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Benilde soccer fans set for busy week

By BRIAN STENSAAS, Star Tribune, 10/26/11, 12:20AM CDT

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The fall high school tournament season is stepping up for players and fans at Benilde-St. Margaret's and other west metro schools.

While football, volleyball and cross-country teams across the state get section play underway this week, state tournaments have begun in other sports. Here are some highlights.

Soccer

Fans of Benilde-St. Margaret's soccer teams will be busy this week. The boys' team (16-2-1) is the No. 2 seed in the Class 1A tournament and opens play against Cloquet-Esko-Carlton (14-3-2) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Cloud State University. The Red Knights girls' team (16-0-3) earned the top seed in Class 1A and drew South St. Paul (10-9) in the opening round. That game is set for 5:30 p.m. Friday at Roseville High School.

Winners of all quarterfinal matches, which also include teams from Blake and Wayzata in the girls' tournament and Minneapolis Southwest, Maple Grove and Eden Prairie in the boys' tournament, advance to games at the Metrodome next week.

Tennis

Once the team champions are crowned Wednesday in girls' tennis, the individual and doubles competition gets underway Thursday in both classes. There is plenty of west-metro flavor.

Twelve of the 16 singles qualifiers in Class 2A, including defending champion Kelsey Frechette of Rochester Century, return from last year. That group includes Edina senior Caroline Ward and Eden Prairie senior Maddie Buxton.

Ward, who was ranked fourth in the final coaches poll, placed sixth last year, while Buxton won a doubles title in 2009 before losing in the consolation quarterfinals of last year's singles tournament.

In Class 2A doubles, three pairs return from last year's field including senior Katie Mattson and eighth- grader Hayley Haakenstad of Chanhassen. They took consolation honors last fall.

In Class 1A, senior Elena Sullivan of Providence Academy will compete in the doubles event this year with sister Eva, a sophomore. Elena won a singles title in 2009 and placed second last year. She was ranked second in Class 1A in the final coaches poll.

True Team state

Stillwater (2,254.5 points) regained its reign in the pool, winning the Class 2A True Team meet over Edina (2,167.5), defending champion Wayzata (2,064), Minnetonka (1,857) and Maple Grove (1,456.5). The Ponies have won every True Team meet but one since 2004.

Nikki Larson (50- and 100-yard freestyle), Paige Haller (200 IM), Madeleine Eden (100 butterfly and 500 freestyle) and Olivia Anderson (100 breaststroke) won individual events for Edina.