The time senior midfielder Sophie Babo spend away from her Orono team is helping spark the Spartans.

Babo is one of approximately 40 Minnesota girls' soccer players remaining with their high school teams this season after spending last fall playing for the Minnesota Thunder Academy club in the Elite Club National League. The ECNL is considered the premier national girls' league made up of the best clubs in the country.

Babo's experience squaring off against such elite competition has given Orono an edge so far this season. The Spartans are the No. 3 team in the Minnesota State High School Soccer Coaching Association's Class 1A rankings and improved to 3-0-0 following their 3-0 victory at rival Blake Thursday night. The Bears are the No. 2 team in the rankings.

Babo ranks as one of the state's career scoring leaders with 125 goals, including seven in Orono's three games this season. Babo said learning to play at a faster speed in the ENCL has been key for the Spartans' success.

"Playing in the ENCL, you play at a faster pace and it pushes you every game so you have to come out and perform every game," Babo said. "That experience I brought back here, it helps open up the field and help set someone else up or, we have a lot of great players who help me score."

Orono coach Erin Murray has seen Babo's experience impact her team.

While the senior's ability to shoot continues to be her strong suit, Babo's leadership is second to none, Murray said.

"She's like a coach on the field," Murray added.

Babo's dominant physical presence and her ability to anticipate how a play is going to develop has helped bring her teammates up to higher level of play, Murray said, adding that the senior is teaching her team to see how runs develop, how to control the ball and when to shoot or set up a teammate.

For Babo, her final high school season isn't all about winning or individual accolades. This is the last year she gets to play with girls she's known since before going to compete at the elite level.

"This team's really special," she said. "This is one of my favorite years playing high school by far, and its the players and the coaches and not just the winning."

And she said she is taking each game as if it is her final one and just enjoying the season before she heads to college. Babo has committed to play at the University of Kentucky. 

"This years about having fun as a senior year and making the most out of my senior year," she added. "It's a lot of lasts and about making the most of every opportunity."

While Babo will return to the ENCL in November, she is relishing the opportunity to stay and play her last season of high school soccer.

"There's something about playing under the lights, playing for your school that makes high school desirable," she said. "There's something about wearing your jersey and playing for your school."

Senior midfielder Sophie Babo scored her team-leading seventh goal and junior midfielder Carly Goehring had a goal and an assist as Orono shut out Blake to improve to 3-0 Thursday night at Gordy Aamoth Stadium in Hopkins. Junior midfielder Danielle Jorgenson also scored for the Spartans. 

In a matchup featuring two of Class 1A's top teams, No. 3 Orono used its offense to control the game, recording 25 shots. The Spartans' defense was also dominant, keeping Bears (1-2-1) from finding many scoring chances and limiting No. 2 Blake to three shots. Senior forward and Bears' leading scorer Maddy Moe did not play in the game due to an back injury.

Senior defender Catherine Fraser had an assist for Orono and Blakes' junior goalies Phoebe Warner and Robyn Lipschultz combined for 22 saves.

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