Sidelined, Adams in the game

By RON HAGGSTROM, DAVID La VAQUE and JIM PAULSEN

Last update: November 3, 2009 - 7:01 AM

Addie Adams is a leader on and off the field.

Blake's junior goalkeeper can be seen offering encouragement to her replacement, freshman Maddy Crawford, before the game as well as from the team bench during Class 1A girls' soccer state tournament play. Adams suffered a ruptured spleen in the Section 3 semifinals.

"I believe in my teammates, but I do wish I was out there playing," Adams said. She was injured when she fell directly on the ball in the first half of a 1-0 victory over Minnehaha Academy.

"It felt like I broke all my ribs," said Adams, who compiled a 13-3-1 record on the season. Crawford played the second half of the Minnehaha Academy game, and has been in goal the following three games.

Crawford, who is 5-0 on the season, gave up her first goal in a 2-1 victory over Cloquet in the state semifinals Monday.

"I was really scared in the Minnehaha Academy game," Crawford said. "Now I have complete confidence in our defense, and Addie has been really supportive."

Adams was still hospitalized during the section championship, but has been on the bench for both state tournament victories.

Playing big

Mahtomedi goalkeeper James Neher showed just how bad he wanted to upset No. 1 seed Totino-Grace, plowing over a teammate from behind to make one of his eight saves in regulation.

"That was Will Corcoran, my best friend," Neher said.

Several of Neher's saves required him to jump up and grab the ball, leaving several media members wondering if he also played basketball.

"I'm a full-time goalie, but I'm contemplating coming back to basketball," said Neher, a 6-4 senior who has played varsity soccer for four seasons. "I played rec ball for two years, then focused on soccer last season."

Rosenthal sets record

With his goal at 46:27 of the second half of Apple Valley's 3-2 victory over Northfield in the Class 2A boys' semis, senior striker David Rosenthal set a school single-season record for goals with 33. The old record of 32 was set by Chris Scanlon in 1996.

Chris Scanlon is currently an assistant coach with the team and son of head coach Chuck Scanlon.

"That's a huge accomplishment," Chuck Scanlon said. "We've had a lot of good soccer players come through here."

Newcomers to 2A came to play

Northfield coach Jorge Zuccolatto made sure his team was not going to be intimidated by Apple Valley heading into Monday's semifinal.

The Raiders would have had good reason to be awestruck, having just moved up to Class 2A this season. But Zuccolatto wasn't having any of it.

"I told these guys that they are the same age as us. It we moved well, we could play with Apple Valley," Zuccolatto said. "The guys are upset they lost. We thought they were beatable."

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