As the weather gets chillier, boys and girls soccer teams via for a state title, football heads into Section Final Friday and the winter sports season begins throughout Minnesota with the first day of girls hockey practice.
The defending Class A champion Breck Mustangs will have a new leader behind the bench as head coach Ronda Englehardt stepped down. Keith Radloff, who was a co-coach with Steve Persian last season at Orono will serve as the interim head coach. The Mustangs open the regular season hosting the Centennial Cougars on Saturday, November 10 at 3 PM at the Anderson Ice Arena. The Cougars will also have a new coach in David Cole, who replaced Kristi King who is now an assistant coach for the University of St. Thomas women's hockey team.
As for the defending Class AA champion Edina Hornets, their first two games will be on the road, starting on Thursday, December 8 at Andover at 7:30 PM. They will head to Hopkins on Tuesday, November 13 for the first of two meetings with the perennial power Blake Bears. The two teams will battle again at Braemar Arena in Edina Friday, January 18. Both game times are 7 PM. They could be a preview of the Section 6AA final on February 15.
You might want to bundle up for Hopkins/Park's season opener since they will be playing on the outdoor rink at the Rec Center in St. Louis Park on Saturday, November 10 against the Orono Spartans at 4 PM. Hopkins/Park will also have a new coach in Ryan St. Martin, who replaced Chris Erickson.
Looking at the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights, they will play a tough nonconference schedule that starts with Breck on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:15 at the Rec Center. Other early season opponents include Minnetonka, Edina, Eden Prairie and Blake.
Come November, the excitement begins in Minnesota girls high school en route to section play and the state tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul in February.
Monday, October 29, 2018
Saturday, October 27, 2018
No Hope in New Hope
There will be a new champion in Section 5AAAAA Football this season as Nascier Borden scored three touchdowns to lead the Cooper Hawks to a 35-7 win over the defending section champion St. Louis Park Orioles Saturday in New Hope.
The Hawks flew into the end zone twice in the first quarter. Trashawn McMillan set up the first score as he threw an 18 yard pass to Adrian Adams and Borden ran left for a 14 yard touchdown. The McMillan to Adams combination would also be a factor in Cooper's second touchdown. McMillan sent a deep 57 yard pass that was caught by Adams and the senior quarterback scored on a one yard keeper to give the Hawks a 14-0 lead.
McMillan would throw a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter. First, Borden's 40 yard run would set the stage for McMillan as he threw a 33 yard right side pass to Adams for his second touchdown of the game. The Cooper defense put quite a bit of pressure on St. Louis Park quarterback Aaron Ellingson as Justin Madison came close to a sack but Ellingson was called for intentional grounding. The Hawks would get the ball back and Borden would haul in a 26 yard pass from McMillan and Cooper led at halftime 28-0.
Cooper would get possession to start the second half and it was Borden who made his destination the end zone for the third time on the first play from scrimmage, scoring on a 58 yard run. Tobias Davenport would give the Orioles outstanding field position as he returned the kickoff to the Hawks 21 yard line but when Ellingson aimed for the end zone, his pass was intercepted by Rashsawn Ketin. He got the ball into St. Louis Park territory but it was called back due to a penalty. The Oriole defense would be a bright sport in the third quarter as Armando Morelli sacked McMillan and Adam Bauer came up with an interception. But Cooper would get the ball back on a pick from Pedro Amoussou. Things were starting to get testy on the Hawks sideline as a fight broke out but it looked like nobody was ejected.
There would be some good news for St. Louis Park in the fourth quarter but it would come late in the game as Sajid Nathim scampered down the left side and scored on a 37 yard run with :03 left to avoid the shutout.
The Hawks improved their record to 8-1 and will host the Spring Lake Park Panthers in the section final on Friday, November 2 at 7 PM. The Panthers clinched their championship berth with a 26-17 win over the Irondale Knights. The Orioles concluded their season with a 5-5 record.
The Hawks flew into the end zone twice in the first quarter. Trashawn McMillan set up the first score as he threw an 18 yard pass to Adrian Adams and Borden ran left for a 14 yard touchdown. The McMillan to Adams combination would also be a factor in Cooper's second touchdown. McMillan sent a deep 57 yard pass that was caught by Adams and the senior quarterback scored on a one yard keeper to give the Hawks a 14-0 lead.
McMillan would throw a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter. First, Borden's 40 yard run would set the stage for McMillan as he threw a 33 yard right side pass to Adams for his second touchdown of the game. The Cooper defense put quite a bit of pressure on St. Louis Park quarterback Aaron Ellingson as Justin Madison came close to a sack but Ellingson was called for intentional grounding. The Hawks would get the ball back and Borden would haul in a 26 yard pass from McMillan and Cooper led at halftime 28-0.
Cooper would get possession to start the second half and it was Borden who made his destination the end zone for the third time on the first play from scrimmage, scoring on a 58 yard run. Tobias Davenport would give the Orioles outstanding field position as he returned the kickoff to the Hawks 21 yard line but when Ellingson aimed for the end zone, his pass was intercepted by Rashsawn Ketin. He got the ball into St. Louis Park territory but it was called back due to a penalty. The Oriole defense would be a bright sport in the third quarter as Armando Morelli sacked McMillan and Adam Bauer came up with an interception. But Cooper would get the ball back on a pick from Pedro Amoussou. Things were starting to get testy on the Hawks sideline as a fight broke out but it looked like nobody was ejected.
There would be some good news for St. Louis Park in the fourth quarter but it would come late in the game as Sajid Nathim scampered down the left side and scored on a 37 yard run with :03 left to avoid the shutout.
The Hawks improved their record to 8-1 and will host the Spring Lake Park Panthers in the section final on Friday, November 2 at 7 PM. The Panthers clinched their championship berth with a 26-17 win over the Irondale Knights. The Orioles concluded their season with a 5-5 record.
2018 Section 5AAAAA Football Semifinal Preview
It's Semifinal Saturday in Minnesota high school football and the St. Louis Park Orioles head up to New Hope as they battle the top seeded Cooper Hawks in the Section 5AAAAA semifinals. Also in action today is the third seeded Irondale Knights and the second seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers.
The Orioles broke open a back and forth quarterfinal game as they scored 35 unanswered points to beat the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers 49-21. It was a big night for junior quarterback Aaron Ellingson as he ran for two touchdowns and passed for three more that also include 52 and 59 yard passes to Cole Ewald. The St. Louis Park defense also had an outstanding game as they held Southwest's leading rusher TK Marshall to 27 yards.
As for the Hawks, they had a first round bye so they had time to regroup after losing their final regular season game to the Knights on October 17 41-13. Cooper and St. Louis Park battled on September 7 in St. Louis Park as Nascier Borden ran for 217 yards and three touchdowns to rout the Orioles 42-17. It will be the third meeting between the two schools in almost a year. Last season, they played in the section final when St. Louis Park upset Cooper to earn their first state tournament berth. Game time is 5 PM.
In the second semifinal game, the third seeded Irondale Knights will go to Spring Lake Park for a 2 PM game with the second seeded Panthers. Irondale advanced to the semifinals with a 42-22 win over the sixth seeded Park Center Pirates. Irondale is led by running back Parker Freiberg, who ran for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Knights quarterfinal win. It will be the first meeting between the Knights and the Panthers since the season opener August 31 where Spring Lake Park beat Irondale 35-13. The Panthers had an outstanding rushing attack against the Knights as they ran for 383 yards. Derric Bergman ran for 135 and three touchdowns. He would have two other games where he turned the touchdown hat trick. They were October 5 against the North St. Paul Polars and October 17 against the Forest Lake Rangers. The Knights will have to play solid defense to stop the Panthers ground game.
Get ready for a couple of outstanding section semifinal games.
The Orioles broke open a back and forth quarterfinal game as they scored 35 unanswered points to beat the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers 49-21. It was a big night for junior quarterback Aaron Ellingson as he ran for two touchdowns and passed for three more that also include 52 and 59 yard passes to Cole Ewald. The St. Louis Park defense also had an outstanding game as they held Southwest's leading rusher TK Marshall to 27 yards.
As for the Hawks, they had a first round bye so they had time to regroup after losing their final regular season game to the Knights on October 17 41-13. Cooper and St. Louis Park battled on September 7 in St. Louis Park as Nascier Borden ran for 217 yards and three touchdowns to rout the Orioles 42-17. It will be the third meeting between the two schools in almost a year. Last season, they played in the section final when St. Louis Park upset Cooper to earn their first state tournament berth. Game time is 5 PM.
In the second semifinal game, the third seeded Irondale Knights will go to Spring Lake Park for a 2 PM game with the second seeded Panthers. Irondale advanced to the semifinals with a 42-22 win over the sixth seeded Park Center Pirates. Irondale is led by running back Parker Freiberg, who ran for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Knights quarterfinal win. It will be the first meeting between the Knights and the Panthers since the season opener August 31 where Spring Lake Park beat Irondale 35-13. The Panthers had an outstanding rushing attack against the Knights as they ran for 383 yards. Derric Bergman ran for 135 and three touchdowns. He would have two other games where he turned the touchdown hat trick. They were October 5 against the North St. Paul Polars and October 17 against the Forest Lake Rangers. The Knights will have to play solid defense to stop the Panthers ground game.
Get ready for a couple of outstanding section semifinal games.
Monday, October 22, 2018
2018 Section 5AAAAA Football Tournament Preview
Many teams throughout Minnesota begin the Road to the Prep Bowl Tuesday as section play gets underway in high school football. The fourth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles open up Section 5AAAAA quarterfinal play as they host the fifth seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers in a 7 PM game. Here is a preview of Section 5AAAAA.
St. Louis Park opens up section play on a two game winning streak after dropping a pair of road games to the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights and the Orono Spartans. Last Wednesday, the Orioles drubbed the DeLaSalle Islanders 51-13. Akili Farris took two kickoff returns into the end zone. They will need to continue their momentum against the Lakers and play strong defense.
Looking at the Lakers, they enter section play with a 3-5 record. They were routed by the combined team from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake, the SMB Wolfpack 42-14. SMB is the top seeded in Section 5AAAA that also includes defending state champion Holy Angels and Providence Academy. As for Mpls. Southwest, they have been playing .500 football since they started the season 1-3. The Lakers are a predominately running team led by TK Marshall, who rushed for a season high 249 yards against Minneapolis Washburn on October 12. Marshall is 10 yards away from the 1000 yard mark and he is very likely to surpass it against the Orioles.
The winner will head up to New Hope on Saturday, October 27 to take on the top seeded Cooper Hawks. The Hawks lost their first regular season game since 2016 last Wednesday to the Irondale Knights but they still got the number one seed. Cooper is led by quarterback Trashawn Marshall and running back Nascier Borden. Jerrell Smith-Shannon, Aki Mulbah and Charles Washington anchor the Hawk defense. Should St. Louis Park win on Tuesday, it will be a rematch of the September 7 game where the Hawks routed the Orioles 42-14. Borden ran for 217 yards and scored three touchdowns. Will there be hope in New Hope as Cooper looks to win the section title trophy?
Over to the lower bracket as the sixth seeded Park Center Pirates head down I-694 to face the third seeded Irondale Knights. The Pirates have gone through rough waters as they take a four game losing streak into section play. In their last four games, they have been outscored 170-17. It won't get easier against the Knights, who pulled off the upset last Wednesday with a 41-13 win over the Cooper Hawks. The big story of the game was running back Parker Freiberg, who rushed for 278 yards. In the game against Park Center on September 28, Freiberg reached the end zone twice and ran for 147 yards in a 65-0 rout.
Waiting in the wings for Saturday's semifinals is the second seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers. If the Knights and Panthers battle on the 27th, it will be a rematch of the season opener where Spring Lake Park beat Irondale 35-13. Derric Bergman scored three touchdowns and ran for 135 yards. The Panthers are a team with outstanding backfield depth and they could wear down the Knights defense. Zach Dubar and Brian Orellana-Lopez have also contributed to Spring Lake Park's success. Dubar has run for seven touchdowns and Orellana-Lopez has crossed the goal line six times. Two years ago, the Panthers played in the Class AAAAA title game and lost to the Elk River Elks. Don't count out Spring Lake Park, They could head into a potential section final with Cooper on Friday, November 2. It could be a big one.
St. Louis Park opens up section play on a two game winning streak after dropping a pair of road games to the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights and the Orono Spartans. Last Wednesday, the Orioles drubbed the DeLaSalle Islanders 51-13. Akili Farris took two kickoff returns into the end zone. They will need to continue their momentum against the Lakers and play strong defense.
Looking at the Lakers, they enter section play with a 3-5 record. They were routed by the combined team from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake, the SMB Wolfpack 42-14. SMB is the top seeded in Section 5AAAA that also includes defending state champion Holy Angels and Providence Academy. As for Mpls. Southwest, they have been playing .500 football since they started the season 1-3. The Lakers are a predominately running team led by TK Marshall, who rushed for a season high 249 yards against Minneapolis Washburn on October 12. Marshall is 10 yards away from the 1000 yard mark and he is very likely to surpass it against the Orioles.
The winner will head up to New Hope on Saturday, October 27 to take on the top seeded Cooper Hawks. The Hawks lost their first regular season game since 2016 last Wednesday to the Irondale Knights but they still got the number one seed. Cooper is led by quarterback Trashawn Marshall and running back Nascier Borden. Jerrell Smith-Shannon, Aki Mulbah and Charles Washington anchor the Hawk defense. Should St. Louis Park win on Tuesday, it will be a rematch of the September 7 game where the Hawks routed the Orioles 42-14. Borden ran for 217 yards and scored three touchdowns. Will there be hope in New Hope as Cooper looks to win the section title trophy?
Over to the lower bracket as the sixth seeded Park Center Pirates head down I-694 to face the third seeded Irondale Knights. The Pirates have gone through rough waters as they take a four game losing streak into section play. In their last four games, they have been outscored 170-17. It won't get easier against the Knights, who pulled off the upset last Wednesday with a 41-13 win over the Cooper Hawks. The big story of the game was running back Parker Freiberg, who rushed for 278 yards. In the game against Park Center on September 28, Freiberg reached the end zone twice and ran for 147 yards in a 65-0 rout.
Waiting in the wings for Saturday's semifinals is the second seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers. If the Knights and Panthers battle on the 27th, it will be a rematch of the season opener where Spring Lake Park beat Irondale 35-13. Derric Bergman scored three touchdowns and ran for 135 yards. The Panthers are a team with outstanding backfield depth and they could wear down the Knights defense. Zach Dubar and Brian Orellana-Lopez have also contributed to Spring Lake Park's success. Dubar has run for seven touchdowns and Orellana-Lopez has crossed the goal line six times. Two years ago, the Panthers played in the Class AAAAA title game and lost to the Elk River Elks. Don't count out Spring Lake Park, They could head into a potential section final with Cooper on Friday, November 2. It could be a big one.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
DeLaSalle Demolition
Wednesday night was Senior Night for the St. Louis Park Orioles football team and one of the 13 seniors honored in a pregame ceremony, Akili Farris had a big night as he scored three touchdowns to lead the Orioles to a 51-13 rout of the DeLaSalle Islanders.
Farris would be a factor in the first St. Louis Park touchdown as he scored on a 11 yard run up the middle. The Orioles would get the ball back following a McCabe Dvorak interception and Sajid Nathim would cash in on a 22 yard run that would spot the ball at the Islander one yard line and a one yard run that put their lead at 14.
It looked like Nathim would score his second touchdown as the Orioles lined up in a split T formation but it was called back because of an illegal shift penalty. Milkaso Dedefo, who made some outstanding tackles on defense, also excelled on offense as he caught a nine yard pass from quarterback Aaron Ellingson to extend the lead to 21. The news would be better for Nathim as he bulldozed his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game and St. Louis Park led at halftime 28-0.
Heading into the third quarter, St. Louis Park also would score on defense as Tobias Davenport intercepted a James Pfarr pass and scampered 42 yards for a touchdown. The Islanders were close to their own goal line and they backed in on a holding penalty that would award the Orioles a safety. St. Louis Park would get another shot on offense and Farris would take the kickoff and trample down the field 60 yards to increase the lead to 44-0.
There would be good news for DeLaSalle fans who made the trip from Minneapolis. Julian Wright, who scored a pair of touchdowns last Friday on big runs, caught a six yard touchdown pass from Pfarr and that would end the Oriole shut out. Defense would prevail once again for St. Louis Park as Dedefo would block the extra point. Though the game was now in running time due the large margin in the fourth quarter, it would be "Dueling Kickoff Returns" on this chilly Wednesday night. The Orioles would score on Farris' 79 yard return and the Islanders on the next play would get an 83 yard return from Wright to conclude the scoring.
St. Louis Park ended the regular season at 4-4 and DeLaSalle concluded their campaign with a 3-5 record. Both teams head into section play on Tuesday, October 23.
Farris would be a factor in the first St. Louis Park touchdown as he scored on a 11 yard run up the middle. The Orioles would get the ball back following a McCabe Dvorak interception and Sajid Nathim would cash in on a 22 yard run that would spot the ball at the Islander one yard line and a one yard run that put their lead at 14.
It looked like Nathim would score his second touchdown as the Orioles lined up in a split T formation but it was called back because of an illegal shift penalty. Milkaso Dedefo, who made some outstanding tackles on defense, also excelled on offense as he caught a nine yard pass from quarterback Aaron Ellingson to extend the lead to 21. The news would be better for Nathim as he bulldozed his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game and St. Louis Park led at halftime 28-0.
Heading into the third quarter, St. Louis Park also would score on defense as Tobias Davenport intercepted a James Pfarr pass and scampered 42 yards for a touchdown. The Islanders were close to their own goal line and they backed in on a holding penalty that would award the Orioles a safety. St. Louis Park would get another shot on offense and Farris would take the kickoff and trample down the field 60 yards to increase the lead to 44-0.
There would be good news for DeLaSalle fans who made the trip from Minneapolis. Julian Wright, who scored a pair of touchdowns last Friday on big runs, caught a six yard touchdown pass from Pfarr and that would end the Oriole shut out. Defense would prevail once again for St. Louis Park as Dedefo would block the extra point. Though the game was now in running time due the large margin in the fourth quarter, it would be "Dueling Kickoff Returns" on this chilly Wednesday night. The Orioles would score on Farris' 79 yard return and the Islanders on the next play would get an 83 yard return from Wright to conclude the scoring.
St. Louis Park ended the regular season at 4-4 and DeLaSalle concluded their campaign with a 3-5 record. Both teams head into section play on Tuesday, October 23.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
SLP Orioles Close Out Regular Season Aganist DeLaSalle Islanders
The 2018 Minnesota high school football regular season concludes Wednesday night as the St. Louis Park Orioles host the DeLaSalle Islanders.
If you missed last Friday night's St. Louis Park-Irondale football game, you missed a classic finish. The score was tied 28-28 going into overtime and the Orioles got the ball first. On the first play from scrimmage at the 10 yard line, Sajid Nathim ran the ball into the end zone. The Knights had a chance to tie or even win the game but Parker Freiberg was stopped short of the goal line and it resulted in a St. Louis Park victory 35-28. Nathim ran for three touchdowns and 90 yards. Quarterback Aaron Ellingson had 243 total yards. He had 146 passing yards and 97 rushing. He will need to have a solid game to beat the Islanders.
As for the Islanders, they enter the regular season finale with an identical record of 3-4. Last Friday night, DeLaSalle was beaten by the Orono Spartans 48-30. The bright spot for the Islanders was Julian Wright, who scored a 90 yard touchdown run in the first quarter and wrapped up the scoring in the fourth with a 79 yard score. He also reached the end zone on a touchdown pass from quarterback James Pfarr. The Islanders has some athletic players on their roster and the Oriole defense will have to slow them down in order to get a good seed going into next Tuesday's section tournament.
Who will finish the season with at least a .500 record? Find out Wednesday night. The weather picture calls for chilly weather in the 40s so once again please bundle up. Game time is 7 PM.
Wayzata Trojans Win Section 6AA Championship
Call them giant killers. Three days after a double overtime win against the top seeded Minneapolis Washburn Millers, the fifth seeded Wayzata Trojans beat another top seeded team, the second seeded St. Louis Park Orioles after the host Orioles own goal with 1:36 left in overtime that led them to a 1-0 win in the Section 6AA Boys Soccer Championship Game Tuesday night.
The two teams opened the regular season on August 25 with Wayzata and St. Louis Park playing to a 1-1 tie. But this time it would be for a trip to next week's state tournament.
Neither team would erase the zeros from the scoreboard in 80 minutes of regulation time. Both teams goalkeepers, Perrin King of the Trojans and Leo Finley of the Orioles made some outstanding saves. The game would then proceed to overtime. It looked like there would be a second 10 minute overtime period but when Finley played way out of the net, Cole Beaton tried to save the ball from entering and it deflected off him after a shot by Ogle with 1:36 left in overtime at the celebration began for Wayzata.
The Trojans improved their record to 9-4-5 and advanced to the state boys Class AA soccer tournament next week. Time, site and opponent to be determined. The Orioles ended their season with a record of 14-2-1.
The two teams opened the regular season on August 25 with Wayzata and St. Louis Park playing to a 1-1 tie. But this time it would be for a trip to next week's state tournament.
Neither team would erase the zeros from the scoreboard in 80 minutes of regulation time. Both teams goalkeepers, Perrin King of the Trojans and Leo Finley of the Orioles made some outstanding saves. The game would then proceed to overtime. It looked like there would be a second 10 minute overtime period but when Finley played way out of the net, Cole Beaton tried to save the ball from entering and it deflected off him after a shot by Ogle with 1:36 left in overtime at the celebration began for Wayzata.
The Trojans improved their record to 9-4-5 and advanced to the state boys Class AA soccer tournament next week. Time, site and opponent to be determined. The Orioles ended their season with a record of 14-2-1.
Saturday, October 13, 2018
SLP Orioles Advance to Section 6AA Final
Though Zinedine Kroeten was not in the starting lineup, he came off the bench in the first half and made a strong presence in the second as he scored the game winning goal with 3:42 left in regulation time to lead the host St. Louis Park Orioles to a 2-1 win over the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles in the Section 6AA Boys Soccer semifinals Saturday afternoon.
The two teams met at St. Louis Park September 17 with the Orioles coming away with a 4-1 victory.
The Eagles, coming off a quarterfinal upset over the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers would look like the Kardiac Kids in the first as they would take the lead on Erik Cardoso's rebound goal that would give Kennedy a 1-0 halftime lead.
But there would be good news for the orange and black clad fans who were bundled up on this frigid Saturday. Randy Mayele would even the score on a header. Just when you thought there would be another overtime game, Kroeten would clinch St. Louis Park's section final berth as he got a pass from Sam Diamond near the center slot and he lined it to the net with 3:42 left to go.
The Orioles improved their record to 14-1-1 and will play the Wayzata Trojans on Tuesday, October 16 at 5 PM. The Trojans defeated the top seeded Mpls. Washburn Millers 2-1 in double overtime. The Eagles ended their five game winning streak to conclude their season at 10-7-1.
The two teams met at St. Louis Park September 17 with the Orioles coming away with a 4-1 victory.
The Eagles, coming off a quarterfinal upset over the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers would look like the Kardiac Kids in the first as they would take the lead on Erik Cardoso's rebound goal that would give Kennedy a 1-0 halftime lead.
But there would be good news for the orange and black clad fans who were bundled up on this frigid Saturday. Randy Mayele would even the score on a header. Just when you thought there would be another overtime game, Kroeten would clinch St. Louis Park's section final berth as he got a pass from Sam Diamond near the center slot and he lined it to the net with 3:42 left to go.
The Orioles improved their record to 14-1-1 and will play the Wayzata Trojans on Tuesday, October 16 at 5 PM. The Trojans defeated the top seeded Mpls. Washburn Millers 2-1 in double overtime. The Eagles ended their five game winning streak to conclude their season at 10-7-1.
Friday, October 12, 2018
First Play in Overtime Pays Off for SLP Orioles
One week after losing to the Orono Spartans in overtime, the St. Louis Park Orioles football team had another overtime affair as Sajid Nathim's 10 yard run on St. Louis Park's first possession led them to a 35-28 win over the Irondale Knights in their first home game since September 28.
Nahim would open the scoring for the Orioles in the first quarter with a pair of touchdowns. His first would come on a five yard run. The Orioles would get a break after quarterback Aaron Ellingson's pass was intercepted by Jack Olson and it looked like it would be a touchdown but it was called back due to a roughing the passer penalty on the Knights. The Orioles got the ball back and Nathim would cash in from 20 yards to put St. Louis Park ahead 14-0.
In the second quarter, the Knights would strike back to tie the game at 14 as Aden price hauled in a couple of touchdown passes. The first was on a four yard slant pass and the second was on a five yard completion toward the right pylon. St. Louis Park had a chance to regain the lead but Trevor Bauer's field goal attempt was block as time expired.
Both teams would tally in the third quarter. Parker Freiberg would reach the end zone on a nine yard run for Irondale and St. Louis Park would get the equalizer on Ellingson's 59 yard pass to Tobias Davenport. The junior would break several Knight tackles and the touchdown would stand after an Irondale face mask penalty. The score was even at 21.
The Orioles would regain the lead on Ellingson's one yard run. But wait. The Knights would shine once again as Freiberg, who broke the 1000 yard mark on this chilly Friday night, scored his second touchdown of the game on a 47 yard run down the left sideline. Irondale had a chance to win the game in regulation time but St. Louis Park's McCabe Dvorak intercepted Leighton Glodek's pass with :21.3 left and for the second straight game, there would be overtime.
All it took for the Orioles was one play and it would be Nathim who would score his third touchdown of the game. The Knights had their shot from the 10 yard line and they came up short as Freiberg was stopped near the goal line.
Freiberg ran 30 times for 192 yards, giving him a total of 1007 this season.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday, October 17 at 7 PM. The Orioles improved their record to 3-4 and host the DeLaSalle Islanders and the Knights fell to 5-2 and host a crucial game with the Cooper Hawks. It could have implications on seeding for the Section 3AAAAA playoffs, which begin Tuesday, October 23.
Nahim would open the scoring for the Orioles in the first quarter with a pair of touchdowns. His first would come on a five yard run. The Orioles would get a break after quarterback Aaron Ellingson's pass was intercepted by Jack Olson and it looked like it would be a touchdown but it was called back due to a roughing the passer penalty on the Knights. The Orioles got the ball back and Nathim would cash in from 20 yards to put St. Louis Park ahead 14-0.
In the second quarter, the Knights would strike back to tie the game at 14 as Aden price hauled in a couple of touchdown passes. The first was on a four yard slant pass and the second was on a five yard completion toward the right pylon. St. Louis Park had a chance to regain the lead but Trevor Bauer's field goal attempt was block as time expired.
Both teams would tally in the third quarter. Parker Freiberg would reach the end zone on a nine yard run for Irondale and St. Louis Park would get the equalizer on Ellingson's 59 yard pass to Tobias Davenport. The junior would break several Knight tackles and the touchdown would stand after an Irondale face mask penalty. The score was even at 21.
The Orioles would regain the lead on Ellingson's one yard run. But wait. The Knights would shine once again as Freiberg, who broke the 1000 yard mark on this chilly Friday night, scored his second touchdown of the game on a 47 yard run down the left sideline. Irondale had a chance to win the game in regulation time but St. Louis Park's McCabe Dvorak intercepted Leighton Glodek's pass with :21.3 left and for the second straight game, there would be overtime.
All it took for the Orioles was one play and it would be Nathim who would score his third touchdown of the game. The Knights had their shot from the 10 yard line and they came up short as Freiberg was stopped near the goal line.
Freiberg ran 30 times for 192 yards, giving him a total of 1007 this season.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday, October 17 at 7 PM. The Orioles improved their record to 3-4 and host the DeLaSalle Islanders and the Knights fell to 5-2 and host a crucial game with the Cooper Hawks. It could have implications on seeding for the Section 3AAAAA playoffs, which begin Tuesday, October 23.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Riley's Overtime Goal Sends SLP Orioles into Semifinals
On a frigid Thursday night in St. Louis Park, the Section 6AA boys soccer quarterfinals took place between the seventh seeded Minneapolis South Tigers and the second seeded St. Louis Park Orioles that would be be scoreless until Nick Riley's goal with 3:28 in overtime that led the Orioles to a 1-0 win over the Tigers.
Neither team would tally in the first half. The start of the second half would be delayed due to a tripped circuit breaker that darkened the visitor's side of the stadium. The second half would go on but without any power in the center light standard between the team's benches. Defense would prevail as Mpls. South played tight defense on the Orioles. St. Louis Park had a chance to win the game in regulation time but Alex Ruiz-Shimada's shout bounced off the crossbar. On to overtime.
The good news would be that the fans wouldn't have to sit in the freezing cold bleachers for a long overtime period. The Orioles controlled the ball for much of the period and it resulted in Riley lining a shot that ricocheted off the left goal post and into the net. And the celebration began.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 13-1-1 and will host the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles in the semifinals Saturday, October 13 at 1 PM. The sixth seeded Eagles advanced with a 1-0 upset victory over the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. The second semifinal game will pit the Wayzata Trojans at the Minneapolis Washburn Millers, also a 1 PM start. The Trojans beat the Armstrong Falcons 4-1 and the Millers had no problem with the Richfield Spartans as they dominated the game with an 8-0 win.
Minneapolis South ended their season with a record of 4-8-1.
Neither team would tally in the first half. The start of the second half would be delayed due to a tripped circuit breaker that darkened the visitor's side of the stadium. The second half would go on but without any power in the center light standard between the team's benches. Defense would prevail as Mpls. South played tight defense on the Orioles. St. Louis Park had a chance to win the game in regulation time but Alex Ruiz-Shimada's shout bounced off the crossbar. On to overtime.
The good news would be that the fans wouldn't have to sit in the freezing cold bleachers for a long overtime period. The Orioles controlled the ball for much of the period and it resulted in Riley lining a shot that ricocheted off the left goal post and into the net. And the celebration began.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 13-1-1 and will host the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles in the semifinals Saturday, October 13 at 1 PM. The sixth seeded Eagles advanced with a 1-0 upset victory over the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. The second semifinal game will pit the Wayzata Trojans at the Minneapolis Washburn Millers, also a 1 PM start. The Trojans beat the Armstrong Falcons 4-1 and the Millers had no problem with the Richfield Spartans as they dominated the game with an 8-0 win.
Minneapolis South ended their season with a record of 4-8-1.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Irondale Knights-SLP Orioles Football Preview
To quote a hit song by John Denver, "It's good to be back home again" would be fitting for the St. Louis Park Orioles football team who return to the stadium Friday night after losing two road games to the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights and the Orono Spartans. They will battle one of the top teams in their section the Ironedale Knights.
Last Friday, there was good news and bad news for the Orioles. The good news was that quarterback Aaron Ellingson threw two touchdown passes and running back Sajid Nathim ran for 159 yards and caught one of Ellingson's touchdown passes. The bad news is that they couldn't stop the Orono Spartans top receiver Jimmy Buck, who scored the tying touchdown with 1:17 left in regulation time and caught an eight yard pass from Nick Prentice in overtime that led Orono to a 20-14 win that dropped St. Louis Park to a 2-4 record. The Orioles will need to have an outstanding game from Ellingson and Nathim and the defense has to shut down the Knights offense.
As for the Knights, the maroon and gold armor has been shining bright in New Brighton as Irondale enters the game with a 5-1 record. Last week, the Knights traveled to Mendota Heights and held off the Henry Sibley Warriors 41-27. Irondale was led by running back Parker Freiberg who also ran for 159 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. The senior running back has broken the 100 yard mark in all but the opening game of the season against the Spring Lake Park Panthers. He has 815 rushing yards and needs 185 to reach 1000 for the season. But the Knights offense is not all Freiberg, There's also quarterback Leighton Glodek who has thrown six touchdown passes in 2018 and wide receiver Aden Price who has reached the end zone five times. Taj Best and Joshua Apperson anchor the Knights defense.
A caveat for those who plan on attending the game. The weather picture calls for a temperature of 44 degrees Friday night. Bundle up. Game time is 7 PM.
Last Friday, there was good news and bad news for the Orioles. The good news was that quarterback Aaron Ellingson threw two touchdown passes and running back Sajid Nathim ran for 159 yards and caught one of Ellingson's touchdown passes. The bad news is that they couldn't stop the Orono Spartans top receiver Jimmy Buck, who scored the tying touchdown with 1:17 left in regulation time and caught an eight yard pass from Nick Prentice in overtime that led Orono to a 20-14 win that dropped St. Louis Park to a 2-4 record. The Orioles will need to have an outstanding game from Ellingson and Nathim and the defense has to shut down the Knights offense.
As for the Knights, the maroon and gold armor has been shining bright in New Brighton as Irondale enters the game with a 5-1 record. Last week, the Knights traveled to Mendota Heights and held off the Henry Sibley Warriors 41-27. Irondale was led by running back Parker Freiberg who also ran for 159 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. The senior running back has broken the 100 yard mark in all but the opening game of the season against the Spring Lake Park Panthers. He has 815 rushing yards and needs 185 to reach 1000 for the season. But the Knights offense is not all Freiberg, There's also quarterback Leighton Glodek who has thrown six touchdown passes in 2018 and wide receiver Aden Price who has reached the end zone five times. Taj Best and Joshua Apperson anchor the Knights defense.
A caveat for those who plan on attending the game. The weather picture calls for a temperature of 44 degrees Friday night. Bundle up. Game time is 7 PM.
Monday, October 8, 2018
2018 Section 6AA Boys Soccer Tournament Preview
A rematch of last Saturday's Minneapolis Washburn-St. Louis Park could take place since both school are the top two seeds in the Section 6AA boys Soccer Tournament. Here's a preview of the quarterfinal field.
Before the Millers play their quarterfinal game on Thursday, October 11, there will be a play-in game between the ninth seeded Richfield Spartans and the eighth seeded Hopkins Royals. The Royals have tied five times this season and head into the tournament following a scoreless tie in their regular season finale against the Waconia Wildcats. As for the Spartans, they have lost three of their last four games. The winner will go against the Millers, who have been the number one team in Class AA soccer most of the season before they were defeated by the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers on October 4. Washburn has a couple of key nonconference win over the Edina Hornets and the Stillwater Ponies. They play outstanding defense and are one of the favorites to win the section title.
It will "The Battle of Plymouth" as the fifth seeded Wayzata Trojans head up Highway 169 to face the Armstrong Falcons. The Trojans also have five ties this season, two of them to Hopkins and one to St. Louis Park. They will go up against a red hot Armstrong team that concluded their season on a six game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 14-3. This should be an interesting match up.
Now to the lower bracket as the sixth seed Bloomington Kennedy Eagles take on the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. It's a game that can go either way since both teams enter section play on winning streaks. The Eagles have won four straight games and the Lakers are on a five game winning streak, including the win over Washburn. Southwest is a high scoring that has scored more than 10 goals in three games this season. Defense will be a factor for both teams. The Lakers only loss against a section opponent was on September 6 when they were defeated 5-1 by Washburn. Can the Lakers stay hot or will the Eagles pull the upset?
Concluding the quarterfinals is the seventh seeded Minneapolis South Tigers and the second seeded St. Louis Park Orioles. The Tigers have lost five of their last six games with the lone win a 7-0 shut out of Mpls. Henry/North. As for the Orioles, they went into the final day of the regular season on a 13 game unbeaten streak before losing to Washburn 2-1 in overtime. The key to the Orioles success has been a team oriented style of play where there are no stars. It's a team they relies on outstanding passing and stellar defense. Don't count out St. Louis Park as a favorite to bring home the championship trophy.
Those are the pairings for the boys and girls 6AA sections. Plenty of exciting soccer action coming up.
Before the Millers play their quarterfinal game on Thursday, October 11, there will be a play-in game between the ninth seeded Richfield Spartans and the eighth seeded Hopkins Royals. The Royals have tied five times this season and head into the tournament following a scoreless tie in their regular season finale against the Waconia Wildcats. As for the Spartans, they have lost three of their last four games. The winner will go against the Millers, who have been the number one team in Class AA soccer most of the season before they were defeated by the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers on October 4. Washburn has a couple of key nonconference win over the Edina Hornets and the Stillwater Ponies. They play outstanding defense and are one of the favorites to win the section title.
It will "The Battle of Plymouth" as the fifth seeded Wayzata Trojans head up Highway 169 to face the Armstrong Falcons. The Trojans also have five ties this season, two of them to Hopkins and one to St. Louis Park. They will go up against a red hot Armstrong team that concluded their season on a six game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 14-3. This should be an interesting match up.
Now to the lower bracket as the sixth seed Bloomington Kennedy Eagles take on the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. It's a game that can go either way since both teams enter section play on winning streaks. The Eagles have won four straight games and the Lakers are on a five game winning streak, including the win over Washburn. Southwest is a high scoring that has scored more than 10 goals in three games this season. Defense will be a factor for both teams. The Lakers only loss against a section opponent was on September 6 when they were defeated 5-1 by Washburn. Can the Lakers stay hot or will the Eagles pull the upset?
Concluding the quarterfinals is the seventh seeded Minneapolis South Tigers and the second seeded St. Louis Park Orioles. The Tigers have lost five of their last six games with the lone win a 7-0 shut out of Mpls. Henry/North. As for the Orioles, they went into the final day of the regular season on a 13 game unbeaten streak before losing to Washburn 2-1 in overtime. The key to the Orioles success has been a team oriented style of play where there are no stars. It's a team they relies on outstanding passing and stellar defense. Don't count out St. Louis Park as a favorite to bring home the championship trophy.
Those are the pairings for the boys and girls 6AA sections. Plenty of exciting soccer action coming up.
Sunday, October 7, 2018
2018 Section 6AA Girls Soccer Tournament Preview
The 2018 high school soccer regular season concluded last Saturday and the road to the state tournament begins Thursday, October 11 with the quarterfinals of the Section 6AA Girls Soccer Tournament. Here's a preview of the four quarterfinal games.
In the first game, the Minneapolis South Tigers will need to find a way to create scoring opportunities as they face one of the state's top teams, the top seeded Wayzata Trojans. Mpls. South's last four games have been decided by a 3-0 margin and they have lost three with the lone win coming against Mpls. Henry. As for the Trojans, they took third in last year's state Class AA tournament and head coach Tony Pesznecker has another outstanding team that won their first four games by a combined score of 14-0. Though Wayzata lost their final regular season game to the Blake Bears on October 4 1-0, they are the favorites to return to the state tournament.
The second upper bracket game will feature a rematch between a pair of Mpls. City Conference teams, the fifth seeded Mpls. Southwest Lakers and the fourth seeded Mpls. Washburn Millers. It will be the third meeting between the two schools. Washburn won the first game on September 4 1-0 and in the second meeting October 4, no balls went into the net as both teams played to a scoreless tie. It's a game that go either way or their could be a shootout to find out who will play Wayzata in the semifinals.
Now to the lower bracket where the sixth seeded Hopkins Royals ended a five game losing streak last Saturday with a 3-0 win over the Mpls. South Tigers. They will face the third seeded Armstrong Falcons who have won three of their last four games via shutout and lost their regular season finale to the Maple Grove Crimson. The Falcons are 1-2 against Section 6AA opponents with their only win against Southwest and the losses to Wayzata and Cretin-Derham Hall. Can they hit the .500 mark if they beat Hopkins?
Wrapping up the quarterfinal bracket is the seventh seeded St. Louis Park Orioles and the second seeded Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. The two teams played each other on August 29 with Cretin-Derham Hall defeating St. Louis Park 3-1. The Orioles got off to a slow start, losing their first three games before they shut out the Mpls. South Tigers 3-0 September 4. They would have a strong finish this season, including a stretch where they won three consecutive games by an identical 2-0 score. CDH has been on a roll, winning eiight of their last nine games. Can the Orioles pull off the upset or will the Raiders continue their hot run toward a possible showdown with Wayzata?
Next up, the 2018 Section 6AA Boys Soccer Tournament Preview
In the first game, the Minneapolis South Tigers will need to find a way to create scoring opportunities as they face one of the state's top teams, the top seeded Wayzata Trojans. Mpls. South's last four games have been decided by a 3-0 margin and they have lost three with the lone win coming against Mpls. Henry. As for the Trojans, they took third in last year's state Class AA tournament and head coach Tony Pesznecker has another outstanding team that won their first four games by a combined score of 14-0. Though Wayzata lost their final regular season game to the Blake Bears on October 4 1-0, they are the favorites to return to the state tournament.
The second upper bracket game will feature a rematch between a pair of Mpls. City Conference teams, the fifth seeded Mpls. Southwest Lakers and the fourth seeded Mpls. Washburn Millers. It will be the third meeting between the two schools. Washburn won the first game on September 4 1-0 and in the second meeting October 4, no balls went into the net as both teams played to a scoreless tie. It's a game that go either way or their could be a shootout to find out who will play Wayzata in the semifinals.
Now to the lower bracket where the sixth seeded Hopkins Royals ended a five game losing streak last Saturday with a 3-0 win over the Mpls. South Tigers. They will face the third seeded Armstrong Falcons who have won three of their last four games via shutout and lost their regular season finale to the Maple Grove Crimson. The Falcons are 1-2 against Section 6AA opponents with their only win against Southwest and the losses to Wayzata and Cretin-Derham Hall. Can they hit the .500 mark if they beat Hopkins?
Wrapping up the quarterfinal bracket is the seventh seeded St. Louis Park Orioles and the second seeded Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. The two teams played each other on August 29 with Cretin-Derham Hall defeating St. Louis Park 3-1. The Orioles got off to a slow start, losing their first three games before they shut out the Mpls. South Tigers 3-0 September 4. They would have a strong finish this season, including a stretch where they won three consecutive games by an identical 2-0 score. CDH has been on a roll, winning eiight of their last nine games. Can the Orioles pull off the upset or will the Raiders continue their hot run toward a possible showdown with Wayzata?
Next up, the 2018 Section 6AA Boys Soccer Tournament Preview
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Minneapolis Washburn Millers Sweep SLP Orioles
It wasn't a wash out for the St. Louis Park Oriole soccer teams Saturday afternoon as both the girls and the boys teams lost to the Minneapolis Washburn Millers 2-1.
First up was the girls game where all the scoring was on the basis of free or penalty kicks as the Mpls. Washburn Millers beat the St. Louis Park Orioles 2-1
The Millers would strike first as Emily Kuhfuss lined a free kick past Oriole goalkeeper Sophia Romero that landed in the net, giving Washburn a 1-0 halftime lead.
The lead would increase to two when Cadence Kocanda would be awarded a free kick following a St. Louis Park foul. Going up against a five player Oriole wall, she would send the ball high, deep and into the goal. St. Louis Park would get on the scoreboard when Ellie Kent received a penalty kick and she would score with 6:10 to go in regulation time. That would wrap up the scoring as St. Louis Park didn't send the game into overtime.
Mpls. Washburn concluded their regular season with a record of 6-5-3 and St. Louis Park ended their regular season campaign with a 6-6-3 record.
The boys game would be the feature game on this chilly Saturday as the top ranked Millers got the game winning goal from Darley Florvil with 2:38 left in the second overtime to beat the fifth ranked Orioles 2-1.
Washburn would tally first as Sam Fritsch sent the ball up field and Nick Katzman would score to give the Millers a 1-0 halftime lead.
As the second half progressed, it looked like the Millers would hold on to a one goal lead even though they lost starting goalkeeper Ben Schliemann due to an injury and he would be replaced by Isaac Barnhill. Wrong. It would be Nick Riley who would send a liner past Barnhill that landed into the goal with 3:13 left to play in regulation time. The score would be 1-1 and on to overtime. In the second overtime, Florvil fired a shot from the center slot and he would score the game winner with 2:38 left to possibly clinch the top seed in next weeks Section 6AA tournament.
Mpls. Washburn ended their regular season with a record of 9-1-2. St. Louis Park snapped a 13 game unbeaten streak and fell to 12-1-1.
The Section 6AA boys and girls soccer tournaments get underway next week. Pairings will be determined following Sunday's seedings.
First up was the girls game where all the scoring was on the basis of free or penalty kicks as the Mpls. Washburn Millers beat the St. Louis Park Orioles 2-1
The Millers would strike first as Emily Kuhfuss lined a free kick past Oriole goalkeeper Sophia Romero that landed in the net, giving Washburn a 1-0 halftime lead.
The lead would increase to two when Cadence Kocanda would be awarded a free kick following a St. Louis Park foul. Going up against a five player Oriole wall, she would send the ball high, deep and into the goal. St. Louis Park would get on the scoreboard when Ellie Kent received a penalty kick and she would score with 6:10 to go in regulation time. That would wrap up the scoring as St. Louis Park didn't send the game into overtime.
Mpls. Washburn concluded their regular season with a record of 6-5-3 and St. Louis Park ended their regular season campaign with a 6-6-3 record.
The boys game would be the feature game on this chilly Saturday as the top ranked Millers got the game winning goal from Darley Florvil with 2:38 left in the second overtime to beat the fifth ranked Orioles 2-1.
Washburn would tally first as Sam Fritsch sent the ball up field and Nick Katzman would score to give the Millers a 1-0 halftime lead.
As the second half progressed, it looked like the Millers would hold on to a one goal lead even though they lost starting goalkeeper Ben Schliemann due to an injury and he would be replaced by Isaac Barnhill. Wrong. It would be Nick Riley who would send a liner past Barnhill that landed into the goal with 3:13 left to play in regulation time. The score would be 1-1 and on to overtime. In the second overtime, Florvil fired a shot from the center slot and he would score the game winner with 2:38 left to possibly clinch the top seed in next weeks Section 6AA tournament.
Mpls. Washburn ended their regular season with a record of 9-1-2. St. Louis Park snapped a 13 game unbeaten streak and fell to 12-1-1.
The Section 6AA boys and girls soccer tournaments get underway next week. Pairings will be determined following Sunday's seedings.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
SLP Orioles-Orono Spartans Football Preview
This week's St. Louis Park Oriole football preview is brought to you by the number two.
The St. Louis Park Orioles conclude a two game road trip as they try to end a two game losing streak against the Orono Spartans Friday night at 7 PM at Pesonen Stadium on the Orono High School campus. Both the Orioles and Spartans come into the game with identical 2-3 records.
Last Friday night, St. Louis Park battled their private school counterparts the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights. There would be good news for Oriole fans in the first half as McCabe Dvorak hauled in a 15 yard touchdown pass from Aaron Ellingson and Sajid Nathim scored on an 11 yard run to put St. Louis Park ahead at halftime 13-7.
Unfortunately, there would be bad news for the orange and black as BSM would score 28 unanswered points in the second half to celebrate a Happy Homecoming with a 35-13 win. Red Knight quarterback Nick Peterson threw two touchdown passes and scored on a three yard run. BSM had two 100 yard rushers who also reached the end zone. Isaiah Smith ran for 130 yards and Will Petty accounted for 113.
The Orioles will need to have a better game from Ellingson, who completed 10 of 32 passes for 91 yards and play a strong defense against a potent Spartan offense.
As for the Spartans, they were shut out the fifth ranked team in Class AAAAA the Waconia Wildcats 26-0. Orono is led by quarterback Nick Prentice who had his worst game of the season last week completing four of 15 passes for 66 yards. It's the first time this season that he has thrown for under 200 yards. He also has sent 11 balls into the end zone. Also headlining the backfield is running back Fisher Eiss, who has 555 rushing yards including three games over 100 yards. Last week, the Wildcats put a "Gone Fishing" sign on Eiss as they held him to 16 yards rushing. He did catch a pass for 20 yards. Danny Striggow, Gus Hendeickson and Sam Wagner-Lund anchor a strong Spartan defense and they will need to shut down the Oriole offense.
If you plan on heading down I-394 toward Orono, be sure and bundle up. The weather picture for Friday night is cloudy and the temperature should be about 51 degrees. Who will hit the .500 mark after Friday night's game with two weeks left in the regular season?
The St. Louis Park Orioles conclude a two game road trip as they try to end a two game losing streak against the Orono Spartans Friday night at 7 PM at Pesonen Stadium on the Orono High School campus. Both the Orioles and Spartans come into the game with identical 2-3 records.
Last Friday night, St. Louis Park battled their private school counterparts the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights. There would be good news for Oriole fans in the first half as McCabe Dvorak hauled in a 15 yard touchdown pass from Aaron Ellingson and Sajid Nathim scored on an 11 yard run to put St. Louis Park ahead at halftime 13-7.
Unfortunately, there would be bad news for the orange and black as BSM would score 28 unanswered points in the second half to celebrate a Happy Homecoming with a 35-13 win. Red Knight quarterback Nick Peterson threw two touchdown passes and scored on a three yard run. BSM had two 100 yard rushers who also reached the end zone. Isaiah Smith ran for 130 yards and Will Petty accounted for 113.
The Orioles will need to have a better game from Ellingson, who completed 10 of 32 passes for 91 yards and play a strong defense against a potent Spartan offense.
As for the Spartans, they were shut out the fifth ranked team in Class AAAAA the Waconia Wildcats 26-0. Orono is led by quarterback Nick Prentice who had his worst game of the season last week completing four of 15 passes for 66 yards. It's the first time this season that he has thrown for under 200 yards. He also has sent 11 balls into the end zone. Also headlining the backfield is running back Fisher Eiss, who has 555 rushing yards including three games over 100 yards. Last week, the Wildcats put a "Gone Fishing" sign on Eiss as they held him to 16 yards rushing. He did catch a pass for 20 yards. Danny Striggow, Gus Hendeickson and Sam Wagner-Lund anchor a strong Spartan defense and they will need to shut down the Oriole offense.
If you plan on heading down I-394 toward Orono, be sure and bundle up. The weather picture for Friday night is cloudy and the temperature should be about 51 degrees. Who will hit the .500 mark after Friday night's game with two weeks left in the regular season?
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Senior Night Success for SLP Oriole Girls Soccer
Tuesday night was Senior Night for the St. Louis Park girls soccer team and one of the honored seniors in a halftime ceremony Ellie Kent provided leadership with two goals to lead the Orioles to a 3-1 win over the Forest Lake Rangers.
Both teams would tally in the first half. The Orioles would strike first as Alma Beaton made a centering pass to Kent and she would put St. Louis Park ahead. The Rangers would tie the game on a line drive goal from Abby Jones and it would be 1-1 at the half.
It would be Beaton who would beat Forest Lake goalkeeper Teegan Johnson when a lined kick would deflect off the senior netminder and into the goal. Kent would wrap up the scoring for the Orioles after she received a pass from Samantha McGurgan and her shot centered below the crossbar and landed in the net.
In addition to Kent, seven other Oriole seniors were honored. They were Anna Jennesen, Olivia Mosby, Anika Hanson, Rachel Young, junior varsity player Anika Christianson and student manager Grace Farley.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 6-5-2 and heads to Chanhassen on Thursday, October 4 for a 7 PM game against the Storm. Forest Lake fell to 3-11 and lost their third game in their last four. They will also be in action on the fourth as they will take on the Woodbury Royals in Woodbury at 5 PM.
Both teams would tally in the first half. The Orioles would strike first as Alma Beaton made a centering pass to Kent and she would put St. Louis Park ahead. The Rangers would tie the game on a line drive goal from Abby Jones and it would be 1-1 at the half.
It would be Beaton who would beat Forest Lake goalkeeper Teegan Johnson when a lined kick would deflect off the senior netminder and into the goal. Kent would wrap up the scoring for the Orioles after she received a pass from Samantha McGurgan and her shot centered below the crossbar and landed in the net.
In addition to Kent, seven other Oriole seniors were honored. They were Anna Jennesen, Olivia Mosby, Anika Hanson, Rachel Young, junior varsity player Anika Christianson and student manager Grace Farley.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 6-5-2 and heads to Chanhassen on Thursday, October 4 for a 7 PM game against the Storm. Forest Lake fell to 3-11 and lost their third game in their last four. They will also be in action on the fourth as they will take on the Woodbury Royals in Woodbury at 5 PM.
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