Why is that a drawback? I work with people and compete with people twenty years older and younger than me. Physically, if there is a difference between a 15 and 17 year old, then the coach must figure that out.
3:20 - what I inferred is that a U15 premier player usually is not of equal calibre as a U17 or U18 premier player. The drawback is that IMO the overall level of play tends to also drop a tad. Are there other lessons to be learned - sure - as you mention by both the coach and the player. I was only commenting on the quality of play. 2:42
Lets not kid yourselves, high school soccer is a joke and where a player plays, whether AA or A, doesn't mean squat when it comes to comparing the top players. The top plays who are studs on a A team would be studs on a AA team.
What I have witnessed is that the top players start to believe they are the only ones that can make plays and will only play with the other so called top players which leaves teams very unbalanced. So from a parent with a kid that is considered in the middle of the pack, I cringe watching these so called top players
I would agree, I cringe when the so called top players are trying to do it all. It makes very ugly, unbalanced soccer. On the other hand it must be hard for a kid to pass to a teammate knowing that it will be an instant turnover, or another cross that goes untouched, ect. These are the some of the same issues that drive the better player to find other teams at the club level. The competitive nature and drive to win can lead to some bad playing that hopefully does not develop into bad habits by trying to do it all. It would be great if these top player(s) would take the opportunity to work with the whole team, to elevate the overall level of team play and discover the ability to do that is what makes them a true top player, even if you aren’t winning. But we are dealing with teenagers and for them it is all about “me”.
While it is fun to look at the high school teams and talk the typical crap between them. For the most part high school soccer should be seen for what it is, kids playing with there friends for fun. If you happen to have a successful team with some better players or have a great coach to offer something in the way of development all the better. But let's not fool ourselves into believing Minnesota high school soccer is the pinnacle of soccer. For many it may be, but there are others looking higher. Playing for the school gives them a place to play with their buddies, show-off (hopefully not to much), possibly add to their profile for colleges to look at. If the team find success it is icing on the cake, so just try to enjoy it and not get hurt.
It is too bad there is such a negative tone about high school soccer. Many players still take great pride in their school team. Personally, when I was playing, playing school ball was much more important than club, and I felt much more pride in representing my school, although my team wasn't necessarily as good as my club team.
When my daughters played it was the funnest two months of the year for them. Playing with their friends, playing in front of parents, classmates, etc..., playing under the lights, having their name announced, having pride playing for their school. I've seen students get into fights/brawls over their schools, but not sure I've ever seen kids get into a fist fight over soccer clubs (although reading some of the posts on this blog I think some of the parents are capable).
It should be the funnest time of the year for all of those reasons, but high school is not the main place to develop and showcase your talent if you are going to higher level like it is for sports like football.
Take the soccer context out of 2:16's post and tell me is there really more to life than developing and showcasing your talent? Why shouldn't it apply to everything you do as you go through life including, in this case, soccer.
armstrong @ ep. finished with a 1-1 tie. ep scored near the end of the 1st half on a counter attack by #16. armstrong scored with 330 left in the 2nd by nd tipping the ball past the ep keeper. ot went scoreless. ep isn't the ep of old. armstrong played with 15 kids on a warm day on a hot turf. hey, ep, why didn't you get your turf with regulation lines? armstrong's coach is a jerk by the way. the refs agreed with a yellow/yellow/red. ep's goalie was never really tested. armstrong's in new to the position but has potential. #16 for ep will be miss soccer in 2 yrs if she doesn't dig herself into a hole with the south american 'flopping'...
when a player attempts to draw the foul with the slightest bit of contact...falls to the ground....writhes in pain....looks to see if the 'foul' was called...then hops up to take the free kick (if it was).
and no, i'm not her dad. but if i was, i'd go ahead and buy that new truck i've been wanting...using her college savings account that they won't need.
Yes, I'm aware of the MSHSSCA site and the links to the right of this blog site, but they don't contain updated rankings, they are still the preseason rankings that don't mean a whole lot.
1. Woodbury 2. Eden Prairie 3. Edina 4. Mounds View 5. Bloomington Jefferson 6. Armstrong 7. Wayzata 8. Lakeville South 9. Rochester Century 10. Park Others: White Bear Lake, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Burnsville, Duluth East, Brainerd
Woodbury awesome, their center mids controlled game , created numerous scoring opportunities, hands down much better than MV. Impressed with MV young developing talent base of freshmen and sophs. Most teams will have hard time matching up against woodburys center mids and precision passing game and excellent set plays.
The EV LS game was one of the poorest officiated games I've seen in a couple of years. Inconsistant calls over the back,no calls on holding. Once a player in possession in the bok about to shoot was knocked down..no call.Another time a player in possession about to shoot a couple of yards out of the box was tackled...no call. This officiating crew simply "choked".
Enjoyed LS/EV game. LS the better team in the first half. Loved the scrappy, hard-nosed LS forward who really worked hard trying to get to goal. Fun watching her play. She should do well at Iowa. EV striker,mid and defender were lightning quick (pun intended)and able to get beautiful runs up and around defenders. Good effort by both keeps. Really surprised by physical play by EV in second half. Thought there were quite a few calls during most of the game but,yes,both teams could have had fouls called in the last few minutes but unfortunately that's HS officiating.
LS hardly dominated play. They were outshot and had no corner kicks, but despite that, they found a way to win. A tough week for them...4 games in 5 days!
Horrible officiating for both sides. I don't think either coach was happy.
what game did you watch? LS had at least 5 corners and in the second half and OT CH only offense was countering.
I will agree that the refs were bad, the coaches did not look happy but we were on the other side of the field, It looked like LS coach was talking to them before OT
I've seen a half dozen Classic and Lake games and I agree it's the worst reffing I've seen in years.It's pretty obvious some of them don't understand the rules.
Who's in charge of the refs? Are they ever graded.
I think LS definately had the run of play in OT and thought it could go either way during the first two halves....just disagree that LS dominted, although they won the midfield which definately caused CH fits.
This game (and the boys game prior) was the worst officiating I have seen this year. Horrible positioning, horrible foul recognition, and even throw ins were a difficult call!
Bad officiating follows coaches who overly prod and goad officials, who lose focus and will then will use make up calls and finally make further bias calls to try and establish control of game. Coaches need to use more tactfulness and cleverness to motivate own teams. An overly zealous complaining coach usually gets more calls against his own team than subtle coaches who use non verbal communication and disapproval. Positive reinforcement of good calls does work to get focus on game where it belongs in the players feet and heads. Great coaches seem to find way to use humor sometimes and less ranting usually produces better soccer on the field for both teams.
Prior Lake Lakers has Holy Angels Stars figured out evidently, is this third straight win over conference foe? Northfield also looks tough in Missota conference race having defeated Prior Lake.
I've seen two games this week where attacker was pulled down/tripped in the box as game is almost over. Neither resulted in a foul and both were VERY obvious.
Give credit to coach that does this every year to pad players stats early in season for post season honors. But will play out of state this year in rock and roll tournament against strong out of state competition. According to tournament billings Eagan is nationally ranked program, Good Luck wildcats .
Appears Eagan Wildcats players will play Tuesday at E.P. on 9th then 3 games Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday nites in Ohio bus back and then play following Tuesday at Lakeville North. The w in wildcats might be upside down sleeping by North game. Followed by Thursday and Saturday tilts Chaska and Rosemount.
Eagan was not a school in the 80's didnt open until the early 90's they are flying to ohio so that should help a little bit with a fatigue/tiredness factor, they are annually ranked in the top 10 in the state and why would you want to play a brutal physical out of conference schedule when you are in the lake conference, its to get ready for conference play and be healthy for conference play
it's not who you play when it comes to the weaker teams, it's how you play them. starters who are still in the game until the end is what can be wrong.
6/9/08 10:58 Let me try to understand your quote: why would you want to play a brutal physical out of conference schedule when you are in the Lake; perhaps the plane trip staying in hotel and three games in three days will improve teams health and remove the mental grind of high school from these young ladies. And if you havent been to state tournament in six years you can say now that your teams actually plays against genuine nationally ranked teams. Like they did last year losing to LS 16TH in the nation in final poll.
Hard fought and well-deserved win for MA. The Redhawks' younger players are really stepping up and they are playing very well together, as shown in a tough game against a quality opponent.
mahtomedi wins v edina in pk's saturday evening. the rain stopped at the beginning of ot. both teams had chances. edina must have hit the frame 6 or 7 times throughout the game and put some other 'sure goals' wide/high/soft. mahtomedi's #9 is highly skilled and quick as a rabbit with the ball. edina's #4 plays like she's 6' tall in the back. in spite of the rain, no 'oops' goals... and, to keep with a common theme, the reffing was 'so so' at best.
Vis carried play for 72 minutes but couldn't get many quality shots against very physical MA defense. MA capitalized on a free kick - nice hard spinning shot over the wall off the GK's hands. One of the few times they got the ball near the 18 before the rain.
AR saw lightning in a cloudburst that lasted 5 minutes and had no thunder or lightning and stopped play. MA controlled play in the last 18 minutes when play resumed 30 minutes later with only a couple of chances for Vis.
Echo the reffing refrain - very inconsistent, arbitrary application of rules - allowed some players much more leeway than others in extending arms during contact or knocking players off the ball while making no attempt to play the ball.
Both teams are offensively challenged - Vis can't seem to finish - MA is slow in midfield and forwards.
kudos to eagan and going to ohio, but the larger debate on non-conference scheduling is a problem. thjere are lots of coaches at some of the "big name" schools that play a soft schedule so at the end of the year they can look great at 16-2 or 18-0, but if out of those 18 games you had three or four tough ones, that is a joke. Outside of the Lake, most conferenceshave two, maybe three elite teams and that is all they play. Teams and coacehs shoudl eb rewarded for playing tough non-conference schedules when it comes to seeding and polls.
LS cannot score. They are in Totino's end for 80 minutes and miss several open chances. This game shoudl have been 5-0. They must have created 8 great scoring chances but only have one goal to show for it. it will be a long year for them unless they can find a way to finish
Eagan Non conference schedule Henry Sibley-Metro AA school right down the road from eagan it makes sense to play Byron Tournament-they were invited and took the opportunity as a way to get away for a weekend early in the season and get the team playing together Moorhead-AA school that you never know what you are going to get from them, could be really good, starting playing them when quinn ryan was there, she made games closer herself Ohio tournament, playing some of the best teams from around the country If you ask me the only "questionable" games are the byron tournament but why not take the team on a little getaway for a weekend get some games in early and get them playing together as a unit and some bonding time as a team, you dont get a lot of time together as a school team its not like a summer team where you start in november or december and go until august
In HS the coaches are bringing together players from different ages, skill levels, and club teams for a short 10 week season. Eagan typically finishes in the top half of the Lake Conference.
They play a high pressure attacking style that is fun and can be picked up in a short period of time. The coach uses the non-conference schedule to teach the system.
It can be stopped by a well organized skilled defense. LS had that last year, with half of their team from one high level club team (which is unusual in HS), plus a skilled attacker in KL.
Ask coach Harrison at EP how they do. He has had highly regarded teams the last couple of years, but hasn't beaten Eagan.
Last year they tied both EV and EP, and lost to CG in a shootout in sectionals.
This year they are playing with a freshman GK (top senior lost to surgery), but have some firepower up front and solid players throughout. I would expect another top 1/2 to top 1/3 finish.
Woodbury expanding from 2 to 3 high schools next year. You will see a significant drop in performance in virtually all sports.
That pretty much leaves just the Univ,Of E.P. as the school with the huge enrollment. E.P. would have split years ago but too much pressure from boosters. So much for education and kids participation.
Was also at MA-Vis though apparently on opposite end of stands; saw a very different game (including the lightning); beauty isn't the only thing in the eye of the beholder.
Eagan coach probably received nonconference scheduling advice from MDW. Gophers will not play a single major conference team until the Big 10 season starts.
MDW Big Ten conference record, Dont ask...... Dont tell. Last year of contract after season, am sure soft non conference schedule and results used to make her case on renewal.
why does eagan get so much grief? Who does wayzata play? outside of the duluth east tourney, who does woodbury play. I know for a fact that eagan would love to play woodbury for section reasons but woodbury is always "full"
I don't think there is as much objection to who Eagan plays as there is their stat padding against the weak teams. Alowing players to roll up 5+ points in a game, awarding 2 goals per assist etc.
EP not splitting because of the boosters? That's the most inventive reason I've heard. EP did not remain with one school high because of money - building a new high school, maintaining it, staffing it, running it, paying for the busses, etc. They made the decision back in the 80's, after Edina closed Edina East. They have no place to build it now, and with places like Prior Lake having a brand new school sitting empty because of lack of funding, I would say it wasn't a bad choice. Get off your high horse. EP has one of the lowest fundings per student of any district in the state. If size was the main reason keeping it's school big for sports reasons only, they would win every single state championship in every single sport. There are other things besides sports...
"why does eagan get so much grief? Who does wayzata play? outside of the duluth east tourney, who does woodbury play. I know for a fact that eagan would love to play woodbury for section reasons but woodbury is always "full""
That a funny statement considering Woodbury is in one of the toughest conferences in the state, With Moundsview and White Bear Lake always seeing a good fight for state. Eagan seems to make it self full with all of these out of state tournaments and such.
mounds view, WBL and Park- three teams . In the lake here are perenially state tourney teams, EP, LS, Eagan, Apple Valley, Eastview, Jefferson and sometimes Burnsville are all teams hat can get out of there section. It is a fact that when Eagan and Woodbury were in the same section, Woodbury would not play Eagan. Park did, but Woodbury "always plays the same schedule"
Wayzata is even worse, there conference is tough but small and they play almost no one outside of their conference
The truth is nobody wants to play Woodbury. Woodbury has a hard time filling it's non-conference schedule. Eagan was never able to get by Woodbury when they were in the same section. What makes them think they deserve the chance?
I agree EP is controlled by their boosters. That's pretty much general knowledge.Other schools split because it's the best decision for their kids. Woodbury,Lakeville,Bloomington etc.EP is a joke.
I don't live in Woodbury, Lakeville, Bloomington or EDP. I do live in a neighboring community of one of them. The reason they are successful in soccer, particularly WDB and EDP is that they have GREAT youth soccer programs. Period.
Edina - population 45K, zero growth EP - population 62K, 11% growth last year
As the school age population for Edina started to decrease in the 80's as the suburb matured, it made sense to close the second high school.
At it's current growth, by 2010, EP will have roughly 75K residents.
Lakeville - 2 high schools 54K residents.
there was a good article in the paper the other day discussing the new Woodbury high school. what was one of the main objectives----opportunities for extra curriculars for the student body. A whole new line up of sports teams, bands, drama, etc... think of all the kids who now get to play varsity who never would have had the opportunity before. IMO it would appear S. Washington County (and the Lakeville area) have their priorities in the right place.
District 196 also endorses smaller schools. Can you imagine if they would have a combined enrollment from AV, Eastview, Rosemount and Eagan? You could have a super team if you combined the best of each school.
The truth is that no one weants to play woodbury? What a joke! Deserve the chance to play them, are you serious? Woodbury plays 4 or 5 hard games a year (Ep in Duluth, Park, WBL and Mounds View- some conference teams twice) and then coasts. Do you ever see them playing temas form the Lake or Classic Lake unless it is in a tournament? They even skipped the Challenege Cup last year (07). There are plenty of teams that would love to play woodbury but their coaches always give the same answer- "Our schedule is set and we always play the same teams." I see WBL, Mounds View, Park all going outside of conferene to play the other top schools, never woodbury
What teams from the Lake or Classic Lake deserve a chance at Woodbury? Who's in the same league? Who do you want Woodbury to play? The coaches can't find any teams willing to play.
it is custmary that when in a section if a section opponent wants to play you, you play. woodbury would never play eagan, there coach wanted a game, it is that straight forward. Park played eagan when they were in the same section, why wouldn't woodbury. Outside of seeing EP in the Duluth tourney, which is always the opening matches of the year, woodbury has NEVER played a lake team and I know coaches from that conference who would love a chance so if they sat across from them at the state tourney seeding they would have results to go off of not polls or reputation
Side note: the other high school/ University, SSM, begins their season with U-16 playing Northfield JV and the nation wide recruited and scholarship funded U-18 test the courageous varsity of Northfield High tomorrow night. Odds makers arent taking wagers on either match. SSM coach is preparing team for grueling 1st divison MWRL games to follow and not taking opponent lightly ala MDW non-conference schedule.
As I stated a month ago, all you need to know is Woodbury vs. Edina in the Dome. All else are imposters. Darkhorses to watch are Eagan because of their forwards, EDP because they are solid across. No one else has those many "players", though other than WDB, the best players in the state don't play for Edina, EDP or Eagan, they just go top to bottom better than the rest.
Yes all true blue Minnesota futbol blog fans on edge of their seats hoping SSM girls stay focused outside school yard premises and WIN 1st division MWRL title and can finally be promoted and join 3 other U-18 girls teams qualified to play in MWRL legue next spring.
Hate to be the bearer of bad news for GENEROUS PAYING U-18 SSM parents but unless you played U-17 last year no chance you be facing stronger U-18 premier league play in spring. Even though most of players WERE 17 last year. Same old first division MWRL blow out games next spring too. SSM U-16 may be first to play in premier league next year AS U-17 if they win U-16 1 st div. this year and coaches and school officials feel younger players can compete at that level next year.
Woodbury will be there in the finals as they do have good players and coaches that seem to get it done year after year, and NO I am not a woodbury parent.
Woodbury, EP, Lakeville/LS, and Wayzata have been the dominant girls AA programs for the past 6-8 years. LS will be falling off as will WDB. Soon EP will be the top program for a few years until the city begins to age out.
Finally saw my first Eastview game and it wasn't pretty. Neither team played well. 0-0 at half and then Eastview came out a little more lively and got 3 quick goals. New Eastview coach cleared the bench 20 minutes in to second half so everyone got to play. Hope to see a better game next time.
Our best wishes and prayers go out to Eagan Wildcats after national rankings came out, ranking two of their weekend opponents as 3rd ranked and 12th in nation teams with 3rd opponent ranked 10th regionally. Woodbury Royals were listed as 10th ranked nationally. Wildcats Tuesday game ended with 2-1 loss to Eden Prairie while leading scorer nursed pulled hamstring...... NSCAA/Addias High School Rankings
Dear SSM booster, so why is your team scheduling your quote ... BOOT BALL.... Class A teams and their JV teams. Last year Fairmont Minn., Champlin, and Blake ...Boot Ballers help polish your image and apparently had the high privilege of playing the state cup runner ups.
Looking at Eagan opponent Strongville High School players plan for 2009, 1. University of Kiev 2. Indiana University 3. Kent State Univ. 4. University of Maryland 5. Duquesne University 6. Youngstown State University 7. Marshall University 8. Ball State.///// Courtesy of Strongsville Lady Mustang Web Site. Perhaps Shattuck ST Marys should play boot ballers from Strongsville.
I just want to applaud Eagan for taking this opportunity on, they were invited out there and they accepted the invitation even though they knew they were going to have to play top teams from across the country, this should be a great test and challenge for them and no matter the results they should be a better team for having done this, best of luck to them out there, it looks to be quite a daunting task
Ep had control of the game and really deserved a better result than just 2-1. WH should be extremely pleased with team's performance, with or without Eagan's studdette.
Hill Murray big surprise with young team doing so well, whose got scoop on that team. Lazy coach doesnt even list team roster on minnesota sports online.com. Can they surprise and possibly upset woodbury team in sections again.
H-M would get squashed by Woodbury. The only average level AA team they played was Burnsville, under .500, which beat them. H-M would finish in the lower bottom half in any of the four major AA conferences: Lake, Sub East, NW Sub or CL. Count on it.
Hill Murray was leading 1-0 last years section final with single digit minutes left and then lost in shootout. Are they that close to pulling upset again? Team is 7-1 this year and only allowed 4 goals while scoring 39.
Hill Murray will contest very good Eastview team in upcoming weeks. Will give indication if they can upset and hang tough with likely section 3 winner.
Woodbury-Edina final not slam dunk Edina in toughest Section 2 with E.P.. B.J. M.K. and other teams capable of playing good defense and scoring opportunistic goals.
very classy move by EV's coach to empty the bench and to keep his starters out even when chaska scored one. Other coaches would have kept their studs in to pad those stats. Good to see the new guy doesn't fall into this group.
Do not count out EP, they tied Woodbury in the first match of the year. In fact, it is a little silly that woodbury is ranked 10th nationally and EP not at all. WH does a good job with albeit a boat load of talent
Whose contending for class A crown at this point in season,.... predict Rogers team could surprise and jump into State tournament berth for first time.... with young developing talent base.... any others.
WH Eden Prairie astutely developing very young talent base of frosh and soph that will contend for title this year and next three. Young players keep ball moving on the ground ,possess and play make beyond their years. 3 frosh and 8 sophs on team.
9:50 - feel free to give WH credit for doing an excellent job at being the DOC of the EP club for who most of his younger players might play for, but not for any measurable high school development. From what I've seen it's still the same fast break counter-attack that most high schools run - they just have more talent to be successful at it. A very traditional UK style.
The Tri-Metro is loaded (SPA, Minnehaha, Blake, Visitation, Breck, etc.) with some solid teams this year. Some of the lesser teams (Concordia, St. Croix Lutheran, DeLaSalle) are even off to quick starts. If you pay attention to the top 10 rankings, close to half the teams are consistently Tri-Metro schools. Anyone catch the SPA vs. Minnehaha game or Blake vs. Vis game yesterday? Although Blake and Minnehaha were suppose to be "down" this year, it appears they are still playing quality soccer. Vis, SPA, and Breck were expected to be good sides going into the season.
the mshssca is trying to get the rankings more accurate by having at least two reps in each section work on voting. before you may have had three coches total voting, it is not perfect but it is getting better, the national rankings are a joke and just about anyone could win at EP, but WH does do anxcellent job as DOC
SPA vs Minnehaha was a really ragged game, filled with fouls and three yellow cards. Have never seen so much clutching and grabbing and outright hooking in a soccer game, by both teams. Baffling officiating calls only worsened things, with lots of retalliation, leading to pretty chippy play at the end. SPA is really solid across the back; they always seemed to have an extra defender in place. Minnehaha is very scrappy with loads of sophs and a 9th grader playing major minutes surprisingly well. Blake should still be considered the class of the Tri-Metro.
Northfield has a solid team (very good by Missota conference standards) with some speed up front which can over-power weaker teams. Very, very physical. Well-coached. In the big scheme of things, they would probably be a middle, lower middle Class AA team once you factor in all the big schools coming out of the bigger conferences. Don't forget they have only 1200 kids (half of the larger AA schools) and a weak club base so they start at a bit of a disadvantage.
edina/mtka game was good. mtka up 1-0 at half, edina scored 2 goals in second half and with about 9 left mtka scored. in the second half of OT there should've been a corner kick for edina but the ref called a goal kick. lots of rain in the warm up and first 20 minutes. don't know much about edina but they have 5 goalies on there roster...interesting move
Edina is strong up and down. If Minnetonka doesn't lose it's outside right defender in first half, they shut Edina out. Section 2, with Edina, EDP, Jefferson and a darkhorse in Minnetonka will be tough to get out of. If Minnetonka starts scoring, they will be tough to beat.
it's a team game...thank your goalie for that last save that kept it a draw.
#17? (tall blonde on top) & #4 for tonka both brought some excitement to the contest. 17 for her drive, 4 for her composure with the ball.
i think edina showed the effects of 5 games in 9 days v solid compitition in l.s, way, arm, mahtomedi and tonka. add the start of school (and those distrations) and 7-0-2 isn't too bad at this point in the season. practice today and game in rochester tomorrow. then regroup.
Apple Valley has 2 starters on the bench with injuries. They lost 11 seniors, with only 2 starter back without a very deep bench. It is definately a rebuilding year.
Yeah, what a gorgeous Friday night for soccer. Blake and Orono played a hard fought match to a 1-1 tie. I agree, a very clean and enjoyable game between two of the finest teams in single A. It would be fun to see either of these teams take on Mahtomedi. Along with Mahtomedi, these two teams are definitely the the cream of the crop in class A. It would be great to see these two teams advance to play in the Metrodome.
I've seen Blake play both this year and last year. Last year's team was light years better - much more dangerous on offense, much faster speed of play. I think the Tri-Metro is very balanced with several solid teams, but I don't see a state title contender unless there is no elite Class A team this year.
Blake may end up winning the Tri-Metro, and that will be an accomplishment to be proud of, but I will be surprised if they advance to State.
10:57 - I think your assessment of Blake's team is fair, as I have also seen them several times this year and last. But, when it comes down to it they are one solid win (probably against Holy Angels, who they already tied once) away from getting back into the state tournament again. Unfortunately, their section is once again packed with 4-5 other quality teams as well. Blake is still very solid defensively, but is just beginning to come together offensively. They certainly lost many key attackers, but are continually finding ways to add more punch to their attack this season. They only need a goal or two to win matches given their ability to keep the ball out of their own net. Don't be surprised if they show up in sections an even better team than they are right now.
10:57 - when did you see Blake play this year? because I saw them at the beginning of the season and then last night. it was basically two different teams
9:23 - What did you think of Blake last night compared to earlier in the season? I have watched them play both Holy Angels and Orono. Although they posted good results against both teams, I thought they were more dangerous last night versus Orono. As many have already said, they continue to be a good defensive team.
they had to have been more dangerous last night than earlier vs AHA since they did not have one shot on goal or one corner kick when they played Holy Angels earlier in the year.....
10:06 - Although Blake didn't have a corner kick against AHA, they had a number of shots. I'm quite sure the AHA keeper had some saves. Hands down, Blake is not the same offensive team as last year, but they are starting to come around. Hopefully both they and AHA get a chance to match up again in the section finals.
Edina 2-0 over Rochester Century. 0-0 at half time with both teams having opportunities to score, Rain held off most of game ended with couple of Edina goals and one that was going in but Century player hand balled but no call. Century Panthers looked strong enough with good goalkeeping and talent with senior forward, mid. and def. to perhaps win state tournament berth, definitely top ten team. Edina all state mid didnt play but reserves performed well and team overall passed better than last few games.
5:25: Thanks for the capsule. Could it be Edina team passed better overall because the Century team is not as good as what Edina played it's last few games?
Now that the regular season is about half way through, if you could give the top four teams in each class (A and AA) an automatic bid to the Metrodome, who would you select? Just curious who people view as the premier teams in each class. Here are my picks:
AA - Woodbury, Edina, Moundsview, Eden Prairie
A - Mahtomedi, Orono, Holy Angels, Blake (Simley is right there as well)
Comments on any of these teams welcome. Looking forward to all of you sharing your thoughts.
if there was any doubt, Bloomington stadium is toast for the rest of the year. Kennedy boys and girls hosted two games on saturday in the sloop and the field is TRASHED now. I wonder if BJ gets a top 4 seed, will they host a game or will it be like last year where they have to play on a neutral site.
I think that BJ should play at home if they get the high seed. despite the fact that there field is crap, you play for home field advantage and if the advantage is that you know how to play on the crappy field so be it. Even if the game is poor soccer as a result, why award home field if you are just going to take it away when someone complains It was ridiculous that SW whined his way onto a neutral field last year. if field conditions could be a probelm, have the section final set at a fixed location (edina has turf or go play at LNHS who has turf and is neutral) and no one can complain. many sections have the field set ahead of time at a soccer specific field or on turf so you know it will be in good condition, but to have one policy and hange it at the last second due to a whiny coach, that was foolish.
10:03 - I realize some of the teams I posted in my "top 4" are in the same section, I was mainly curious about who the best 4 teams are, not who will actually be in the dome in October.
Sloppy fields past the point of being able to play on only increases chances of getting injured. SW being unduly characterized. The safety of players and good play by both teams should decide site. Think you are dwelling on this having lost last year game and should be more confident in very good BJ team chances of winning Section 2 .
the field was no worse than it ever is and the idea that it was due to prevention of injurues is ludicrous. losing aside, SW is a whiner, just go to any of his games and you will see for yourself, or just ask anyone they will tell you
three best teams right now woodbury, edina, EP, after that there is a drop off. mounds view has to beat a top team to be in the same discussion as the rest
1,084 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 1084 Newer› Newest»Why is that a drawback? I work with people and compete with people twenty years older and younger than me. Physically, if there is a difference between a 15 and 17 year old, then the coach must figure that out.
3:20 - what I inferred is that a U15 premier player usually is not of equal calibre as a U17 or U18 premier player. The drawback is that IMO the overall level of play tends to also drop a tad. Are there other lessons to be learned - sure - as you mention by both the coach and the player. I was only commenting on the quality of play. 2:42
Lets not kid yourselves, high school soccer is a joke and where a player plays, whether AA or A, doesn't mean squat when it comes to comparing the top players. The top plays who are studs on a A team would be studs on a AA team.
Parents of the top players have to cringe the whole season hoping their kid doesn't get hurt playing Minnesota high school soccer.
4:12/4:54; Agreed/Agreed Sometimes it gets to be really ugly soccer.
What I have witnessed is that the top players start to believe they are the only ones that can make plays and will only play with the other so called top players which leaves teams very unbalanced. So from a parent with a kid that is considered in the middle of the pack, I cringe watching these so called top players
I saw Tartan play Simley last night. Wow is that Tartan team bad.
Why does anyone have to be that way?
Why not just tell us how great your DD's Simley team is rather thank tear down another program?
I would agree, I cringe when the so called top players are trying to do it all. It makes very ugly, unbalanced soccer. On the other hand it must be hard for a kid to pass to a teammate knowing that it will be an instant turnover, or another cross that goes untouched, ect. These are the some of the same issues that drive the better player to find other teams at the club level. The competitive nature and drive to win can lead to some bad playing that hopefully does not develop into bad habits by trying to do it all. It would be great if these top player(s) would take the opportunity to work with the whole team, to elevate the overall level of team play and discover the ability to do that is what makes them a true top player, even if you aren’t winning. But we are dealing with teenagers and for them it is all about “me”.
While it is fun to look at the high school teams and talk the typical crap between them. For the most part high school soccer should be seen for what it is, kids playing with there friends for fun. If you happen to have a successful team with some better players or have a great coach to offer something in the way of development all the better. But let's not fool ourselves into believing Minnesota high school soccer is the pinnacle of soccer. For many it may be, but there are others looking higher. Playing for the school gives them a place to play with their buddies, show-off (hopefully not to much), possibly add to their profile for colleges to look at. If the team find success it is icing on the cake, so just try to enjoy it and not get hurt.
It is too bad there is such a negative tone about high school soccer. Many players still take great pride in their school team. Personally, when I was playing, playing school ball was much more important than club, and I felt much more pride in representing my school, although my team wasn't necessarily as good as my club team.
When my daughters played it was the funnest two months of the year for them. Playing with their friends, playing in front of parents, classmates, etc..., playing under the lights, having their name announced, having pride playing for their school. I've seen students get into fights/brawls over their schools, but not sure I've ever seen kids get into a fist fight over soccer clubs (although reading some of the posts on this blog I think some of the parents are capable).
It should be the funnest time of the year for all of those reasons, but high school is not the main place to develop and showcase your talent if you are going to higher level like it is for sports like football.
There's more to life than developing and showcasing their talent. Only a few percent will ever play in college.
Take the soccer context out of 2:16's post and tell me is there really more to life than developing and showcasing your talent? Why shouldn't it apply to everything you do as you go through life including, in this case, soccer.
armstrong @ ep. finished with a 1-1 tie.
ep scored near the end of the 1st half on a counter attack by #16. armstrong scored with 330 left in the 2nd by nd tipping the ball past the ep keeper. ot went scoreless. ep isn't the ep of old. armstrong played with 15 kids on a warm day on a hot turf. hey, ep, why didn't you get your turf with regulation lines? armstrong's coach is a jerk by the way. the refs agreed with a yellow/yellow/red. ep's goalie was never really tested. armstrong's in new to the position but has potential. #16 for ep will be miss soccer in 2 yrs if she doesn't dig herself into a hole with the south american 'flopping'...
Thanks dad.
What's south american flopping?
when a player attempts to draw the foul with the slightest bit of contact...falls to the ground....writhes in pain....looks to see if the 'foul' was called...then hops up to take the free kick (if it was).
and no, i'm not her dad. but if i was, i'd go ahead and buy that new truck i've been wanting...using her college savings account that they won't need.
I thought the flopping started over Europe and brought over Americas.
Talent is talent. Doesn't matter where the school boundaries are and if the school is an A or AA or whatever.
825 it doesn't matter how good a player is, they are only a torn ACL away from no college soccer. Keep that savings account intact a while longer.
#16 EP ms soccer???? What has she accomplished ?
what has she accomplished?
she found the cure for cancer...READ the post 823 before you freak out.
New polls are out. Any surprises out there?
lakeville south still ranked surprises me and eagan dropping from the rankings even though they are still undefeated
Where did you guys see the updated rankings?
you can go to the home page for this blog on the right hand side and click on the link or see this link.
http://www.mshssca.org/
On the right hand side there is a "quick link" for all the polls.
Yes, I'm aware of the MSHSSCA site and the links to the right of this blog site, but they don't contain updated rankings, they are still the preseason rankings that don't mean a whole lot.
This year's Ms. Soccer will be a tough choice. Could one of the Eagan players contend after only two years since the last selection? (Angela Olson)
looks like all the polls have been updated to 9/1/08 except for the Class A boys.
Eagan has no contenders for Ms. Soccer this year. Possibilities come from PCG, RA, MV and BRD.
Week of September 1, 2008
1. Woodbury
2. Eden Prairie
3. Edina
4. Mounds View
5. Bloomington Jefferson
6. Armstrong
7. Wayzata
8. Lakeville South
9. Rochester Century
10. Park
Others: White Bear Lake, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Burnsville, Duluth East, Brainerd
EVHS 2 Lakeville South 1
Eagan 3 Valley 0
Woodbury 1 - Mounds View 0
Woodbury awesome, their center mids controlled game , created numerous scoring opportunities, hands down much better than MV. Impressed with MV young developing talent base of freshmen and sophs. Most teams will have hard time matching up against woodburys center mids and precision passing game and excellent set plays.
The EV LS game was one of the poorest officiated games I've seen in a couple of years. Inconsistant calls over the back,no calls on holding. Once a player in possession in the bok about to shoot was knocked down..no call.Another time a player in possession about to shoot a couple of yards out of the box was tackled...no call. This officiating crew simply "choked".
Northsider
Enjoyed LS/EV game. LS the better team in the first half. Loved the scrappy, hard-nosed LS forward who really worked hard trying to get to goal. Fun watching her play. She should do well at Iowa. EV striker,mid and defender were lightning quick (pun intended)and able to get beautiful runs up and around defenders. Good effort by both keeps. Really surprised by physical play by EV in second half. Thought there were quite a few calls during most of the game but,yes,both teams could have had fouls called in the last few minutes but unfortunately that's HS officiating.
Agree with 11:21 - Woodbury is very good. Deep and skilled. MV put up a good fight, but don't have the horses.
Tonite at National Sports Center in Blaine.
Mahtomedi vs Totino Grace 5:00
Edina vs Lakeville South 7:15
Finals Saturday.
Score for Edina vs Lakeville???
Why is Mahtomedi, and not Blake, playing in the Challenge Cup since Blake played Totino in the finals last year?
5-0 edina.
Whoa! LS is really in a slump!
Read post 08-15-08 10:07 P.M. Anything else you want to know about where this H. S. season is going?
Blake was not invited to participate in the challenge cup, for reasons I am not aware of. Anyone know?
Woodbury 1 - Stillwater 0.
any other sub east scores?
WBL 3
Hastings 0
cross town rivalry at its best:
AV 0 EV 2
blake turned down the chance to play, they were invited
LS beats chaska 1-0. they move the ball well, dominate popssesion but have real trouble scoring
eagan 3 kennedy 1
11:05 I know for a fact Blake was not invited and they did NOT turn down the chance to play.
Prior Lake 2 Holy Angels 0
LS hardly dominated play. They were outshot and had no corner kicks, but despite that, they found a way to win. A tough week for them...4 games in 5 days!
Horrible officiating for both sides. I don't think either coach was happy.
what game did you watch? LS had at least 5 corners and in the second half and OT CH only offense was countering.
I will agree that the refs were bad, the coaches did not look happy but we were on the other side of the field, It looked like LS coach was talking to them before OT
Have not seen any quality officiating this fall
I've seen a half dozen Classic and Lake games and I agree it's the worst reffing I've seen in years.It's pretty obvious some of them don't understand the rules.
Who's in charge of the refs? Are they ever graded.
The kids deserve better.
I think LS definately had the run of play in OT and thought it could go either way during the first two halves....just disagree that LS dominted, although they won the midfield which definately caused CH fits.
This game (and the boys game prior) was the worst officiating I have seen this year. Horrible positioning, horrible foul recognition, and even throw ins were a difficult call!
128, bad officiating is nothing new.
Bad officiating follows coaches who overly prod and goad officials, who lose focus and will then will use make up calls and finally make further bias calls to try and establish control of game. Coaches need to use more tactfulness and cleverness to motivate own teams. An overly zealous complaining coach usually gets more calls against his own team than subtle coaches who use non verbal communication and disapproval. Positive reinforcement of good calls does work to get focus on game where it belongs in the players feet and heads. Great coaches seem to find way to use humor sometimes and less ranting usually produces better soccer on the field for both teams.
Prior Lake Lakers has Holy Angels Stars figured out evidently, is this third straight win over conference foe? Northfield also looks tough in Missota conference race having defeated Prior Lake.
I've seen two games this week where attacker was pulled down/tripped in the box as game is almost over. Neither resulted in a foul and both were VERY obvious.
PL & AHA split last year (both winning at home).
Eagan 6 Moorhead 0 tonight in eagan
Wow, Eagan is a juggernaut!
Give credit to coach that does this every year to pad players stats early in season for post season honors. But will play out of state this year in rock and roll tournament against strong out of state competition. According to tournament billings Eagan is nationally ranked program, Good Luck wildcats .
Eagan nationally ranked? Have they ever won a section championship?
Yes in 2001 they went to State Tournament and participant in 96 and State Runner-up in 98.
how did they do in the 1980's......
Appears Eagan Wildcats players will play Tuesday at E.P. on 9th then 3 games Thursday night, Friday, and Saturday nites in Ohio bus back and then play following Tuesday at Lakeville North. The w in wildcats might be upside down sleeping by North game. Followed by Thursday and Saturday tilts Chaska and Rosemount.
Eagan was not a school in the 80's didnt open until the early 90's they are flying to ohio so that should help a little bit with a fatigue/tiredness factor, they are annually ranked in the top 10 in the state and why would you want to play a brutal physical out of conference schedule when you are in the lake conference, its to get ready for conference play and be healthy for conference play
it's not who you play when it comes to the weaker teams, it's how you play them. starters who are still in the game until the end is what can be wrong.
6/9/08 10:58 Let me try to understand your quote: why would you want to play a brutal physical out of conference schedule when you are in the Lake; perhaps the plane trip staying in hotel and three games in three days will improve teams health and remove the mental grind of high school from these young ladies. And if you havent been to state tournament in six years you can say now that your teams actually plays against genuine nationally ranked teams. Like they did last year losing to LS 16TH in the nation in final poll.
Good game this afternoon - Minnehaha Academy vs. Visitation
MA 1 - Vis 0
Hard fought and well-deserved win for MA. The Redhawks' younger players are really stepping up and they are playing very well together, as shown in a tough game against a quality opponent.
EV 1 Duluth East 0
mahtomedi wins v edina in pk's saturday evening.
the rain stopped at the beginning of ot.
both teams had chances.
edina must have hit the frame 6 or 7 times throughout the game and put some other 'sure goals' wide/high/soft.
mahtomedi's #9 is highly skilled and quick as a rabbit with the ball.
edina's #4 plays like she's 6' tall in the back.
in spite of the rain, no 'oops' goals...
and, to keep with a common theme, the reffing was 'so so' at best.
Woodbury 7 - Forest Lake 0 on Saturday.
MA vs Vis
Vis carried play for 72 minutes but couldn't get many quality shots against very physical MA defense. MA capitalized on a free kick - nice hard spinning shot over the wall off the GK's hands. One of the few times they got the ball near the 18 before the rain.
AR saw lightning in a cloudburst that lasted 5 minutes and had no thunder or lightning and stopped play. MA controlled play in the last 18 minutes when play resumed 30 minutes later with only a couple of chances for Vis.
Echo the reffing refrain - very inconsistent, arbitrary application of rules - allowed some players
much more leeway than others in
extending arms during contact or
knocking players off the ball while making no attempt to play the ball.
Both teams are offensively challenged - Vis can't seem to finish - MA is slow in midfield and forwards.
kudos to eagan and going to ohio, but the larger debate on non-conference scheduling is a problem. thjere are lots of coaches at some of the "big name" schools that play a soft schedule so at the end of the year they can look great at 16-2 or 18-0, but if out of those 18 games you had three or four tough ones, that is a joke. Outside of the Lake, most conferenceshave two, maybe three elite teams and that is all they play. Teams and coacehs shoudl eb rewarded for playing tough non-conference schedules when it comes to seeding and polls.
LS cannot score. They are in Totino's end for 80 minutes and miss several open chances. This game shoudl have been 5-0. They must have created 8 great scoring chances but only have one goal to show for it. it will be a long year for them unless they can find a way to finish
Eagan Non conference schedule
Henry Sibley-Metro AA school right down the road from eagan it makes sense to play
Byron Tournament-they were invited and took the opportunity as a way to get away for a weekend early in the season and get the team playing together
Moorhead-AA school that you never know what you are going to get from them, could be really good, starting playing them when quinn ryan was there, she made games closer herself
Ohio tournament, playing some of the best teams from around the country
If you ask me the only "questionable" games are the byron tournament but why not take the team on a little getaway for a weekend get some games in early and get them playing together as a unit and some bonding time as a team, you dont get a lot of time together as a school team its not like a summer team where you start in november or december and go until august
In HS the coaches are bringing together players from different ages, skill levels, and club teams for a short 10 week season. Eagan typically finishes in the top half of the Lake Conference.
They play a high pressure attacking style that is fun and can be picked up in a short period of time. The coach uses the non-conference schedule to teach the system.
It can be stopped by a well organized skilled defense. LS had that last year, with half of their team from one high level club team (which is unusual in HS), plus a skilled attacker in KL.
Ask coach Harrison at EP how they do. He has had highly regarded teams the last couple of years, but hasn't beaten Eagan.
Last year they tied both EV and EP, and lost to CG in a shootout in sectionals.
This year they are playing with a freshman GK (top senior lost to surgery), but have some firepower up front and solid players throughout. I would expect another top 1/2 to top 1/3 finish.
Woodbury expanding from 2 to 3 high schools next year. You will see a significant drop in performance in virtually all sports.
That pretty much leaves just the Univ,Of E.P. as the school with the huge enrollment. E.P. would have split years ago but too much pressure from boosters. So much for education and kids participation.
Was also at MA-Vis though apparently on opposite end of stands; saw a very different game (including the lightning); beauty isn't the only thing in the eye of the beholder.
Eagan coach probably received nonconference scheduling advice from MDW. Gophers will not play a single major conference team until the Big 10 season starts.
MDW Big Ten conference record, Dont ask...... Dont tell. Last year of contract after season, am sure soft non conference schedule and results used to make her case on renewal.
why does eagan get so much grief? Who does wayzata play? outside of the duluth east tourney, who does woodbury play. I know for a fact that eagan would love to play woodbury for section reasons but woodbury is always "full"
"Eagan+++This year they are playing with a freshman GK"
Is she a good GK?
Eagan U14 premier goalie last summer, ODP goalie for her age group, very talented but also very young
With Lisa Berreman (sp?) hurt someone had to step in for Eagan.
I don't think there is as much objection to who Eagan plays as there is their stat padding against the weak teams. Alowing players to roll up 5+ points in a game, awarding 2 goals per assist etc.
EP not splitting because of the boosters? That's the most inventive reason I've heard. EP did not remain with one school high because of money - building a new high school, maintaining it, staffing it, running it, paying for the busses, etc. They made the decision back in the 80's, after Edina closed Edina East. They have no place to build it now, and with places like Prior Lake having a brand new school sitting empty because of lack of funding, I would say it wasn't a bad choice. Get off your high horse. EP has one of the lowest fundings per student of any district in the state. If size was the main reason keeping it's school big for sports reasons only, they would win every single state championship in every single sport. There are other things besides sports...
"why does eagan get so much grief? Who does wayzata play? outside of the duluth east tourney, who does woodbury play. I know for a fact that eagan would love to play woodbury for section reasons but woodbury is always "full""
That a funny statement considering Woodbury is in one of the toughest conferences in the state, With Moundsview and White Bear Lake always seeing a good fight for state. Eagan seems to make it self full with all of these out of state tournaments and such.
mounds view, WBL and Park- three teams . In the lake here are perenially state tourney teams, EP, LS, Eagan, Apple Valley, Eastview, Jefferson and sometimes Burnsville are all teams hat can get out of there section. It is a fact that when Eagan and Woodbury were in the same section, Woodbury would not play Eagan. Park did, but Woodbury "always plays the same schedule"
Wayzata is even worse, there conference is tough but small and they play almost no one outside of their conference
The truth is nobody wants to play Woodbury. Woodbury has a hard time filling it's non-conference schedule. Eagan was never able to get by Woodbury when they were in the same section. What makes them think they deserve the chance?
You won't ever hear of Woodbury after this year.Stick a fork in Woodbury.
I agree EP is controlled by their boosters. That's pretty much general knowledge.Other schools split because it's the best decision for their kids. Woodbury,Lakeville,Bloomington etc.EP is a joke.
I don't live in Woodbury, Lakeville, Bloomington or EDP. I do live in a neighboring community of one of them. The reason they are successful in soccer, particularly WDB and EDP is that they have GREAT youth soccer programs. Period.
Tilt of unbeatens tonight: nationally ranked Eagan against University of Eden Prairie at E.P. AT 5 p.m.
Congratulations to LS. on big upset of previously unbeaten Bloomington Jaqs. 3-2, any commentary out there.
just the facts:
Edina - population 45K, zero growth
EP - population 62K, 11% growth last year
As the school age population for Edina started to decrease in the 80's as the suburb matured, it made sense to close the second high school.
At it's current growth, by 2010, EP will have roughly 75K residents.
Lakeville - 2 high schools 54K residents.
there was a good article in the paper the other day discussing the new Woodbury high school. what was one of the main objectives----opportunities for extra curriculars for the student body. A whole new line up of sports teams, bands, drama, etc... think of all the kids who now get to play varsity who never would have had the opportunity before. IMO it would appear S. Washington County (and the Lakeville area) have their priorities in the right place.
District 196 also endorses smaller schools. Can you imagine if they would have a combined enrollment from AV, Eastview, Rosemount and Eagan? You could have a super team if you combined the best of each school.
Revision : Clash of unbeatens; Eagan vs. E.P. at 4P.M. Today at E.P. Good luck to both teams and coaches.
The truth is that no one weants to play woodbury? What a joke! Deserve the chance to play them, are you serious? Woodbury plays 4 or 5 hard games a year (Ep in Duluth, Park, WBL and Mounds View- some conference teams twice) and then coasts. Do you ever see them playing temas form the Lake or Classic Lake unless it is in a tournament? They even skipped the Challenege Cup last year (07). There are plenty of teams that would love to play woodbury but their coaches always give the same answer- "Our schedule is set and we always play the same teams." I see WBL, Mounds View, Park all going outside of conferene to play the other top schools, never woodbury
What teams from the Lake or Classic Lake deserve a chance at Woodbury? Who's in the same league? Who do you want Woodbury to play? The coaches can't find any teams willing to play.
Woodbury consistently beats WBL, Mounds View and Park. What's your point?
it is custmary that when in a section if a section opponent wants to play you, you play. woodbury would never play eagan, there coach wanted a game, it is that straight forward. Park played eagan when they were in the same section, why wouldn't woodbury. Outside of seeing EP in the Duluth tourney, which is always the opening matches of the year, woodbury has NEVER played a lake team and I know coaches from that conference who would love a chance so if they sat across from them at the state tourney seeding they would have results to go off of not polls or reputation
Side note: the other high school/ University, SSM, begins their season with U-16 playing Northfield JV and the nation wide recruited and scholarship funded U-18 test the courageous varsity of Northfield High tomorrow night. Odds makers arent taking wagers on either match. SSM coach is preparing team for grueling 1st divison MWRL games to follow and not taking opponent lightly ala MDW non-conference schedule.
Univ of EP applying for entry into MIAC. Appears they will be accepted and start play in 2009.
Vegas has the Univ of EP favored over nationally ranked Eagan 120/110.
As I stated a month ago, all you need to know is Woodbury vs. Edina in the Dome. All else are imposters. Darkhorses to watch are Eagan because of their forwards, EDP because they are solid across. No one else has those many "players", though other than WDB, the best players in the state don't play for Edina, EDP or Eagan, they just go top to bottom better than the rest.
Yes all true blue Minnesota futbol blog fans on edge of their seats hoping SSM girls stay focused outside school yard premises and WIN 1st division MWRL title and can finally be promoted and join 3 other U-18 girls teams qualified to play in MWRL legue next spring.
Woodbury U18, Bangu, and Wings ALL have qualified to play in spring MWRL Premier league in 2009.
Woodbury 4, Mahtomedi 0
Edina 0, Mahtomedi 0
Any questions?
yes - was it rainy all game when Woodbury played Mahtomedi?
Hate to be the bearer of bad news for GENEROUS PAYING U-18 SSM parents but unless you played U-17 last year no chance you be facing stronger U-18 premier league play in spring. Even though most of players WERE 17 last year. Same old first division MWRL blow out games next spring too. SSM U-16 may be first to play in premier league next year AS U-17 if they win U-16 1 st div. this year and coaches and school officials feel younger players can compete at that level next year.
Just a reminder to those who are getting all high and mighty, you are talking about HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER. Bootball at its finest!!!
Woodbury will be there in the finals as they do have good players and coaches that seem to get it done year after year, and NO I am not a woodbury parent.
yeah and I'm the tooth fairy!!
Woodbury, EP, Lakeville/LS, and Wayzata have been the dominant girls AA programs for the past 6-8 years. LS will be falling off as will WDB. Soon EP will be the top program for a few years until the city begins to age out.
EV 4 Chaska 1
Finally saw my first Eastview game and it wasn't pretty. Neither team played well. 0-0 at half and then Eastview came out a little more lively and got 3 quick goals. New Eastview coach cleared the bench 20 minutes in to second half so everyone got to play. Hope to see a better game next time.
edina v mahtomedi was 1-1 after ot. rained the entire game. the score in the red star was incorrect (imagine that).
high school soccer ebbs and flows you just hope to avoid injury and keep drama to a minimum.
the results of 1 common opponant don't hold much water with me. too many variables come into play.
Our best wishes and prayers go out to Eagan Wildcats after national rankings came out, ranking two of their weekend opponents as 3rd ranked and 12th in nation teams with 3rd opponent ranked 10th regionally. Woodbury Royals were listed as 10th ranked nationally. Wildcats Tuesday game ended with 2-1 loss to Eden Prairie while leading scorer nursed pulled hamstring...... NSCAA/Addias High School Rankings
Dear SSM booster, so why is your team scheduling your quote ... BOOT BALL.... Class A teams and their JV teams. Last year Fairmont Minn., Champlin, and Blake ...Boot Ballers help polish your image and apparently had the high privilege of playing the state cup runner ups.
How about this -
Best of luck to #10 ranked Eagan as they travel to Ohio play some top teams from other states! What a great opportunity for their girls.
Tough break that their leading scorer pulled a hamstring in a 2-1 loss at #2 ranked EP tonight.
Congrats to EP on a big Lake Conference win.
Looking at Eagan opponent Strongville High School players plan for 2009, 1. University of Kiev 2. Indiana University 3. Kent State Univ. 4. University of Maryland 5. Duquesne University 6. Youngstown State University 7. Marshall University 8. Ball State.///// Courtesy of Strongsville Lady Mustang Web Site. Perhaps Shattuck ST Marys should play boot ballers from Strongsville.
I just want to applaud Eagan for taking this opportunity on, they were invited out there and they accepted the invitation even though they knew they were going to have to play top teams from across the country, this should be a great test and challenge for them and no matter the results they should be a better team for having done this, best of luck to them out there, it looks to be quite a daunting task
Ep had control of the game and really deserved a better result than just 2-1. WH should be extremely pleased with team's performance, with or without Eagan's studdette.
any comments on scores the past few days? How about Edina at 7-0-1
Geez....you all are a joke about Eagan. Who have they played? No one until tonight and they lose to EP. Come on.
Hill Murray big surprise with young team doing so well, whose got scoop on that team. Lazy coach doesnt even list team roster on minnesota sports online.com. Can they surprise and possibly upset woodbury team in sections again.
10:26: Like I said, Edina vs. Woodbury in the Dome.
Hill Murray has never gotten past Woodbury. What do you mean by "upset Woodbury team in sections again"?
H-M would get squashed by Woodbury. The only average level AA team they played was Burnsville, under .500, which beat them. H-M would finish in the lower bottom half in any of the four major AA conferences: Lake, Sub East, NW Sub or CL. Count on it.
Hill Murray was leading 1-0 last years section final with single digit minutes left and then lost in shootout. Are they that close to pulling upset again? Team is 7-1 this year and only allowed 4 goals while scoring 39.
Hill Murray will contest very good Eastview team in upcoming weeks. Will give indication if they can upset and hang tough with likely section 3 winner.
Woodbury-Edina final not slam dunk Edina in toughest Section 2 with E.P.. B.J. M.K. and other teams capable of playing good defense and scoring opportunistic goals.
very classy move by EV's coach to empty the bench and to keep his starters out even when chaska scored one. Other coaches would have kept their studs in to pad those stats. Good to see the new guy doesn't fall into this group.
BP (#4) really looked good yesterday!
Do not count out EP, they tied Woodbury in the first match of the year. In fact, it is a little silly that woodbury is ranked 10th nationally and EP not at all. WH does a good job with albeit a boat load of talent
don't worry 9:32, I would be surprised if anyone is counting out the U of EP.
Whose contending for class A crown at this point in season,.... predict Rogers team could surprise and jump into State tournament berth for first time.... with young developing talent base.... any others.
WH Eden Prairie astutely developing very young talent base of frosh and soph that will contend for title this year and next three. Young players keep ball moving on the ground ,possess and play make beyond their years. 3 frosh and 8 sophs on team.
Blake vs. Vis last night. blake won 3-1
SPA tied Minnehaha
Any thoughts??
9:50 - feel free to give WH credit for doing an excellent job at being the DOC of the EP club for who most of his younger players might play for, but not for any measurable high school development. From what I've seen it's still the same fast break counter-attack that most high schools run - they just have more talent to be successful at it. A very traditional UK style.
The Tri-Metro is loaded (SPA, Minnehaha, Blake, Visitation, Breck, etc.) with some solid teams this year. Some of the lesser teams (Concordia, St. Croix Lutheran, DeLaSalle) are even off to quick starts. If you pay attention to the top 10 rankings, close to half the teams are consistently Tri-Metro schools. Anyone catch the SPA vs. Minnehaha game or Blake vs. Vis game yesterday? Although Blake and Minnehaha were suppose to be "down" this year, it appears they are still playing quality soccer. Vis, SPA, and Breck were expected to be good sides going into the season.
Anyone who takes national rankings of HS teams seriously is an absolute silly person.
Anyone who takes MSHSSCA rankings of HS teams is an absolutley sillt person.
the mshssca is trying to get the rankings more accurate by having at least two reps in each section work on voting. before you may have had three coches total voting, it is not perfect but it is getting better, the national rankings are a joke and just about anyone could win at EP, but WH does do anxcellent job as DOC
I've seen Eastview and the refs handed them one win in the Lake. They play boot ball. They don't have any really skilled players.Just boot and scoot.
I've seen BJ and Edina and they are both better than EV.
Edina is the better of the three.
SPA vs Minnehaha was a really ragged game, filled with fouls and three yellow cards. Have never seen so much clutching and grabbing and outright hooking in a soccer game, by both teams. Baffling officiating calls only worsened things, with lots of retalliation, leading to pretty chippy play at the end. SPA is really solid across the back; they always seemed to have an extra defender in place. Minnehaha is very scrappy with loads of sophs and a 9th grader playing major minutes surprisingly well. Blake should still be considered the class of the Tri-Metro.
Anyone tell me how good Northview High Girls soccer is??
Northview or Northfield?
Northfield has a solid team (very good by Missota conference standards) with some speed up front which can over-power weaker teams. Very, very physical. Well-coached. In the big scheme of things, they would probably be a middle, lower middle Class AA team once you factor in all the big schools coming out of the bigger conferences. Don't forget they have only 1200 kids (half of the larger AA schools) and a weak club base so they start at a bit of a disadvantage.
Thanks!!
Good games tonight?
mtka came back to tie edina 2-2.
any other scores from today's games
EVHS 3 Jefferson 2
Lakeville South 2 Burnsville 0
Eden Prairie 7 Rosemount 0
Ouch!
edina/mtka game was good. mtka up 1-0 at half, edina scored 2 goals in second half and with about 9 left mtka scored. in the second half of OT there should've been a corner kick for edina but the ref called a goal kick. lots of rain in the warm up and first 20 minutes.
don't know much about edina but they have 5 goalies on there roster...interesting move
chaska 3 lakeville north 1
Strongsville , Ohio 8-0 Over Eagan . Wonder if Strongsville left their starters in to pad their stats.
Score at half time was 5-0. Medina team... mildcats yet to play appear to have tied Strongsville week earlier.
Orono at Blake tonight, 7 PM
Should be a good one between two of the best class A schools.
Edina is strong up and down. If Minnetonka doesn't lose it's outside right defender in first half, they shut Edina out. Section 2, with Edina, EDP, Jefferson and a darkhorse in Minnetonka will be tough to get out of. If Minnetonka starts scoring, they will be tough to beat.
it's a team game...thank your goalie for that last save that kept it a draw.
#17? (tall blonde on top) & #4 for tonka both brought some excitement to the contest. 17 for her drive, 4 for her composure with the ball.
i think edina showed the effects of 5 games in 9 days v solid compitition in l.s, way, arm, mahtomedi and tonka. add the start of school (and those distrations) and 7-0-2 isn't too bad at this point in the season. practice today and game in rochester tomorrow. then regroup.
section 2...the section of death.
What has happened to Apple Valley?
predictions for blake vs orono??
10:23 - expect a low scoring game. would not be surprised if it ends up 0-0 or 1-0.
Eagan 5 Parkersberg (WV) 1, Eagan bounces back tonight and beats a very good team from WV, ranked 10th in their region
Orono 1, Blake 1
great game from blake and orono. Really fun to watch!
Apple Valley has 2 starters on the bench with injuries. They lost 11 seniors, with only 2 starter back without a very deep bench. It is definately a rebuilding year.
Yeah, what a gorgeous Friday night for soccer. Blake and Orono played a hard fought match to a 1-1 tie. I agree, a very clean and enjoyable game between two of the finest teams in single A. It would be fun to see either of these teams take on Mahtomedi. Along with Mahtomedi, these two teams are definitely the the cream of the crop in class A. It would be great to see these two teams advance to play in the Metrodome.
I've seen Blake play both this year and last year. Last year's team was light years better - much more dangerous on offense, much faster speed of play. I think the Tri-Metro is very balanced with several solid teams, but I don't see a state title contender unless there is no elite Class A team this year.
Blake may end up winning the Tri-Metro, and that will be an accomplishment to be proud of, but I will be surprised if they advance to State.
10:57 - I think your assessment of Blake's team is fair, as I have also seen them several times this year and last. But, when it comes down to it they are one solid win (probably against Holy Angels, who they already tied once) away from getting back into the state tournament again. Unfortunately, their section is once again packed with 4-5 other quality teams as well. Blake is still very solid defensively, but is just beginning to come together offensively. They certainly lost many key attackers, but are continually finding ways to add more punch to their attack this season. They only need a goal or two to win matches given their ability to keep the ball out of their own net. Don't be surprised if they show up in sections an even better team than they are right now.
10:57 - when did you see Blake play this year? because I saw them at the beginning of the season and then last night. it was basically two different teams
9:23 - What did you think of Blake last night compared to earlier in the season? I have watched them play both Holy Angels and Orono. Although they posted good results against both teams, I thought they were more dangerous last night versus Orono. As many have already said, they continue to be a good defensive team.
they had to have been more dangerous last night than earlier vs AHA since they did not have one shot on goal or one corner kick when they played Holy Angels earlier in the year.....
10:06 - Although Blake didn't have a corner kick against AHA, they had a number of shots. I'm quite sure the AHA keeper had some saves. Hands down, Blake is not the same offensive team as last year, but they are starting to come around. Hopefully both they and AHA get a chance to match up again in the section finals.
Stillwater 1 - Woodbury 4
wbl 4 park 1
sorry i think it was 3-1
Edina 2-0 over Rochester Century. 0-0 at half time with both teams having opportunities to score, Rain held off most of game ended with couple of Edina goals and one that was going in but Century player hand balled but no call. Century Panthers looked strong enough with good goalkeeping and talent with senior forward, mid. and def. to perhaps win state tournament berth, definitely top ten team. Edina all state mid didnt play but reserves performed well and team overall passed better than last few games.
5:25: Thanks for the capsule. Could it be Edina team passed better overall because the Century team is not as good as what Edina played it's last few games?
Eden Prairie 6 Apple Valley 0
Now that the regular season is about half way through, if you could give the top four teams in each class (A and AA) an automatic bid to the Metrodome, who would you select? Just curious who people view as the premier teams in each class. Here are my picks:
AA - Woodbury, Edina, Moundsview, Eden Prairie
A - Mahtomedi, Orono, Holy Angels, Blake (Simley is right there as well)
Comments on any of these teams welcome. Looking forward to all of you sharing your thoughts.
if there was any doubt, Bloomington stadium is toast for the rest of the year. Kennedy boys and girls hosted two games on saturday in the sloop and the field is TRASHED now. I wonder if BJ gets a top 4 seed, will they host a game or will it be like last year where they have to play on a neutral site.
I think that BJ should play at home if they get the high seed. despite the fact that there field is crap, you play for home field advantage and if the advantage is that you know how to play on the crappy field so be it. Even if the game is poor soccer as a result, why award home field if you are just going to take it away when someone complains It was ridiculous that SW whined his way onto a neutral field last year. if field conditions could be a probelm, have the section final set at a fixed location (edina has turf or go play at LNHS who has turf and is neutral) and no one can complain. many sections have the field set ahead of time at a soccer specific field or on turf so you know it will be in good condition, but to have one policy and hange it at the last second due to a whiny coach, that was foolish.
edina and EP same section, not sold on Mounds View just yet.
Prediction- dome
EP- Woodbury- LS- WBL
10:03 - I realize some of the teams I posted in my "top 4" are in the same section, I was mainly curious about who the best 4 teams are, not who will actually be in the dome in October.
Sloppy fields past the point of being able to play on only increases chances of getting injured. SW being unduly characterized. The safety of players and good play by both teams should decide site. Think you are dwelling on this having lost last year game and should be more confident in very good BJ team chances of winning Section 2 .
LS going to have hands full against RC having already loss to them during regular season and will have to play down there.
the field was no worse than it ever is and the idea that it was due to prevention of injurues is ludicrous. losing aside, SW is a whiner, just go to any of his games and you will see for yourself, or just ask anyone they will tell you
three best teams right now
woodbury, edina, EP, after that there is a drop off. mounds view has to beat a top team to be in the same discussion as the rest
Wbl has yet to beat top ten team and plays in same section as woodbury duhhhh.
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