got dominated by hill-murray tonight 2-1 and hill should have had at least one or two more. Also, sibley has no scorers up top and their one goal was off a lucky break
hill murray is probably one of the top two or three teams in the state, and they were severely jobbed by the so called rankings. However they did not "dominate" sibley... it was a very even, hard-fought match. You're right though henry sibley has some questions in the attack. They lost their leading scorer from last season due to suspension so that's a big blow. Frankly I don't think they should have even played the match because the field was basically a mud pit. Guys were slipping around awkwardly and rolling ankles all night long.
TG 5 North Branch 0. North Branch with a young squad. Definitely a rebuilding year for the squad.
i disagree that it was even at all since the hill-murray goalie only saw a few quality chances and the sibley goalie was bombarded all night long, but you are correct that the field was a mud pit
remember that was Sibleys first game of the season
sibley missing there some how leading scorer from last season will not affect them, idk how he scored so much, he is not skilled or fast. btw, mallace is extremely skilled! hill murray will be extremely competitive, MV and woodbury coming up will be a great match up, esp. in the middle of the field, ill take woodbury due to MV's lack of returners. will be interesting. THOUGHTS any1?
mallace is very skillked, but once he becomes frustrated, its like playing against a four year old with all the whining he does; and sibley had already had scrimmages, so to say that was the reason they did so poorly, youd only be kidding yourself
How are some of the other Teams looking? Maple Grove is 3-0, how strong are they? Osseo is off to a quick start, what do they look like? Edina hasn't lost. Any other teams looking strong?
Look at Anon 29/8/7 10:04. For MG. I have to agree with it. #6 palys to fast for even his team to keep up. #15 makes a good post. Must be younger player. Osseo always starts fast but finishes slow. Saw edina vs CDH. They look good but it was early, I haven't seen them since.
Sibley had the better of play as far as control of the game. Hill-Murray just created more chances. That's soccer.
is the last comment a joke? cus hill dominated sibley the whole game, chances are produced from possesion and obviously sibley had neither
I believe Sibleys frst two games were called off because of the weather and their trip to Milwaukee was also cancelled. The scrimmage against AV and Hastings ect was a training session for the coaches to see who plays at what position everybody who knows about soccer knows that the scrimmages are all about putting everyone on the field and most games you do not have your starting eleven on at the same time !!!!!! so yes Hill Murray game was there 1st official game !!!
Can we move on? While this banter about Hill Murray vs. Sibley may be of interest to two or three people it is getting very old for the rest of us. Let's engage some of the others in this blog so that we are inclined to come back to it to learn a bit more about what is going on in the state with respect to High School soccer. Thank You!!!
eagan alum.. just dont konw how to get a signin name... heard ep has a lot of premier senior, and the huttons lead a strong av team.. how's the rest of the lake lookin? clearly eagan is struggling, but what about south or rosemount?.. also any strong city teams?, cant imagine south can be too good losing gibbons and kielty-lucas...
any info?
Saw the Maple Grove/Burnsville game on Saturday. Unsure why BV has lost 3 out of first 4, but its 4-1 victory over a strong MG side was convincing.
It seemed to me that BV's strong center mid play was the differnce.
BASED ON THE DOZEN OR SO GAMES I HAVE SEEN HERE ARE MY FINDINGS.WAYZATA:SOLID IN EVERY POSITION AND VERY ORGANIZED THEY ALSO SEEM MUCH MORE DETERMINED THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR, IT IS THERE COACHS FINAL SEASON. EDEN PRAIRIE:LOOKED BETTER THAN WAYZATA IN THE GAME THEY PLAYED AGAINTS THEM, PROBABLY COULD FIELD 3 TEAMS THAT WOULD FINISH IN THE UPPER HALF OF THE LAKE.#S PAY OF AND AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF TALENTED ATHELETES ARE HARD TO BEAT.HILLMURRY: BY FAR THE BEST TEAM HILL HAS PRODUCED THEY MIGHT LOSE 1OR2 CLOSE ONES BUT THATS IT.STILLWATER: THEY WILL DO OK BUT ARE NOT GOING TO COMPETE FOR ANY TITLES.SOUTHWEST, SOUTH, OUCH ITS GOING TO BE A ROUGH YEAR.HIGHLAND:HAS 3 GREAT PLAYERS AND A BUNCH OF NOT SO GREAT PLAYERS, WILL BE UP AND DOWN BUT WILL HAVE SOME SURPRISEING RESULTS.CENTRAL:BEST OF THE IC RIGHT NOW BUT NEED TO FIND SOME FINISHERS, THEY DOMINATED EP IN THE 2ND HALF OF THERE GAME AT THE MN CUP BUT WERE DOMINATED THE FIRST HALF. BURNSVILLE: CENTER MIDS ARE OUTSTANDING, WATCHED THEM BLOW A 2-0 LEAD AGAINTS HIGHLAND TO LOSE 3-2, COACH MADE SOME VERY STRANGE PERSONEL CHOICES THAT ALLOWED HIGHLAND 6 BREAKAWAYS THEY SCORED ON 3. WELL MORE LATER!
Thanks for the update above. Appreciate the insight. Keep the cards and letters coming!
BV's win over Maple Grove had everything to do with the Coach(?)finally putting people up on that team that should have been there in the first place, instead of trying to field what was a mediocre at best U15 Premier team as thier Varsity squad.
WOW!!!! JOHNSON THAO HAS 4 GOALS IN 2 GAMES FOR UW PARKSIDE, AND TIM THAO HAS 3 FOR PARKSIDE, CHECK OUT THE PARKSIDE WEB SITE THERE ARE SOME GOOD ARTICLES ALREADY. SORRY I KNOW THIS IS NOT H.S. SOCCER BUT ITS GOOD TO SEE MN KIDS DOING GOOD AT A HIGH LEVEL.
Anyone looking for a good game tonight TG against Benilde St. Margaret. This game will be a defining moment for each team. Game is at 7pm at TG
New rankings out for September 2nd
1. Wayzata (1)
2. Apple Valley (3)
3. Mounds View (8)
4. Anoka (-)
5. Woodbury (9)
6. Eden Prairie (5)
7. Osseo (-)
8. Minneapols South (2)
9. Hill-Murray (-)
10. Edina (-)
Others: Stillwater (4), Champlin Park (-), Eastview(-), Maple Grove (-)
It's an absolute joke that Mounds View and South are still in it. Hill-Murray should be rated number one. Oh yeah, and let's completely drop Henry Sibley off the face of the planet after losing to Hill in their first game of the season.
Ok, I'll ask... what does (-) mean?
I think Mounds View and Stillwater rankings are based more on the coaches than there current players. I should think it obvious to everyone by now, you can have the best players in the state on your team, but with an idiot coach you'll go now where, and good coaches can make medicore player look great.
(-) means that the team was previously unranked
(-) means that they were not previously ranked in the Top 10
Eagan has begun to sink like a rock...or a boulder.
Apple Valley "rocked" them 5-0 this afternoon.
I wonder if Eagan coaches awarded any "assists" in this game? heh heh
Anon 4/9 12:00
Did you see Hill's game vs Maple Grove? We are Lucky #21 was hurt!
Good point Anon 5:10. A coach who can not make game adjustments, can make a talented team underachieve. Just look at Mpls South the past 2 years.
is anon 8:13 talkin bout hills 21 or maple groves? cus hill had 21 and 5, both captains, hurt
score on a big game tonight
Woodbury 2 - Mounds View 1
For boys and girls
I think sibley losing there leading scorer from last year will have a huge impact on there season. if he was there against hill it would have been all sibley and the score could have easily been 4-2. losing a leading scorer always is a big hit, especially one who banked as many goals as he did last year. Sibley had a slip in their 1st game of the season, but they will get back on the horse and mallace will lead them to a great year with hoppe to help.
who was sibleys leading scorer last year? how many goals did he have and how good was he? why isnt he playing this year? just looking for some answers
He will remain nameless but he is not eligible as he had some legal issues possibly in connection with the Eagan player.
He scored I believe 12 -14 goals as a junior.
Hopefully both the Sibley player and Eagan player can get themselves on the right track and get back to soccer.
Wayzata 2 Minnetonka 1
Wayzata starting to score a little. Vint's supporting cast up front needs to work a little harder. He can't create or score all the goals by himself.
Sibley player is out from a serious soccer injury at regionals
sibley player scored 17 goals and had 6 assists. good overall player, but got involved with drugs with the eagan player. this was his 3rd time getting caught and there for done with high school soccer. i also heard he completely wrecked his right ankle this past summer at regionals and is still in rehab and not able to run. if sibley still had him they would be bound for the state championship game. him and mallace were a dynamic duo. if he gets his ankle back to playing form he could have a decent college career, that is if he stops with the drug use. im interested to know what other people think of this sibley kid. how good was he?
i believe he played for the now U17 bangu team, and had a good 2 seasons with them. both years the team won state cup and had an impressive run at regionals. from what i hear he was a big part of their scoring, with goals and big assists, 2 i believe in the state final this past year in a 2-1 win over EP. unfortunately i hear he is also very injury prone. hopefully the drug use stops and the great soccer starts again. interested to see what other people feel about him. please tell all u know about him.
TAJ
Wayzata has been playing well. They are moving the ball and causing their opponents some real fits. Tehir last two games saw them really dominate. They outshot Duluth East 30 to 3 and Minnetonka 15 to 3. The only save attempt thier GK had to make was a PK against Tonka last night. Unfortunately they scored.
Wayzta should be in the mix. They will learn more after the face South, Edina and Totino Grace in the next week and a half.
They are interested in hearing more about AV, MV, Anoka and Woodbury. Anyone have some insight?
Sibley had 15 Juniors on their roster last year. The current roster is not on the MaxPreps sight yet. They should be strong with 14 or 15 seniors this year. I would venture to guess that no other team has this many seniors. That said they don't play a very strong schedule (only 2 tough games left versus Woodbury and Hill Murray) and should have a good season from a wins-losses perspective. I don't think we'll see how strong they really are until sections.
TG against Benilde last night was a very exciting game. Both teams played very hard. Score ended in a Tie 3-3
who scored for totino?
Barbarino,
You forgot to mention that the Duluth East game was not a win. Outshooting a team 30-3 in a 0-0 tie is not a cause for celebration. Wayzata is very talented but must learn to score consistently.
Roosevelt 2 - Southwest 1 in OT.
St. Thomas Academy 3 - Richfield 1
Edison 4 - Wasburn 3
Coon Rapids 2 -Cretin Derham Hall 1
South 13 - North 0
The South coach loves to run the score up for stats. Last year he slaughtered North twice, and ran the up a couple of his players stats. Does he not get that everyone understand what he's doing and despises him for it?
Is it the mpls south coach's job to keep scores down or coach his team? if north cannot field a competitive team every year, maybe they should find another league and play there. Is is unfair to accuse a coach for running up the scores when he should be concerned with coaching they way he/she feels.
North coach should play in a different league if they can't be competitive.
I know Carl and consider him a good guy.
I loathe these scores though.
anon: there is no coaching going on either side when you have a 13-0 score so throw that excuse out.
Absolutely no reason for it.
I think Aaron Gibbon and excellent player, but look at his stats from last year...
G A vs Score
4-4 North 18-0
6-2 Henry 12-0
5-6 Henry 20-0
3-2 Rossevelt 11-0
2-2 Washburn 11-1
Mr Gibbon was ranked 2nd scorer last year. I don't know, perhaps no one should get credit for scoring more than 3 goals per game? It would have dropped him down from 29 goals to 23, and 30 assist to 26. Still great numbers.
I'm not sure if North or any team gets a choice in what league they play in, but from last years behavior I would think it's South that should change leagues. I also think this isn't a one time thing, it obviously is happening over and over. I can't help but wonder what the school AD and Administration is thinking to let this kind of thing continue.
CARL IS NOT SOUTHS COACH ANYMORE.SCHOOLS WILL FIELD A TEAM NO MATTER HOW BAD THEY ARE SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP THE FUNDING.IT DOES YOUR TEAM NO GOOD TO STOP TRYING TO SCORE BECAUSE SCOREING IS THE WHOLE OBJECT OF THE GAME, SO YOU CLEAR YOUR BENCHES AND IF YOUR 2ND AND 3RD STRINGERS ARE SCOREING WHY NOT LET THEM, AS LONG AS YOUR PLAYERS ARE NOT BEING UNSPORTSMANLIKE WHATS THE PROBLEM.
I agree, if your 2nd & 3rd stringer are scoring fine. But from what I saw on last years stats, it wasn't the 2nd & 3rd stringers scoring. I haven't seen the stats for this game so I have no idea who did all of there scoring. The problem here is South as set it self up for critism because of last years behavior. (I can't think of one reason to have the score 12-0 with one player scoring 6 goals with 2 assist. Meaning without that player on the field the team would have only score 2 goals) If the 2nd & 3rd stringers scored I don't know if anyone will have a problem. It is high school soccer and it happens. Who is the coach for South this year?
When Carl was at South he would often sit his top scorers in the 2nd half of blow out game. Sometimes he would just let them play 10-15 minutes per half. He would also bring up JV players and give them significant minutes against the weaker teams. I know that Centrals coach has done the same over the years.
anon 5:13,
Nice try but last year we researched how many different players scored goals in Souths blowouts.
Four players scored over 80% of that teams goals last year. If more of the reserves scored it would be different story.
He didn't try very hard to keep the games respectable.
Wes-sy-eed great point. I completely missed reporting the results. Wayzata did tie Duluth East 0-0 in that game. A disappointing result given how well they played. The team needs to find its scoring touch so that it can take advantage of their possession. They are moving the ball well and linking their passes. They still need to improve their overall work rate and play quicker. If they can do that they will become a much stronger squad. They play South on Saturday. Looking forward to a good match. These two teams are now in the same Section. It could be important for Section seeding.
WHY WOULD ANYONE RESEARCH WHO IS SCORING GOALS IN BLOW OUTS, UNLESS THEY HAVE A VENDETTA. PLUS ITS A NEW SEASON THE GIBBONS ARE AT COLLEGE THERE ARE NEW TEAMS AND KIDS TO TALK ABOUT.
anon 9:31,
The reason someone would research that would be to defend the coach if in fact several players shared the scoring in blowouts.
But when it was researched the numbers proved that wasn't the case.
Comprende?
If there is a pattern for this happening every year, then it is not south coachs' problem to fix.
It is Henry, Roosevelt and all the other inner schools to field competitive teams or play in another league.
Where is the government when we need them?
If South can field a good team, Henry can do the same and be competitive.
Let them score - that's is the name of the game.
I am one of the least PC guys you will find.
I find these scores to ruin the sportsmanship and decorum of this great game.
They are appalling
I didn't see any of the games. I am a coaching aquaintence and have heard the plan/rationale for subing in blow out games.
BTW, you logic doesn't make sense. If the score is 14-0 at half time and the top scorers come out and reserves score 2 or 4 more goals in the 2nd half, you have still have a lop sided game with top goal scorers playing only 1/2 the game and scoring 80% of the goals.
As I used to coach in the St. Paul City conference, I sort of agree with Anon 8:40. There is great disparity in ability from the bottom to the top in the 2 city conferences. There have been several proposals to find a way to have the top city teams only play 1 confernece game and then play the other 1/2 of their conf schedule against the other city teams in the top or bottom 1/2 based on previous years finish. That would provide each team 4 or 5 more competative games. There have also been other similar propsals.
The ADs and MSHSL does want to do it. They are to blame. There are blow out scores in every sport (football, tennis, basketball, etc.) it doesn't mean that the blow outs are good, but they are part of competative sports.
Again, I agree with previous posters, that if ADs at these schools that were constantly blown out really cared, they would find a way to get more quality coaching pulled into their programs and find a way to bring more kids out to play. The fact is most of them don't care about anything in the fall except football.
Coaching a blow-out is no fun. (I'm a coach.) We have been up 2-0 after three minutes. It's embarrasing for most everyone involved. It's not easy to keep the score down. I coached a 9-0 game--it could have been 30 or more. Kids are kids--you sit them, you play others, etc... An all-state caliber player can score 6 goals in 15 minutes against some of these teams. Should they stay home because they are playing a weak side? You only have so many games...
It is High School Soccer, blow out happen. It is difficult to control. But I recall a score from last year 20-0. Come on, that just shouldn't happen. CC is a no slouch as a coach and should have certainly not let it happen.
Is it the coaches fault? It happens but I would think when you play the same team the second time the score shouldn't be more lop sided. Is it the AD fault? He/She certainly share in the responsibility. Is that why CC not coaching there? Didn't he move on to bigger and better things? Again who is the coach this year, Max Prep has CC listed.
Last night Central trounced Highland 4-0. Is Central the real deal this year, or is Highland weak?
I like Highland but I think they are actually pretty weak this year (no disrespect to them!). I don't know much about Central.
please, no more talk about blowouts!! I'm sick of it!
Wayzata 1 South 0
Minnetonka 2- Sibley 4.
Sibley looked good.
I saw the Sibley game, too. Much improved play since their loss to HM. A couple of postion changes really help. One of the defenders has moved to center mid and a new kid up front was moving the ball well. Mallace had a remarkable header to score one of the 4 goals.
anybody know where to find a list of schools comprising the new sections?
http://www.mshsl.org/mshsl/showcompsection07.asp
sibley blows north out of the water and a suprizing youg fellow score a hat trick. things r looking good for sibley
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