Minnetonka boys and Edina girls soccer teams qualify for state out of a section final doubleheader

Minnetonka booked its second trip in a row to the boys soccer Class 3A state tournament on Thursday with a 1-0 win over Edina in the Section 2 final. But head coach Mike Rogers remembers the program's 2010 season, when a 1-13-3 season ended differently.

After the Skippers lost 3-0 to Edina to start section playoffs, Hornets head coach Dave Jensen walked over to the dejected Minnetonka players and talked to them like he would his own squad. Jensen this year earned his 500th career win for the Hornets. Safe to say, he has some wisdom to impart.

"They were some young players, and we had a really experienced team," Jensen said. "It was just trying to help them understand that it's just a game ... that they played well."

Over the past decade, the two Lake Conference teams have turned their rivalry from a regular Hornets win into a back-and-forth matchup, with each team winning five section tournaments in the past 11 years.

So when Minnetonka, ranked No. 2 in the state, lost for the only time in an otherwise undefeated season to No. 6 Edina in September, the 3-2 result wasn't expected. It became fuel.

Edina senior goalkeeper Tyler Baker — who otherwise played flawless and "phenomenal," said Rogers, coming up with an improbable second-half kick save for the Hornets — came out to challenge Minnetonka midfielder David Castillon, streaking into the 18-yard box on a breakaway. After a yellow card for tripping up Castillon, Baker had to be substituted out, per rules. By the time he could check back in for the Hornets, it was too late.

The game's final 10 minutes turned physical, giving Edina a few chances to equalize off free kicks. After the chippiness, when the final whistle blew, several Minnetonka players found Hornets players to talk to them, not unlike Jensen did 14 years ago. Many play club together, teammates and opponents at the same time.

"That's what sportsmanship should be," Rogers said. "You appreciate it, when you're on the losing end of things and you're treated with grace."

This year, under new head coach Taylor Greathouse, the Hornets are not quite undefeated but nearly — 11-1-5 — and got the big win when it counted.

The Hornets, ranked No. 5 in the state, defeated Minnetonka 3-1 at Prior Lake on Thursday to secure another trip to state. The Skippers went up in the first five minutes off a shot by Avalyn Irwin, ripped from outside the 18-yard box. Edina's Mikaela Caverly, Lou Ruffien and Eleanor Doscotch scored three unanswered.