Blake boys' soccer: Nearly perfect enough No. 2 seed, No. 1 attitude

In 40 years as head boys' soccer coach at Blake, Charlie Seel has seen just about everything, good and bad, that can happen. He knows in the end everything will work itself out. There's always a chance.

So he's pretty much OK with the fact that, despite going 18-0 on the season and allowing just three goals, his Bears received the No. 2 seed instead of the top seed for this year's Class 1A state tournament.

Pretty much.

"This is the most complete team I've had in 40 years," Seel said. "We are able to put the ball in the net, we've got players. And we have a very strong defense. It's taken a lot of pride in not being scored on. And the rest of the team, our midfielders and our forwards, have taken in that games can be won in the offensive zone.

"I feel bad for the kids because they worked extremely hard, and I think some of those key factors for our success were overlooked in the seeding."

Blake opens state play against seventh seed Northfield (13-8-1) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Mounds View High School.

Defending champion Benilde-St. Margaret's received the top seed.

"They certainly are a very good, solid team," Seel said. "They were ranked No. 1 all year until the end."

Seel got his 400th victory when Blake took the Section 3 championship last week.

"It was particularly special to get this milestone with this team," Seel said. "They've done so well. And to get it in the section championship made it that much more special to me."

To get No. 401 and beyond, the plan is simple: Don't change a thing.

Behind solid goaltending by Philipe (Tips) Jackley and 25 goals by Blake Dressen, the Bears have been virtually unstoppable.

It comes back to that "anything can happen" mentality. Tough as it might be, the Bears know they cannot afford to look ahead.

"Regardless of what seed you get, if you want to win state -- which is our goal -- you're going to have to beat everybody," Seel said. "You're going to have to win three matches. And right now, where we are doesn't make any difference."

In other upcoming west metro boys' soccer state action:

The top-seeded Red Knights (15-2-4) open Class 1A play today against eighth-seeded St. Cloud Cathedral (15-5) at 5:30 p.m. at Mounds View. Sixteen Benilde-St. Margaret's players have at least one point this season.

In Class 2A, fourth-seeded Eden Prairie (17-2-2) and No. 5 Maple Grove (14-5-1) will square off at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Hopkins High School.

Third-seeded Wayzata (15-1-3), with Mr. Soccer Colin Monasterio, gets No. 6 Hill-Murray (16-0-5) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Park of Cottage Grove High School.

BSM, Blake girls seeded 1-2, too

Just like the boys, the girls' teams from Benilde-St. Margaret's and Blake received the top two seeds, respectively, in the Class 1A state soccer tournament.

"It's hard to predict," Bears coach Paul Menge said. "I have a lot of respect for all the teams, especially Benilde."

Both BSM and Blake have clearly made cases this year that they belong at the top.

The Red Knights (17-3) haven't lost since a 2-0 decision to Spring Lake Park on Sept. 11. They're 12-0 since, having allowed just four goals.

"We feel really good," first-year Red Knights coach Scott Hellings-Christy said. "This team came back having to replace 11 players. The first half of the season we planned on developing the team. The second half we've been getting ready for playoffs."

The Bears, meanwhile, suffered their lone loss in the second game of the season, against Sartell-St. Stephen -- where they gave up four of the seven goals they've allowed this season.

Keeper Addie Adams has been sound since and has been helped by double-digit goal output from Ms. Soccer Megan Gallivan (18 goals), Jillian Avery (15) and Anna Savin (10).

"The difference between this year and some teams we've had in the past is that we've felt when we needed goals we can get them," Menge said. "It's nice to have one girl who can score; even better to have three."

Benilde-St. Margaret's begins its march toward a repeat at 5:30 p.m. Thursday against eighth-seeded Cloquet (11-3-5) at Irondale High School. Blake (18-1) opens play at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Hopkins High School against seventh-seeded Albert Lea (13-5-1).

In girls' Class 2A state action this week involving west metro teams:

No. 4 Edina (16-1-2) takes on No. 5 Mounds View (16-4-1) at 7:30 p.m. today at Irondale. Robbinsdale Armstrong (12-6-1) received the seventh seed and takes on No. 2 Eastview (17-1-3) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Park of Cottage Grove High School.

Brian Stensaas • bstensaas@startribune.com