![Sophia Boman of Edina High School yelled during the game. ] LEILA NAVIDI • leila.navidi@startribune.com BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Edina High School versus Minnetonka High School in the Class 2A, Section 2 girls soccer title game at Chanhassen High School on Tuesday, October 15, 2019. Girls high school soccer player of the year Sophia Boman of Edina High School.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/W35NQD2GM235HU3ZL3BTOD5XHU.jpg?&w=1080)
A big goal Edina girls' soccer coach Katie Aafedt set before senior Sophia Boman this season was, well, more goals.
Don't feel obligated to always dish the ball to a teammate, Aafedt challenged the ego-free Boman. Take over the game.
Boman, already one of the state's top midfielders, did as instructed. The end results were 18 goals for Boman, triple her previous season best, and 73 goals for the Hornets, 23 better than last season.
For Boman, the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, a little encouragement made a big difference.
"I felt like if coach was fine with me taking it myself that I should be more OK with it," said Boman, who has verbally committed to the Gophers. "Because I never wanted to be regarded as a ball hog. That's what I was most afraid of. So when she said that, I felt more free to take it on the dribble farther."
Teammates co-signed Boman's new approach.
"They'd be like, 'You know you can beat anybody out there. Just take it yourself,' " Boman said.
The youngest of three soccer playing sisters, Boman got her start at oldest sister Lara's practices in California. Their father, Steve, coached the elementary school kids and brought toddling Sophia along.
