Boys' soccer: Apple Valley rules

If ever there was a program with gaudy numbers, Apple Valley's boys' soccer team is it.

The only coach the Eagles have ever had, Chuck Scanlon, went above the 500 career victory mark earlier this season. It was a year in which Apple Valley won its 18th conference championship and advanced to state for a 16th time. Seven state championship banners hang in the school's main gymnasium.

Scanlon has been on record saying "this never gets old."

But he also knows all too well that things can change in a hurry.

Last season, the Eagles waltzed into the Class 2A state tournament with a 19-1-1 record, only to lose 1-0 to unseeded St. Louis Park off a fluky rebound goal.

All but four players are back for the Eagles this season off that team, and they know not to take anything for granted. They know what's at stake.

"The biggest thing, I've always said, is that we love playing soccer," Scanlon said. "The tradition we've established over 30 years -- [players] come in here every year expecting to win and expecting to outwork the competition. We demand that."

Yet again Apple Valley (21-0) enters state with a full charge, especially on defense: The Eagles have allowed only five goals this season and are on a nine-game shutout streak.

"You're coming down to the finality of your season and this is when you have to play your best soccer," Scanlon said. "So far, they've really risen to the occasion and played together as a team."

Unselfish Eagan makes it back

Eagan's girls' soccer team has cruised over the past six weeks, going 12-0-1 since a 3-0 loss to Eden Prairie on Sept. 15. The team has outscored the opposition 63-7 in that time, but no one with the Wildcats is counting.

"They don't care about who scores the goals or who has an assist or anything like that," coach Mark Obarski said. "They're really together as a team this year and that's a big deal. It's an important thing that they just care about the team."

That attitude helped the Wildcats reach state for the first time since 2001.

Eagan (18-2-1) received the fourth seed in the Class 2A state tournament after defeating Eastview 1-0 in the Section 3 final.

The Wildcats face Centennial (15-2-2) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Park High School in Cottage Grove in the state quarterfinals.

Obarski, who thought there was a chance Eagan would not receive one of the four seeds, is expecting a tight match with the Cougars.

"I'm not exactly sure how the seeding came out, but I'm assuming Centennial was maybe the No. 5," he said. "From what I hear, and from what I know about results for both teams, I think it will be a good game. Probably one goal either way."

More action

Other state soccer games involving south-metro teams this week include:

In girls' Class 2A, Lakeville North takes on No. 1 seed Woodbury at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Park High School in Cottage Grove.

In boys' Class 1A, No. 2 seed Simley plays Austin at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Roseville.

In boys' Class 2A, Northfield plays fourth-seeded Elk River at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Hopkins.

Brian Stensaas • 612-673-4127