Small-school soccer supremacy in the southwestern part of the state hinges almost entirely on back-to-back matchups between these Big South Conference leaders. Friday’s showdown between Worthington and St. Peter (the teams meet again on Oct. 6) features undefeated teams that have distanced themselves from the rest of the seven-team conference pack.
It’s worth noting the teams already met once this season, a Sept. 18 matchup in Worthington that ended in a 2-2 tie. St. Peter won both games between the teams last season, by scores of 2-0 and 1-0, but Worthington made the longer playoff run — St. Peter lost in the first round of the Class 1A, Section 2A playoffs; Worthington lost a section semifinal to Mankato West, which won the section.
Junior Cooper Dean is among the scoring leaders for St. Peter (4-0-3, 4-0-3) while Worthington (5-0-1, 5-0-1) counters with Jonathan Banegas, the Trojans’ lone freshman who has emerged as their go-to scorer.