With coaches practice started at most high schools, the excitement for the 2009 MN high school season is upon us. Should be a great year for HS soccer with many very strong U16, U17 and U18 girls club teams.
Class AA has a few teams that are as good as it gets for MN high school soccer, but this might be one of the weakest Class A fields that I've seen in quite a while - some talent, but very young.
536, wow, I've never heard of those teams, it reminds me of teams you hear about on a High school sports extra when they are talking about schools who play nine man football because they don't have enough students to play regular football.
in class A, parody does not mean weakness, but the teams certainly are young.
Blake is ridiculously young and have had a good start, but their only quality wins have been AHA and Minnehaha really. The Vis game was surprising, but not surprising when you consider how young teams are up and down.
AHA has been crippled by injury this year. They lost the national team kid to an ACL before the season and have had several others on the sidelines. They're as young as anyone in the attack but do have some experience in the back, which is why they are at the least competitive with everyone
Minnehaha is experienced, returning 16 players from last years team. They are fairly athletic as well, but I don't know if the pure talent is there. Its a nice team that could easily win 3A though.
SPA was the preseason favorite in this section, and should still be considered the favorite come tourney time. This team has been building towards this year for a LONG time. They can score, they can defend, and like AHA (and unlike the other teams in the discussion) they will be battle tested by a difficult schedule with AA and top A teams.
I don't know what to think of Vis, a great result against Blake, but they get crushed by a brand new (literally) East Ridge team?
Outside of 3A I think Rodgers could be intriguing. Orono has done nothing to impress except challenge a BSM team that is cearly top of the class. I mean I am far more impressed with their LOSS to BSM and the fact it was close than any of their 35-0 wins over out state rec teams. BSM should win class A, there is NO QUESTION. They are the only team that brings the talent, the organization, AND the experience this year.
I think the future is bright for class A, but so many of the traditional powers are rebuilding. I went to the state title game rematch of Mahtomedi and AHA at the challenge cup, and while both teams had their moments, it obvious they're in rebuilding years.
9:03 - don't worry about him, it's the same yahoo that always pops off about class a soccer. it's after 9:00pm, so he's usually passed out by now so there won't be any more comments the rest of the evening.
speaking of schools, anyone hear the large sucking sound in the south? rumor has it that the ssm program may be imploding. could this be the little general's last stand?
Teams are class A and class AA for reason; number of students. It should be expected that the best large schools field better teams than the smaller schools just because of the number of girls that tryout. However, there have been years when the best class A team has been possibly the best team in state regardless of size. Mahtomedi was in this situation several years back.
ha, yes, I meant PARITY, please don't call the spelling police on me. I won't get sucked into the whole "class A sucks" thing, I've watched my favorite team beat AA schools over and over for years now. Those top 4 or 5 AA's are usually a cut above, but I've seen nothing to indicate that the other 60 or so AA's are the "major leagues." Maybe they are, they just lose to our little minor league club all the time. Oops, guess I did just get sucked in. sigh.
the thing about when a class A team plays a class AA team occasionally is that if they are good enough they can win, but its the fact that they don't play the grind of what most AA team play, if they did they would not be able to compete because they do not have the depth, the top end talent may be there, but the difference is the depth and that is what makes AA team so much better and the fact that they play that tough schedule game in and game out
There are WAY MORE AA teams that could compete with the top u-16 teams. You forget that HS teams have 18 year old women playing for them and u-16 are, generally speaking, still young ladies. Saw Jefferson play this year and they are all big, fast and strong, on that basis alone they would run ruff shot over most u-16's and I do not think that Jeff is a top 5 team this year. Club soccer likes to beat their chests but they ARE NOT THAT SUPERIOR
class aa has to be much stronger then class a , example Park of cottage grove 7-0 over red wing. the score is real but why does juba schedule games with weak non conference opponents the answer is it helps HIM get more wins and that looks good when it comes down to sectional voting
class aa has to be much stronger then class a , example Park of cottage grove 7-0 over red wing. the score is real but why does juba schedule games with weak non conference opponents the answer is it helps HIM get more wins and that looks good when it comes down to sectional voting
i would hope AA is stronger than A. most AA's have enrollments greater than 2,000 kids while most A's are in the 500-800 range. triple the kids, triple the player pool. i don't think anyone is saying that A is as good as AA as overall it clearly isn't, but merely defending the quality of A from the bashing that a few folks tend to dish out on this thread.
Bigger, stronger and faster- that is the advanctage of 18 year olds playing 16 year olds. In girls it is a pronounced difference. LS had a fantastic freshmen last year (KK who is now at Shattuck). her ball skills and vision were second to none, but she could not physically stand up to 18 year olds when push came to shove. I still would put the top 10 or 15 AA schools up against the top U-16 teams any day
I, for one would love to see the U16 Blue MTA team take on any top AA school. Even though you have 18year olds on high school teams, not every 18 year old is bigger, faster, stronger. So to have very skilled 14-16 year olds on the blue team, which most of them play for top high school teams (Woodbury, East Ridge, Hastings, St Louis Park, Wayzata, Simley, Lakeville South, Lakeville North, Coon Rapids, Edina, Moundsview, Bloomington Jefferson, Centennial, Minnetonka) I bet you would have a very good game on your hands.
It would be a good game, but the fact of the matter is this- there are claims that "only the top 2" AA teams could play with the U-16 premier teams, which is ludicrous. Of course there would be tight games, but to simply wave your hand and state for fact that HS soccer is horrible and U-16 premier teams would beat them all is flat out incorrect. THE MTA Blue team is also the best in ths state for their age, that is one team of many.
11:51 please do n't put East Ridge,, Hastings, SLP, Simley, LS, LN, and BJ as top high school teams in this comparison. They are not. Woodbury, Wayzata, CR, Edina MV Centennial and Minnetonka are. Know who is good and who isn't before you make ridiculous staements like that.
This discussion is like the TV show that pits Ninja vs. Spartan, Bear vs. tiger, etc. It's fun. The U16 "Magic" would lose to the following HS teams this year. Woodbury, Stillwater, Eastview, POSSIBLY Burnsville, Edina, and EP.
The strengths of the HS teams listed is that they all have a core group that play together in a club at a high level, which is recognized by their coaches. Most HS coaches don't have a clue to what their TRUE top players do in the summer.But, they shouldn't because they are teachers first not soccer coaches.
236, I have seen Stillwater play and I think any high school team would have trouble beating MTA Blue. The important word here is TEAM and you are normally only as good as your weakest link and thats why I think MTA U16 would beat any high school team. Overall they would have superior talent over the High school teams.
especially on a standard width soccer field (80 yards) not a 65 yard width football field which almost forces most teams to play much more north-south (see how I didn't refer to that style of play in a derogatory tone!).
Well, if you look at Stillwater, most of the girls have played together as a TEAM for a while, the core group composed the U17 St. Croix team that were runners up in this years State Cup to the Inferno, 1-0 with 13 players. The aforementioned Inferno is also the core group of players for Woodbury. Now, to poke at the sacred cow, what has the vaunted MTA/Bangu Magic really done on a regional or national level since they were precocious U13s? I know, some good tourmament showings, but NO regional or national champoinships. NONE. how great are they, really??
1:42... Chill out. What I was getting at is that most of these girls play for those 7 teams you categorized as the top teams. What I was getting at is that age doesn't really matter, skill does.
3:50 pm Thanks for the great laugh this afternoon . . .
3:45 pm In my book, you can be a great team without winning regional or national championships. I'm sure the players are asking themselves if they continue to develop each year, are challenged and if they are having fun playing the game they love.
Don't be so butthurt 3:50, yes they win at state cup, but the fact remains that they can't get any farther every year. BTW I am more of a WDBY than SCV.
Unfortunately, the state of high school sports has gotten so overly competitive that the coaches have forgotten about the players. Last night at a soccer game, there were 2 D1 recruited goalies sitting on benches and it was Sr. Night and they were not given an opportunity to play. Your last year of High School sports and it is Sr. Night and you still don't get to play. It is really win win at all costs?"
I wish some of you knew the game and did not just worship your kids and their MTA coaches. The fact of the matter is this, skill is important, but soccer is a physical game and if the MTA 16's played older girls they would not be blowing them out. I saw BP from EV almost single handedly run through the MTA 16's in a scrimmage. Is HS soccer always the easiest to watch, NO, but it is not the crap that some make it out to be, nor is the precious club soccer being played the end all be all. To many times club coaches try and be to fancy with formation and tacticts (i.e. the X-mas tree formation) and actually end up making the girls robots who can only pass to one spot and do one thing because that is how MTA does it. They go to HS bal have a different game plan and are not all that great. I heard a coach ask his best player (an MTA stud) why don't you attack more, create some chances, the response "I only pass. I don't create."
I watched the Eastview/Burnsville game this evening - 1-1 tie in the end - and can say that what Anon 10:03 says might be true. BP from Eastview seems to have been having troubles all season - doesn't look nearly as dominant as she (and her sister) did last year - seems to hesitate taking shots - passes off a lot.
LD from Burnsville, on the other hand, was exciting to watch - made some really imaginative moves and took some interesting shots.
I know both of these players are D1-recruited, and are excellent players - it just looks like LD seems to have adjusted better to HS ball at Burnsville. I don't know if it's an MTA vs. Inferno thing, but something seems to be making a difference.
just a 'heads up' for all involved on this blog topic. #1, it's a game played in the high schools...the philosophy is different that club. #2, getting into 'arguments' with multiple anonymous poster (i meant to say it that way) who states something stupid - and then supports his/her stupid statement later as another anonymous identity - is like fighting a tar baby. #3, enjoy the game, support your kid, and back off the coach. ems
3 - 6 quality teams at each age group of club soccer. Lets just say 5, thats 20 high school aged club teams statewide that train 9 months a year. How many high school teams? High school soccer is fun to watch, the problem lyes with the parent of the MTA 7th grader who didnt make the team.
imo, evhs has struggled due to the fact that they lost a tremendous amount of talent off of last years team. not just the mn girl, but a solid gk, midfielder and i believe a defender who went to uw-gb. about the only player left with high level skills is bp.
there were 2 D1 recruited goalies sitting on benches and it was Sr. Night and they were not given an opportunity to play. Your last year of High School sports and it is Sr. Night and you still don't get to play. It is really win win at all costs?"
Are you saying there were two seniors that are both being recruited by D1 schools on the same team that are not the best keeper? One on each team, and neither is the #1 for their team?
Hard to follow if they are D1 caliber players but are not starting? Do they have attitude or eligibility issues?
Having seen a number of games already this fall, I agree that BSM is the class of class A this year. However, many are forgetting that East Ridge is class A this year and you know their coach is one of the best around. I expect them to be contenders even without a senior class.
I see MAH beat Hill. Maybe MAH isn't as bad as people think they are this year.
I agree that BSM is the class of single A soccer. East Ridge is also good and will be well coached. I am, however, worried that they may choose to "throw" the section championship (as part of a learning experience for his rather young team.)
With the results East Ridge are showing, they do not look like a threat no matter who the coach. When LS entered with no seniors they should have won the A title and they took second in the Lake.
80% of the succes is determined by players comming in coaches has very little to do with how good they are except a few that are very involved with the youth programs that may be associated with the school and 20% is coaching how do you succed with the group you have when you have two months to work with them.
11:33am said it best. If you are a high school blessed with C1 and Premier players....the players make the coaches look great. It has very little to do with coaching with the little amount of time they actualy have with the team before the season.
Thats why Woodbury is always so good...quality players. You could have a manequin on the sidelines being the coach and they still would be successful. Even though the coaches are more than eager to take all the credit for it. I would love to see someone say...."Better watch out for Arlington or Harding High School this year".....Never happen. But the players from the Saint Paul City Conference play their butts off for their schools.
I would guess in this thread the Saint Paul Conference is considered the red headed step child in the soccer elitist community.
HS coaching is more about tactics than technique. The HS coaches are stuck with the players the clubs have produced for them. There isn't enough time in the short HS to improve technical ability enough to make a significant difference.
The point I am trying to make was that High School sports have become about Win Win at all levels. The spirit of it seems to have dissappeared. This is a result of coaches and parents. In this situation the goalie on the bench was a Sr., who was not given a chance to player in Sr. Day game. I doubt she is the starter goalie (in the coaches opinion), but being she is a D1 caliber player, could the coach have considered the spirit of the game and let her play at least a half. Instead her Sr. year will be remembered for sitting on the bench. There are several other instances out there, where the spirit of the game has gotten lost. Too numerous to mention. And no I am not that goalie's parent.
soccerfan, It reminds me of senior day for the Gophers when some of the seniors didn't get much if any playing time. There was this lady in the stands yelling non stop to play all the seniors, she made the game much less enjoyable for the fans in attendance and the players still didn't play. Its a can't win situation, if the second stringers play and you don't win the coach will take the heat. They have a job to do and whether you agree with it or not their goal is to win games at the higher levels (not that I think HS is high level soccer, but some people do)
Is it so hard to hope that a child would at least on Sr. day have a chance of playing. They have to pay to play, so at least let them play once. This is not the college level where they don't have to pay to play! And I don't think a coach would be faulted if the policy is that Sr.'s play on Sr. day. It used to be that way in the past. That's what I mean by the spirit of the game is gone. Not just in soccer, but everywhere.
I did see one outstanding incident where a wrestler actually help another wrestler pin him, because the coaches let that wrestler wrestle on Sr. day. The wrestler was mentally challenged. The fans and teams went wild in appreciation. That is the spirit of High School sports.
#1 in the Nation???? I would like to know who voted for that. Why doesn't the champion from the state tournament go on to a National Tournament to see who "Really" is number one. Just being ranked doesnt mean you deserve that title. Whatever!!!!
Rather than be happy for Woodbury, I see the bashers are out. Are they as good as any team in the country, we'll never know, but they do have at least two very quality players going off to play in major college programs. At least two others will also play in lesser D1 programs. Not bad for a team from the soccer outpost known as Minnesota. And no, I don't have a kid on their team but one who has played against many of their team in club ball and those four can play.
LOL 652 here. Believe it or not my comment would have been the same whether it was WDB, EP, EV, EDI, MAH, CR or anyone else. Ranking HS teams is ridiculous and a way to generate interest for the website. Apparently though there are some sensitive people on the east side.
True proof that you are a top team is people saying you are not. If Woodbury won a national championship people would immediatley say that stats are more important than a lucky win and that the REAL good teams didn't play or that blah blah blah some club team is better.
It is as 1253 said, to generate interest for the website and publications. More hits, more circulation, more ad $. I don't think anyone takes these rankings seriously. Even the people posting here.
NSP has a very good coach. Beating Richfield 2-0 probably wasnt what he was expecting from his girls. I believe they play Mahtomedi next , running killers after a game isnt a big deal.
NSP has a very good coach. Beating Richfield 2-0 probably wasnt what he was expecting from his girls. I believe they play Mahtomedi next , running killers after a game isnt a big deal.
Normally you don't want to put your team through conditioning the day before a game and if you have multiple games in a week than the only time to do any conditioning is after the game.
DV is a good "trainer", as for being a soccer coach.....he does not have a clue. Many teams hire him for conditioning, but many teams/parents have requested him NOT to be their team or players coach.
I was at the Richfield/North St. Paul game and what I saw afterwards seemed to be more of a cool down run. After I left there may have been more, but what I witnessed didn't seem to be a problem.
the rankings are a joke, how does Roch Century get in as well. they have a handful of BAD losses and one good win. I think maybe ten people vote on that thing
The NSP game against Richfield is a classic example of how good players make a mediocre coach like DV look great(DV does not even have a E-Certificate) and CC from Richfield who has at least his USSF B License who's team is terrible. CC is by FAR the better coach than DV and the best coach in the Classic Suburban Conference in my opion. Makes me wonder why CC is coaching in the backwaters of Richfield. No offense to the Richfield.
Hey 5:57, Carl is coaching Richfield maybe because he lives there and want's to make the program better, as someone who has been involved with Richfield HS for years hopefully he stays, this years team has never had the type of coach that Carl is, there are a few young girls that if Carl stays for a few years then by the time they are Juniors and Seniors they might be more successful. But the feeling is that he won't stay and this is a stop gap for him since he left SSM and didn't have much time to find another gig and Richfield coach left on short notice to another school for a different position.
8:14 PM, Why not stay at Richfield, if you can turn around a program in few short years wouldn't that add to the resume of that coach. Running away because the program is not strong is running away from a challenge. If the coach is to suppose to be as good as everyone says, accept the challenge and make the program better. That goes for any good coach, not just CC.
People, People, High school coaches have so little impact on their programs. It's to late by the time the kids get into high school. If they want to improve their programs they need to have an impact at the entry levels up to high school.
There are some high school coaches who have been able to build a real positive progam that can have an impact on the development/motivation/success of the players they coach. It usually takes years and years at the same place and it usually involves developing a larger relationship with student-athletes (often a teacher who is often a qualified coach that can help student-athletes year round). I think PM at Blake does that and there are probably others.
My friends daughter plays at LS, their team hit with the swine flu and have 8 healthy players for game tonight. Anyone else out there here about this happening elsewhere?
I know AHA is being hit with it as well... the other night against Shakopee they played a bunch of JV kids in the varsity match. They were STARTING kids who had never played a minute of varsity soccer, in the 12th game of the year! Ouch.
2:07 - thats not just a flu thing, I think only 3 of their kids have the flu. That team has been utterly destroyed by injuries. Over their original 18 player roster there were 8 players missing to either injury or illness as of Tuesday. Your info is spot on though, those were JV strikers starting together up top the other night. They actually did quite well considering they'd never played Varsity before.
10:46 - I couldn't agree with you more. Blake is a special program blessed with a head and assistant coach who are entrenched in the school, care deeply about their team, and have good soccer minds. Girls leave their time at Blake with genuine experiences and lessons so much more valuable than any club provides. And look at the continued success they have had this year with probably one of the youngest varsity teams in state.
Both Blake and Mahtomedi, the supposed #2 and #3 teams in class A seem to be having a tough time of it this past week. St. Croix knocked off both Blake and Minnehaha this week. I guess they are for real. They just might be the new favorite in section 4A? Definitely a team that has yet to earn respect, and a real sleeper now! SPA seems to be rising to the top in the Tri-Metro.
9:35 - what was the score? I did not see it listed in the paper this morning. Tartan has struggled this year, I thought the first win was luck, but maybe they match up well with Mahtomedi for some reason, or just get up for that game?
Quit wasting blogspace on two .500 A teams which are at their very best mediocre and one of which has given up 27 goals, as many as they have scored. I can't even imagine watching soccer like this. Sorry if I've insulted anyone, but I guess you people need an outlet for your feelings about your dd's. Really, most people on here want discussion about competitive teams.
If high school soccer is so bad why is there so much pressure on the players? My daughter tells me there is much more pressure on the HS team then she has ever encountered on her club teams. Obviously playing for your school seems to be more important to many of the players and how they are looked at by their peers. Yes HS soccer sometimes is not the highest level of soccer but there seems to be a higher intensity. At the high school my daughter goes to all of the varisty is on premier / mrl club teams and I believe most of the JV is too. So the competition is fierce. Aren't several of the HS in the same situation? There are at least 4 or 5 HS that have the same dynamics.
The HS probably have kids whose team was never any good so all they can brag about is Lil Suzie playing for MTA. HS soccer is very competitive and intense. When a club team plays 50 games a year they do not mean as much as when you play 18, under the lights for your school.
1:47 - if your child's team won state cup, unless your child's club team is C1 (can't think of many that have won state cup recently), wouldn't all of her club team players be at least premier? your comment doesn't make much sense....
East Ridge is doing great for a 1st year program. The girls team is 4-6. For comparison the boys team is 1-9. Coaching tactics is a big piece of HS soccer.
Edina/WBL was over after 20 minutes, edina scored 3 quick goals, WBL countered with some good passing and field play and scored 2 goals. 5-2 Half . Edina added insurance goal second half game ended 6-2. State wide the four top ranked teams are solid after that the quality of depth drops off in other teams. Those four top teams clearly have better players and more purpose and intent with play making ability and defense.
8:39 They would be a board members daughter, a coaches daughter, a friend of a board members daughter, a friend of a coaches daughter, etc. If you can sit and watch a premier soccer game in minnesota and see more than 5 premier players on a team you re dreaming. You take your dd to the tryout... they are offered a spot...then they dont play....and you rally the other ex banguers against the coach , contributing players ,etc.
High school soccer is community at its best.... the quality ,its o.k. in my opinion.... then again, im not trying to make a living by coaching club soccer, are the experts the ones who jump through the licensing hoops and pay the money to test,or are they the ones that actually give a hoot about individual kids....not their resume.
Wow.....6 premier teams, minimum of 96 premier kids, only 30 that are any good, 66 that are either a board members daughter, coaches daughter, etc.... I can think of maybe 3-4 high schools that don't have a C1 kid playing heavy minutes. Didn't know MN has such soccer afficionados. But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder........
Wow.... last year, 7 at u14,7 at u15,8 at u16,8 at u17, all high school aged for this year.30 good ones at each age is not that far fetched.Top C1 players and bottom players on premier teams can easily be interchanged due positional needs of any particular school team. I dont really know what beauty youre eye is holding.
Wayzata played another Class A team? Haven't they already played six or seven A teams this season? Are the AA schools (EP, Woodbury, Eagan, CR, WBL, anyone) afraid to play them? Why the weird schedule?
TP at Wayzata is notorious for playing a weak schedule. My daughter played for Lakeville HS before the split and we tried getting a game with them for years, never played them, and they do not even play the max 18 games
Breck should stay in the top ten - maybe top 5. They have played good teams this year (Wayzata, Orono, AHA), and they have big games coming up with Blake and Minnehaha this week and SPA next week.
from what i've seen, bsm is clearly a cut above the rest of class a. other than beating orono, breck hasn't beaten anyone (and i'm not sure when they played aha - not that it matters since it's an understatement to say that aha is struggling offensively).
Breck did not play AHA. And yes, it is a monumental understatement to say AHA is struggling offensively. Their team, which wasn't that great to begin with (rebuilding year, understatement) has been completely destroyed by injury and illness. They finished the game against Orono Saturday with 12 capable players, and thats counting two borrowed JV kids. Talk about a team hanging by a thread.
heard this morning DM is literally shutting AHA varsity down until they are "relatively" healthy - two more kids broke a fever and got sick DURING the Orono game. I got it from a reliable source he is training some combination of the B and JV squad to play the varsity game tomorrow night.
Licenses- Licenses don't make good coaches, although I do believe in them for most. The classes really stimulate my planning and organizational juices. They make a coach better, but I don't think they create a coach from a non-coach. I think they're better for teaching structure of the calendar of development for a team over a season, etc. and how to focus practices to be more topic-specific. That doesn't mean you can teach the topic without the technical knowledge of how to do it, etc. And like driver's licenses, I know plenty of people with licenses that shouldn't be allowed out of a parking lot, and coaches with licenses/diplomas that shouldn't be allowed to coach past the basics. You can't 'teach' a feel for the game or how to observe and dissect what's going right/wrong.
So far in AA it looks like the class is Woodbury, Eden Prairie, Edina , Wayzata and Stillwater. It's a shame Wood/Still and Eden Pr./Edina can't all go to state as these appear to be four of the best five teams in the state. The next group looks like Eagan with great scoring ability, but a suspect defense, Coon Rapids seems to have begun struggling the last week or so. WBL is coming on, Minnetonka seems to have a pretty strong defense and Burnsville is experienced with a dangerous player on top. Looks like the rest all have problems competing with these top 10 teams. Thoughts? The teams to beat are clearly those top five with great defenses and scoring ability.
4:45 - imo, Class A is much clearer than Class AA as Benilde has definitely separated themselves from everyone else. not even sure who the distant 2-5 teams would be (or any signature wins that they might have).
I would take Eagan ahead of both Stillwater and Wayzata. Wayzata has played only one tough game (tie with Edina).
EP and Woodbury are a toss-up. Eagan and Edina next, toss-up. Stillwater next.
After that, Tonka, Burnsville, Centennial, Park, Eastview, Wayzata
Wayzata has ties with Armstrong and Mpls Southwest, and weak decisions against Mahtomedi and Benilde. Their only meaningful result is a tie with Edina.
There's one coach who only coaches his clubs top teams and jumps back and forth between HS girls and boys teams depending on which is the best team. This guy is the biggest poser in the state.
Centennial? Really? what have they done. Agree that WZTA overrated, you cannot play so many A schools and tie SW. There are three teams right now and the rest are just hopeful, ED, EP and WBRY. Class AA looks down this year and the rankings are a joke.
Stillwater would be my pick over Eagan, GK is the difference, but Eagan's GK will really shine in the next 2 years. The Centennial question? The group of Juniors and Sophmores that are on the team now are the strongest group in the NW Suburban conference and have been since they were U12s. Although "strongest" and NW Suburban aren't really that impressive in the same sentence.... Lack of coaching is what will eventually hold them back in sections.
Agree that Stillwater is stronger overall than Eagan. Eagan gives up too many goals and Stillwater held Woodbury to one goal. What happened to Coon Rapids? Is Minnetonka really that good? What about Burnsville?
Let's see what happens when Burnsville plays a really strong AA team with great defenders. Running up scores againmst weaker opponents is easy to do & definately pads one's stats.
1 Benilde-St. Margaret's (11-1) 2 Mahtomedi (7-5) 3 St. Paul Academy (7-3) 4 Orono (9-2) 5 Breck (7-3) 6 St. Croix Lutheran (11-1) 7 Blake (8-2) 8 Minnehaha Academy (8-4) 9 Holy Angels (4-7) 9 Totino-Grace (6-3)
Benilde will never give up #1. Mahtomedi is very undeserving of #2 after recent losses. SPA is the solid side. Breck was defeated by Blake tonight 0-3. St. Croix has earned their ranking. No way Holy Angels should be in top 10.
8:25 - I would also add that Orono hasn't beaten anyone good (besides Lakeville South first game of year). Their win over Holy Angels is their strongest W, and as you mentioned, Holy Angels is really down. It will be interesting to see how they fair against and up and down team in Blake on Friday.
Stillwater ties Class A East Ridge? Looking at Stillwater's results, they have only one good win (Park, 3-0), and some close results against average teams (AV, Armstrong). Over-rated at #5. Maybe top 10.
Rankings are rankings.....you could look at any top 10 teams record and wonder why they didnt beat their opponents by larger scores. Woodbury...2- 0 over Class A Eastridge....Why not 18 -0 ? Eagan hasnt beaten anyone ,Mayo,Moorhead,and the bottom half of the Lake. Half of Wayzatas schedule are A teams.
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AV 3 EVHS 0
Vis 2 Blake O?
AV 3 EV 0
Yes, Vis over Blake. Vis played a solid game and Blake looked like a young team, certainly not #2 in state.
Class AA has a few teams that are as good as it gets for MN high school soccer, but this might be one of the weakest Class A fields that I've seen in quite a while - some talent, but very young.
536, wow, I've never heard of those teams, it reminds me of teams you hear about on a High school sports extra when they are talking about schools who play nine man football because they don't have enough students to play regular football.
So was last nights game the last time EVHS players had to sit out?
in class A, parody does not mean weakness, but the teams certainly are young.
Blake is ridiculously young and have had a good start, but their only quality wins have been AHA and Minnehaha really. The Vis game was surprising, but not surprising when you consider how young teams are up and down.
AHA has been crippled by injury this year. They lost the national team kid to an ACL before the season and have had several others on the sidelines. They're as young as anyone in the attack but do have some experience in the back, which is why they are at the least competitive with everyone
Minnehaha is experienced, returning 16 players from last years team. They are fairly athletic as well, but I don't know if the pure talent is there. Its a nice team that could easily win 3A though.
SPA was the preseason favorite in this section, and should still be considered the favorite come tourney time. This team has been building towards this year for a LONG time. They can score, they can defend, and like AHA (and unlike the other teams in the discussion) they will be battle tested by a difficult schedule with AA and top A teams.
I don't know what to think of Vis, a great result against Blake, but they get crushed by a brand new (literally) East Ridge team?
Outside of 3A I think Rodgers could be intriguing. Orono has done nothing to impress except challenge a BSM team that is cearly top of the class. I mean I am far more impressed with their LOSS to BSM and the fact it was close than any of their 35-0 wins over out state rec teams. BSM should win class A, there is NO QUESTION. They are the only team that brings the talent, the organization, AND the experience this year.
I think the future is bright for class A, but so many of the traditional powers are rebuilding. I went to the state title game rematch of Mahtomedi and AHA at the challenge cup, and while both teams had their moments, it obvious they're in rebuilding years.
3A Guy, are you referring to A soccer as a parody? Or did you mean the teams are about even as in PARITY?
wow what a breakdown of class A, too bad class A sucks at soccer
8:24 x 2
Show some respect or get lost. Don't waste your time or ours posting garbage.
9:03 - don't worry about him, it's the same yahoo that always pops off about class a soccer. it's after 9:00pm, so he's usually passed out by now so there won't be any more comments the rest of the evening.
cretin durham hall toughest scheadule
really class A soccer? It is not so good, maybe two of those teams can compete at AA. Passed out or not, I agree that A is minor league.
and there might be two class AA teams that can compete with the top U16 club teams. what's your point?
speaking of schools, anyone hear the large sucking sound in the south? rumor has it that the ssm program may be imploding. could this be the little general's last stand?
where is ssm-sc when we need information?
Teams are class A and class AA for reason; number of students. It should be expected that the best large schools field better teams than the smaller schools just because of the number of girls that tryout. However, there have been years when the best class A team has been possibly the best team in state regardless of size. Mahtomedi was in this situation several years back.
ha, yes, I meant PARITY, please don't call the spelling police on me. I won't get sucked into the whole "class A sucks" thing, I've watched my favorite team beat AA schools over and over for years now. Those top 4 or 5 AA's are usually a cut above, but I've seen nothing to indicate that the other 60 or so AA's are the "major leagues." Maybe they are, they just lose to our little minor league club all the time. Oops, guess I did just get sucked in. sigh.
the thing about when a class A team plays a class AA team occasionally is that if they are good enough they can win, but its the fact that they don't play the grind of what most AA team play, if they did they would not be able to compete because they do not have the depth, the top end talent may be there, but the difference is the depth and that is what makes AA team so much better and the fact that they play that tough schedule game in and game out
There are WAY MORE AA teams that could compete with the top u-16 teams. You forget that HS teams have 18 year old women playing for them and u-16 are, generally speaking, still young ladies. Saw Jefferson play this year and they are all big, fast and strong, on that basis alone they would run ruff shot over most u-16's and I do not think that Jeff is a top 5 team this year. Club soccer likes to beat their chests but they ARE NOT THAT SUPERIOR
class aa has to be much stronger then class a , example Park of cottage grove 7-0 over red wing. the score is real but why does juba schedule games with weak non conference opponents the answer is it helps HIM get more wins and that looks good when it comes down to sectional voting
class aa has to be much stronger then class a , example Park of cottage grove 7-0 over red wing. the score is real but why does juba schedule games with weak non conference opponents the answer is it helps HIM get more wins and that looks good when it comes down to sectional voting
Poor example, who doesn't beat Red Wing by a large margin?
8:24 - just because they are older does not make them better. one of the top Jeff kids btw is a U16 player......
i would hope AA is stronger than A. most AA's have enrollments greater than 2,000 kids while most A's are in the 500-800 range. triple the kids, triple the player pool.
i don't think anyone is saying that A is as good as AA as overall it clearly isn't, but merely defending the quality of A from the bashing that a few folks tend to dish out on this thread.
858 my point exactly WHY do AA play WEAK a teams? There are alot of good A teams for aa to play
9:08
Bigger, stronger and faster- that is the advanctage of 18 year olds playing 16 year olds. In girls it is a pronounced difference. LS had a fantastic freshmen last year (KK who is now at Shattuck). her ball skills and vision were second to none, but she could not physically stand up to 18 year olds when push came to shove. I still would put the top 10 or 15 AA schools up against the top U-16 teams any day
I, for one would love to see the U16 Blue MTA team take on any top AA school. Even though you have 18year olds on high school teams, not every 18 year old is bigger, faster, stronger. So to have very skilled 14-16 year olds on the blue team, which most of them play for top high school teams (Woodbury, East Ridge, Hastings, St Louis Park, Wayzata, Simley, Lakeville South, Lakeville North, Coon Rapids, Edina, Moundsview, Bloomington Jefferson, Centennial, Minnetonka) I bet you would have a very good game on your hands.
i would bet that virtually every kid on the mta u16 team that you mention is also one of the better players on their respective varsity teams.
It would be a good game, but the fact of the matter is this- there are claims that "only the top 2" AA teams could play with the U-16 premier teams, which is ludicrous. Of course there would be tight games, but to simply wave your hand and state for fact that HS soccer is horrible and U-16 premier teams would beat them all is flat out incorrect. THE MTA Blue team is also the best in ths state for their age, that is one team of many.
11:51 please do
n't put East Ridge,, Hastings, SLP, Simley, LS, LN, and BJ as top high school teams in this comparison. They are not. Woodbury, Wayzata, CR, Edina MV Centennial and Minnetonka are. Know who is good and who isn't before you make ridiculous staements like that.
it's always fun to see for which parents high school soccer reigns supreme. their dd's shining moment in the sun...
This discussion is like the TV show that pits Ninja vs. Spartan, Bear vs. tiger, etc. It's fun. The U16 "Magic" would lose to the following HS teams this year. Woodbury, Stillwater, Eastview, POSSIBLY Burnsville, Edina, and EP.
The strengths of the HS teams listed is that they all have a core group that play together in a club at a high level, which is recognized by their coaches. Most HS coaches don't have a clue to what their TRUE top players do in the summer.But, they shouldn't because they are teachers first not soccer coaches.
that is changing as some of the newer coaches are NOT teachers
Some, but not many.
236, I have seen Stillwater play and I think any high school team would have trouble beating MTA Blue. The important word here is TEAM and you are normally only as good as your weakest link and thats why I think MTA U16 would beat any high school team. Overall they would have superior talent over the High school teams.
especially on a standard width soccer field (80 yards) not a 65 yard width football field which almost forces most teams to play much more north-south (see how I didn't refer to that style of play in a derogatory tone!).
Well, if you look at Stillwater, most of the girls have played together as a TEAM for a while, the core group composed the U17 St. Croix team that were runners up in this years State Cup to the Inferno, 1-0 with 13 players. The aforementioned Inferno is also the core group of players for Woodbury.
Now, to poke at the sacred cow, what has the vaunted MTA/Bangu Magic really done on a regional or national level since they were precocious U13s? I know, some good tourmament showings, but NO regional or national champoinships. NONE. how great are they, really??
at least they win state cup mr. scv.....
1:42... Chill out. What I was getting at is that most of these girls play for those 7 teams you categorized as the top teams. What I was getting at is that age doesn't really matter, skill does.
12:04 ... exactly!!
3:50 pm
Thanks for the great laugh this afternoon . . .
3:45 pm
In my book, you can be a great team without winning regional or national championships. I'm sure the players are asking themselves if they continue to develop each year, are challenged and if they are having fun playing the game they love.
They won the Disney Showcase in January.
They won the Disney Showcase in January.
Don't be so butthurt 3:50, yes they win at state cup, but the fact remains that they can't get any farther every year. BTW I am more of a WDBY than SCV.
4:03, how are things on the unicorn ranch? all rainbows and hugs?
Sad state of High School Sports
Unfortunately, the state of high school sports has gotten so overly competitive that the coaches have forgotten about the players. Last night at a soccer game, there were 2 D1 recruited goalies sitting on benches and it was Sr. Night and they were not given an opportunity to play. Your last year of High School sports and it is Sr. Night and you still don't get to play. It is really win win at all costs?"
any possibility of this blog being more negative
I wish some of you knew the game and did not just worship your kids and their MTA coaches. The fact of the matter is this, skill is important, but soccer is a physical game and if the MTA 16's played older girls they would not be blowing them out. I saw BP from EV almost single handedly run through the MTA 16's in a scrimmage. Is HS soccer always the easiest to watch, NO, but it is not the crap that some make it out to be, nor is the precious club soccer being played the end all be all. To many times club coaches try and be to fancy with formation and tacticts (i.e. the X-mas tree formation) and actually end up making the girls robots who can only pass to one spot and do one thing because that is how MTA does it. They go to HS bal have a different game plan and are not all that great. I heard a coach ask his best player (an MTA stud) why don't you attack more, create some chances, the response "I only pass. I don't create."
I watched the Eastview/Burnsville game this evening - 1-1 tie in the end - and can say that what Anon 10:03 says might be true. BP from Eastview seems to have been having troubles all season - doesn't look nearly as dominant as she (and her sister) did last year - seems to hesitate taking shots - passes off a lot.
LD from Burnsville, on the other hand, was exciting to watch - made some really imaginative moves and took some interesting shots.
I know both of these players are D1-recruited, and are excellent players - it just looks like LD seems to have adjusted better to HS ball at Burnsville. I don't know if it's an MTA vs. Inferno thing, but something seems to be making a difference.
just a 'heads up' for all involved on this blog topic. #1, it's a game played in the high schools...the philosophy is different that club. #2, getting into 'arguments' with multiple anonymous poster (i meant to say it that way) who states something stupid - and then supports his/her stupid statement later as another anonymous identity - is like fighting a tar baby. #3, enjoy the game, support your kid, and back off the coach.
ems
11:31 your last line started my am off with a chuckle - thanks.
EVHS has struggled due to some serious internal problems which has forced players to be disciplined, sitting out games.
3 - 6 quality teams at each age group of club soccer. Lets just say 5, thats 20 high school aged club teams statewide that train 9 months a year. How many high school teams? High school soccer is fun to watch, the problem lyes with the parent of the MTA 7th grader who didnt make the team.
imo, evhs has struggled due to the fact that they lost a tremendous amount of talent off of last years team. not just the mn girl, but a solid gk, midfielder and i believe a defender who went to uw-gb. about the only player left with high level skills is bp.
Hey soccerfan, you lost me in your post.
there were 2 D1 recruited goalies sitting on benches and it was Sr. Night and they were not given an opportunity to play. Your last year of High School sports and it is Sr. Night and you still don't get to play. It is really win win at all costs?"
Are you saying there were two seniors that are both being recruited by D1 schools on the same team that are not the best keeper? One on each team, and neither is the #1 for their team?
Hard to follow if they are D1 caliber players but are not starting? Do they have attitude or eligibility issues?
Having seen a number of games already this fall, I agree that BSM is the class of class A this year. However, many are forgetting that East Ridge is class A this year and you know their coach is one of the best around. I expect them to be contenders even without a senior class.
I see MAH beat Hill. Maybe MAH isn't as bad as people think they are this year.
I agree that BSM is the class of single A soccer. East Ridge is also good and will be well coached. I am, however, worried that they may choose to "throw" the section championship (as part of a learning experience for his rather young team.)
927 pretty classless
927, hilarious!!
with some the hatred runs too deep......
Yep, the decision was classless
9:39 -- it's a joke
17/9/09 2:04 PM Shut up!
10:07 - if that's what makes you feel better...
10:12 - Better to laugh than to hate
10:12 it still hurts?
8:34 Maybe the goalies are juniors and that's why they were sitting.
With the results East Ridge are showing, they do not look like a threat no matter who the coach. When LS entered with no seniors they should have won the A title and they took second in the Lake.
80% of the succes is determined by players comming in coaches has very little to do with how good they are except a few that are very involved with the youth programs that may be associated with the school and 20% is coaching how do you succed with the group you have when you have two months to work with them.
10:44 you need to read the post that I responded to (which is actually part of my post). It says they were in their last year of high school...
Wow, try to get info on a previous post and someone reads less than half of the new post and responds?
GK's in question? Was is it Edina and Wayzata game?
11:33am said it best. If you are a high school blessed with C1 and Premier players....the players make the coaches look great. It has very little to do with coaching with the little amount of time they actualy have with the team before the season.
Thats why Woodbury is always so good...quality players. You could have a manequin on the sidelines being the coach and they still would be successful.
Even though the coaches are more than eager to take all the credit for it.
I would love to see someone say...."Better watch out for Arlington or Harding High School this year".....Never happen.
But the players from the Saint Paul City Conference play their butts off for their schools.
I would guess in this thread the Saint Paul Conference is considered the red headed step child in the soccer elitist community.
HS coaching is more about tactics than technique. The HS coaches are stuck with the players the clubs have produced for them. There isn't enough time in the short HS to improve technical ability enough to make a significant difference.
The point I am trying to make was that High School sports have become about Win Win at all levels. The spirit of it seems to have dissappeared. This is a result of coaches and parents. In this situation the goalie on the bench was a Sr., who was not given a chance to player in Sr. Day game. I doubt she is the starter goalie (in the coaches opinion), but being she is a D1 caliber player, could the coach have considered the spirit of the game and let her play at least a half. Instead her Sr. year will be remembered for sitting on the bench. There are several other instances out there, where the spirit of the game has gotten lost. Too numerous to mention. And no I am not that goalie's parent.
soccerfan, It reminds me of senior day for the Gophers when some of the seniors didn't get much if any playing time. There was this lady in the stands yelling non stop to play all the seniors, she made the game much less enjoyable for the fans in attendance and the players still didn't play. Its a can't win situation, if the second stringers play and you don't win the coach will take the heat. They have a job to do and whether you agree with it or not their goal is to win games at the higher levels (not that I think HS is high level soccer, but some people do)
Is it so hard to hope that a child would at least on Sr. day have a chance of playing. They have to pay to play, so at least let them play once. This is not the college level where they don't have to pay to play!
And I don't think a coach would be faulted if the policy is that Sr.'s play on Sr. day. It used to be that way in the past. That's what I mean by the spirit of the game is gone. Not just in soccer, but everywhere.
I did see one outstanding incident where a wrestler actually help another wrestler pin him, because the coaches let that wrestler wrestle on Sr. day. The wrestler was mentally challenged. The fans and teams went wild in appreciation. That is the spirit of High School sports.
Saw in the ST Paul paper today that woodbury is ranked #1 Nationally. What does that really even mean? Who really knows this information?
#1 in the Nation???? I would like to know who voted for that.
Why doesn't the champion from the state tournament go on to a National Tournament to see who "Really" is number one. Just being ranked doesnt mean you deserve that title.
Whatever!!!!
National rankings for HS teams. Funny. People who actually believe in them? Priceless.
Rather than be happy for Woodbury, I see the bashers are out. Are they as good as any team in the country, we'll never know, but they do have at least two very quality players going off to play in major college programs. At least two others will also play in lesser D1 programs. Not bad for a team from the soccer outpost known as Minnesota. And no, I don't have a kid on their team but one who has played against many of their team in club ball and those four can play.
Good for Woodbury and MN soccer, great to see no matter what the haters say. MTA parent upset that the WDBRY club stole some "thunder" maybe?
9:10 - now that's a stretch.....surprised you didn't bring up MA.
You brought up MA.
If you scroll down that list, Edina is ranked 21 in the nation. EDINA? REALLY? I'd be interested to see how they rank those teams.
http://nscaa.com/hsRes.php?it=1887
Woodbury/Jefferson score?
Woodbury 6
jefferson 0
Thanks.
LOL 652 here. Believe it or not my comment would have been the same whether it was WDB, EP, EV, EDI, MAH, CR or anyone else. Ranking HS teams is ridiculous and a way to generate interest for the website. Apparently though there are some sensitive people on the east side.
True proof that you are a top team is people saying you are not. If Woodbury won a national championship people would immediatley say that stats are more important than a lucky win and that the REAL good teams didn't play or that blah blah blah some club team is better.
12:53 PM It appears you are sensitive too!
If you can say anything nice don't say anything at all. Congratulations Woodbury!!
1253 has it right. And yes my kid was on a "nationally ranked" HS team. It was silly then and is silly now. Good blog fodder though!
how can teams be ranked that will never play each other or be able to compare results against comparable or "like" opponents?
i know folks like USA Today do this for football, bball, etc.... but there is a bit more cross-data to go off of.
it's not like track or swimming where you can compare times from the athletes.
Congrats to WDB, but I'm not sure what they won.
It is as 1253 said, to generate interest for the website and publications. More hits, more circulation, more ad $. I don't think anyone takes these rankings seriously. Even the people posting here.
After North Saint Paul won this past weekend the head coach had them doing sprints and killers......right ater they won! WTF???
didn't you ever see the movie "Miracle" with Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks?
AGAIN!
AGAIN!
NSP has a very good coach. Beating Richfield 2-0 probably wasnt what he was expecting from his girls. I believe they play Mahtomedi next , running killers after a game isnt a big deal.
NSP has a very good coach. Beating Richfield 2-0 probably wasnt what he was expecting from his girls. I believe they play Mahtomedi next , running killers after a game isnt a big deal.
DV is a good trainer, I think he knows what he's doing.
Normally you don't want to put your team through conditioning the day before a game and if you have multiple games in a week than the only time to do any conditioning is after the game.
DV is a good "trainer", as for being a soccer coach.....he does not have a clue. Many teams hire him for conditioning, but many teams/parents have requested him NOT to be their team or players coach.
I was at the Richfield/North St. Paul game and what I saw afterwards seemed to be more of a cool down run. After I left there may have been more, but what I witnessed didn't seem to be a problem.
Minnetonka ranked eight! They haven't beaten anyone yet. Play a cupcake schedule and get ranked.
Fitness is a big part of soccer....make em run...often.
1:08 It was not a cool down run. The girls ran 2 times around the track. Does that sound like a cool down run?
the rankings are a joke, how does Roch Century get in as well. they have a handful of BAD losses and one good win. I think maybe ten people vote on that thing
9:22
DV is a good trainer , also a good coach. Check the results of teams hes coached.
9:22
DV is a good trainer , also a good coach. Check the results of teams hes coached.
The NSP game against Richfield is a classic example of how good players make a mediocre coach like DV look great(DV does not even have a E-Certificate) and CC from Richfield who has at least his USSF B License who's team is terrible. CC is by FAR the better coach than DV and the best coach in the Classic Suburban Conference in my opion. Makes me wonder why CC is coaching in the backwaters of Richfield. No offense to the Richfield.
3:44 - DV teaches boot ball. Not pretty soccer at all.
5:57, 7:16
Your kids cut from DVs team. Shut it.
3:44, 5:57, 7:16 & 8:47
Who really cares? If the biggest issue facing the 4 of you is whether or not DV is a good trainer, you guys have a pretty good life.
I see DV and his NSP team beat Mahtomedi last night.
Until you get to the top of the license process it is a joke, anyone can get those if you pay the money and do the time in class.
Let's see how good the WDB coach is next year.
Whyn arew you jealous of Woodbury's success?
12:57 - where did that come from (or better yet why)?
Hey 5:57, Carl is coaching Richfield maybe because he lives there and want's to make the program better, as someone who has been involved with Richfield HS for years hopefully he stays, this years team has never had the type of coach that Carl is, there are a few young girls that if Carl stays for a few years then by the time they are Juniors and Seniors they might be more successful.
But the feeling is that he won't stay and this is a stop gap for him since he left SSM and didn't have much time to find another gig and Richfield coach left on short notice to another school for a different position.
9:48
So true- just a bunch of resume building BS.
12:48
He wont be there next year, would you?
8:14 PM,
Why not stay at Richfield, if you can turn around a program in few short years wouldn't that add to the resume of that coach. Running away because the program is not strong is running away from a challenge. If the coach is to suppose to be as good as everyone says, accept the challenge and make the program better.
That goes for any good coach, not just CC.
People, People, High school coaches have so little impact on their programs. It's to late by the time the kids get into high school. If they want to improve their programs they need to have an impact at the entry levels up to high school.
There are some high school coaches who have been able to build a real positive progam that can have an impact on the development/motivation/success of the players they coach. It usually takes years and years at the same place and it usually involves developing a larger relationship with student-athletes (often a teacher who is often a qualified coach that can help student-athletes year round). I think PM at Blake does that and there are probably others.
10:46 I'd add Buzz Lagos there, even thought it's sort of ancient history. Remember, he was a math teacher at SPA.
... and Peszneker at Wayzata, though I don't think he is a teacher now.
My friends daughter plays at LS, their team hit with the swine flu and have 8 healthy players for game tonight. Anyone else out there here about this happening elsewhere?
I know AHA is being hit with it as well... the other night against Shakopee they played a bunch of JV kids in the varsity match. They were STARTING kids who had never played a minute of varsity soccer, in the 12th game of the year! Ouch.
2:07 - thats not just a flu thing, I think only 3 of their kids have the flu. That team has been utterly destroyed by injuries. Over their original 18 player roster there were 8 players missing to either injury or illness as of Tuesday. Your info is spot on though, those were JV strikers starting together up top the other night. They actually did quite well considering they'd never played Varsity before.
. . . nor is TP a motivator, but he is blessed with enormous feeder programs . . . he has seniors that are PSA premier players on JV.
LS starts three girls who had not played a minute of varsity soccer this year against Eagan.
10:46 - I couldn't agree with you more. Blake is a special program blessed with a head and assistant coach who are entrenched in the school, care deeply about their team, and have good soccer minds. Girls leave their time at Blake with genuine experiences and lessons so much more valuable than any club provides. And look at the continued success they have had this year with probably one of the youngest varsity teams in state.
Tartan over Mahtomedi again...
Both Blake and Mahtomedi, the supposed #2 and #3 teams in class A seem to be having a tough time of it this past week. St. Croix knocked off both Blake and Minnehaha this week. I guess they are for real. They just might be the new favorite in section 4A? Definitely a team that has yet to earn respect, and a real sleeper now! SPA seems to be rising to the top in the Tri-Metro.
9:35 - what was the score? I did not see it listed in the paper this morning. Tartan has struggled this year, I thought the first win was luck, but maybe they match up well with Mahtomedi for some reason, or just get up for that game?
Tartan 1 - Mahto - 0
Quit wasting blogspace on two .500 A teams which are at their very best mediocre and one of which has given up 27 goals, as many as they have scored. I can't even imagine watching soccer like this. Sorry if I've insulted anyone, but I guess you people need an outlet for your feelings about your dd's. Really, most people on here want discussion about competitive teams.
White Bear over wayzata tomorrow.
Oops...I mean Edina.
WBL/Edina should be a good game to watch.
All high school soccer is mediocre.
....All high school soccer is mediocre.... Thunder Academy u12s are grrrreat.
My dds club team won state cup. Give me high school.... daughter as well.
If high school soccer is so bad why is there so much pressure on the players? My daughter tells me there is much more pressure on the HS team then she has ever encountered on her club teams. Obviously playing for your school seems to be more important to many of the players and how they are looked at by their peers. Yes HS soccer sometimes is not the highest level of soccer but there seems to be a higher intensity. At the high school my daughter goes to all of the varisty is on premier / mrl club teams and I believe most of the JV is too. So the competition is fierce. Aren't several of the HS in the same situation? There are at least 4 or 5 HS that have the same dynamics.
The HS probably have kids whose team was never any good so all they can brag about is Lil Suzie playing for MTA. HS soccer is very competitive and intense. When a club team plays 50 games a year they do not mean as much as when you play 18, under the lights for your school.
12:16
Could not agree more..... our high school team has many more premiere players than our club team... that won state cup also.
Anyone know how that WBL/Edina game turned out?
hows woodbury #2 oh i mean eastridge doing
1:47 - if your child's team won state cup, unless your child's club team is C1 (can't think of many that have won state cup recently), wouldn't all of her club team players be at least premier?
your comment doesn't make much sense....
3:39
I was refering to the fact that.... not all players on premier teams are premier players. Look at last years u15 age group...
East Ridge is doing great for a 1st year program. The girls team is 4-6. For comparison the boys team is 1-9.
Coaching tactics is a big piece of HS soccer.
so if they are on a premier team, but not a premier player, what are they? and who's the soccer expert making this evaluation....
Edina/WBL was over after 20 minutes, edina scored 3 quick goals, WBL countered with some good passing and field play and scored 2 goals. 5-2 Half . Edina added insurance goal second half game ended 6-2. State wide the four top ranked teams are solid after that the quality of depth drops off in other teams. Those four top teams clearly have better players and more purpose and intent with play making ability and defense.
8:39
They would be a board members daughter, a coaches daughter, a friend of a board members daughter, a friend of a coaches daughter, etc.
If you can sit and watch a premier soccer game in minnesota and see more than 5 premier players on a team you re dreaming. You take your dd to the tryout... they are offered a spot...then they dont play....and you rally the other ex banguers against the coach , contributing players ,etc.
High school soccer is community at its best.... the quality ,its o.k. in my opinion.... then again, im not trying to make a living by coaching club soccer, are the experts the ones who jump through the licensing hoops and pay the money to test,or are they the ones that actually give a hoot about individual kids....not their resume.
Wow.....6 premier teams, minimum of 96 premier kids, only 30 that are any good, 66 that are either a board members daughter, coaches daughter, etc....
I can think of maybe 3-4 high schools that don't have a C1 kid playing heavy minutes.
Didn't know MN has such soccer afficionados.
But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder........
Wow.... last year, 7 at u14,7 at u15,8 at u16,8 at u17, all high school aged for this year.30 good ones at each age is not that far fetched.Top C1 players and bottom players on premier teams can easily be interchanged due positional needs of any particular school team. I dont really know what beauty youre eye is holding.
Anyone have a score of Wayzata Breck game? Also, Holy Angels and Orono?
Wayzata played another Class A team? Haven't they already played six or seven A teams this season? Are the AA schools (EP, Woodbury, Eagan, CR, WBL, anyone) afraid to play them? Why the weird schedule?
Wayzata 7-0 over Breck.
Orono 3-1 over Holy Angels.
wayzata 7 breck 0
orono 3 aha 1
class a top 10 guesses?
benilde?
orono?
spa?
TP at Wayzata is notorious for playing a weak schedule. My daughter played for Lakeville HS before the split and we tried getting a game with them for years, never played them, and they do not even play the max 18 games
Breck should stay in the top ten - maybe top 5. They have played good teams this year (Wayzata, Orono, AHA), and they have big games coming up with Blake and Minnehaha this week and SPA next week.
Class A is clearly up for grabs.
from what i've seen, bsm is clearly a cut above the rest of class a. other than beating orono, breck hasn't beaten anyone (and i'm not sure when they played aha - not that it matters since it's an understatement to say that aha is struggling offensively).
Breck did not play AHA. And yes, it is a monumental understatement to say AHA is struggling offensively. Their team, which wasn't that great to begin with (rebuilding year, understatement) has been completely destroyed by injury and illness. They finished the game against Orono Saturday with 12 capable players, and thats counting two borrowed JV kids. Talk about a team hanging by a thread.
heard this morning DM is literally shutting AHA varsity down until they are "relatively" healthy - two more kids broke a fever and got sick DURING the Orono game. I got it from a reliable source he is training some combination of the B and JV squad to play the varsity game tomorrow night.
yikes.
26/9/09 6:17 PM Whoopy do! What does MA think about HS soccer now?
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Yawn.... Another hopeless loser who can't get past an inferiority complex.
Licenses-
Licenses don't make good coaches, although I do believe in them for most. The classes really stimulate my planning and organizational juices. They make a coach better, but I don't think they create a coach from a non-coach. I think they're better for teaching structure of the calendar of development for a team over a season, etc. and how to focus practices to be more topic-specific. That doesn't mean you can teach the topic without the technical knowledge of how to do it, etc. And like driver's licenses, I know plenty of people with licenses that shouldn't be allowed out of a parking lot, and coaches with licenses/diplomas that shouldn't be allowed to coach past the basics. You can't 'teach' a feel for the game or how to observe and dissect what's going right/wrong.
So far in AA it looks like the class is Woodbury, Eden Prairie, Edina , Wayzata and Stillwater. It's a shame Wood/Still and Eden Pr./Edina can't all go to state as these appear to be four of the best five teams in the state. The next group looks like Eagan with great scoring ability, but a suspect defense, Coon Rapids seems to have begun struggling the last week or so. WBL is coming on, Minnetonka seems to have a pretty strong defense and Burnsville is experienced with a dangerous player on top. Looks like the rest all have problems competing with these top 10 teams. Thoughts?
The teams to beat are clearly those top five with great defenses and scoring ability.
Any good games this week in class A? Class A looks like it's up for grabs at the moment.
4:45 - imo, Class A is much clearer than Class AA as Benilde has definitely separated themselves from everyone else. not even sure who the distant 2-5 teams would be (or any signature wins that they might have).
I would take Eagan ahead of both Stillwater and Wayzata. Wayzata has played only one tough game (tie with Edina).
EP and Woodbury are a toss-up.
Eagan and Edina next, toss-up.
Stillwater next.
After that, Tonka, Burnsville, Centennial, Park, Eastview, Wayzata
Wayzata has ties with Armstrong and Mpls Southwest, and weak decisions against Mahtomedi and Benilde. Their only meaningful result is a tie with Edina.
There's one coach who only coaches his clubs top teams and jumps back and forth between HS girls and boys teams depending on which is the best team. This guy is the biggest poser in the state.
Breck vs. Blake should be nice matchup in class A tomorrow.
Centennial? Really? what have they done. Agree that WZTA overrated, you cannot play so many A schools and tie SW. There are three teams right now and the rest are just hopeful, ED, EP and WBRY. Class AA looks down this year and the rankings are a joke.
Same to you 28/9/09 2:27 PM
28/9/09 8:34 PM
Please elaborate
28/9/09 2:27 PM -- Inferior to what or whom? Does your perceived arrogance make you better? Go worship your leader!
Stillwater would be my pick over Eagan, GK is the difference, but Eagan's GK will really shine in the next 2 years. The Centennial question? The group of Juniors and Sophmores that are on the team now are the strongest group in the NW Suburban conference and have been since they were U12s. Although "strongest" and NW Suburban aren't really that impressive in the same sentence....
Lack of coaching is what will eventually hold them back in sections.
Agree that Stillwater is stronger overall than Eagan. Eagan gives up too many goals and Stillwater held Woodbury to one goal. What happened to Coon Rapids? Is Minnetonka really that good? What about Burnsville?
CR feeder program in decline, MTKA overrated, BVILLE will be a state contender for 2 or 3 years.
BVLLE needs to make their run this year. Digger up front makes them go, when she graduates they will not be able to replace her.
Hey dad, everyone gets replaced.
I'm not her dad and she will not get replaced. There are few as good.
12:52/2:41, you should know by now that no one on this thread can ever compliment another player without being accused of nepotism.
Let's see what happens when Burnsville plays a really strong AA team with great defenders. Running up scores againmst weaker opponents is easy to do & definately pads one's stats.
And who do they play who has a really strong defense?
BD is a sophmore, she will be even better. And,BTW I live 40 miles from BVILLE. She is also MTA's best forward as a 16.
They play no one in their conference with a really strong defense. Maybe in sections? We'll see.
Burnsville will tough for awhile, the club teams are mostly local.
EP is in their conference, they play really well all over.
1A Rankings
1 Benilde-St. Margaret's (11-1)
2 Mahtomedi (7-5)
3 St. Paul Academy (7-3)
4 Orono (9-2)
5 Breck (7-3)
6 St. Croix Lutheran (11-1)
7 Blake (8-2)
8 Minnehaha Academy (8-4)
9 Holy Angels (4-7)
9 Totino-Grace (6-3)
Benilde will never give up #1. Mahtomedi is very undeserving of #2 after recent losses. SPA is the solid side. Breck was defeated by Blake tonight 0-3. St. Croix has earned their ranking. No way Holy Angels should be in top 10.
8:25 - I would also add that Orono hasn't beaten anyone good (besides Lakeville South first game of year). Their win over Holy Angels is their strongest W, and as you mentioned, Holy Angels is really down. It will be interesting to see how they fair against and up and down team in Blake on Friday.
Blake 3-0 over Breck
SPA 6-2 over MPA
Also look ahead to SPA and Benilde the final Saturday of the season.
9:17 - Yes, that should be a good one! Still not sure how Blake beat SPA earlier in the season?
woodbury-white bear lake score?
Stillwater and East Ridge 0 - 0 tie.
Woodbury and WBL 4-0
Stillwater ties Class A East Ridge?
Looking at Stillwater's results, they have only one good win (Park, 3-0), and some close results against average teams (AV, Armstrong). Over-rated at #5. Maybe top 10.
Rankings are rankings.....you could look at any top 10 teams record and wonder why they didnt beat their opponents by larger scores. Woodbury...2- 0 over Class A Eastridge....Why not 18 -0 ? Eagan hasnt beaten anyone ,Mayo,Moorhead,and the bottom half of the Lake. Half of Wayzatas schedule are A teams.
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