Coaches are often reluctant to bestow the highest of postseason honors on non-seniors. But sometimes some players are simply too good to be denied.
Such was the case last season in girls' soccer when Holy Angels’ Mia Van der Heide and Visitation’s Andi Barth, both juniors, were two of just five non-seniors to be named to the state coaches’ association’s 24-member Class 1A all-state team.
As you’d expect, both Van der Heide and Barth are in the midst of exceptional senior seasons this fall. In the teams’ first meeting, a 3-1 Holy Angels’ victory on Sept. 3, Van der Heide registered assists on all three Stars’ (6-0-0, 6-0-0) goals while Barth scored the lone Blazers' tally. Barth has scored at least once in every game this season for Visitiation (6-1-0, 6-1-0), and her 18 goals is tied for second most in the state with Moorhead's Maria Zanotti and Kyhah Harper of Centennial.
Expect both Barth and Van der Heide (7 goals, 11 assists) to make a significant impact on Friday’s rematch between the Tri-Metro Conference leaders — a game that could shake up the top of the Class 1A state rankings as Holy Angels is ranked No. 2 in the Class 1A coaches' poll from Sept. 22 and Visitiation is No. 5.