Photo Gallery: Minnetonka girls vs. Edina girls
For Edina senior Mia Sennes, speeding toward the goal and scooting the ball past the goalkeeper is something she’s done throughout her soccer career as a forward and midfield.
However, an ankle injury caused her to miss significant time and, when she returned, Sennes played with less confidence that she once had.
Tuesday against Minnetonka was her third match back following the injury. With each game, Sennes, now on defense, said she’s gaining back more and more confidence. That was evident when, in the 78th minute, she tapped the ball into the net, tying the match at 3 and saving the day as the Hornets played to a draw with the Skippers at Kuhlman Field in Edina.
Edina, ranked No. 2 in the Class 2A state coaches’ poll, was looking to extract some revenge against its Lake Conference rival. The Hornets (7-1-2, 2-1-1) only loss of the year was to Minnetonka, 1-0, on Sept. 6.
“[Minnetonka is] just so organized on defense,” said Edina coach Katie Aafedt. “We’ve scored often this year but it hasn’t always been easy against these guys.”
The Hornets quickly put to bed the notion of being shut out again by the No. 8-2A Skippers as Edina scored in the ninth minute to make it 1-0. Less than 10 minutes later, Minnetonka gifted the Hornets an own-goal, putting Edina up 2-0.
“Being down two in a game is never easy,” Skippers coach Jeff Hopkins said. “Being here, they find a way to dominate. They’re at the top of the polls for a reason.”
Hopkins said the message on Minnetonka’s sideline was to get one goal. But that was easier said than done for the Skippers (7-3-1, 1-31), who came into Tuesday’s match with just one goal in their past three matches.
“Sometimes it feels like we don’t score three goals in one season,” Hopkins said. “We just play a defensive style. We don’t give up too many goals.”
Minnetonka flipped the script, however, scoring a goal late in the first half as senior Grace Weisman scored on a long direct kick to make it 2-1. Early in the second half, a header made it 2-2. Then, junior attack Jess Kollodge, who was recently called up from the junior varsity team, buried a corner kick that put the Skippers ahead.
Then there was Sennes. She had three different breakaway opportunities in the second half, with one a the right time.
While Sennes admits she’s still getting back into game shape, she’s still quick — sprinting past defenders and eventually burying one on her third breakaway attempt.
“I definitely like having a group that can move as quickly as these forwards do,” Aafedt said. “We like to get out there and score. This is probably the fastest frontline I’ve ever had here.”
In the 10 minutes of overtime, neither team could break the deadlock. With a tie, each team picks up a crucial point in chasing Lake Conference-leading Eden Prairie. The No. 6-2A Eagles are on top with 10 points, followed by Wayzata with 9 and Edina with 7. The Skippers sit in fourth place in the conference with 4 points.
Hopkins hopes tonight’s performance is a springboard of sorts for the Skippers.
“They don’t give up three goals like this very often,” Hopkins said of Edina. “We see now that we can score like that. We need to build off that and make that the standard for our offense.”