high schools

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.