Eagan girls relish first soccer title in stellar season

The Eagan girls' soccer team was nearly perfect this season, from start to finish.

"My players were able to execute each and every game plan this season," Wildcats first-year coach Bulut Ozturk said. Eagan finished 21-0-1 while winning the Class 2A state title last week.

"All of this is possible when you have players who understand what is required of them as individuals and as a team," Ozturk said. "We are really proud of giving Eagan its first girls' soccer championship."

The Wildcats were only scored upon in seven of 22 contests. They outscored their opponents 61-9.

"We were fortunate enough to observe our opponents through scouting opportunities and reviewing film," Ozturk said. "We were able to leverage that information and adjust our game to put us in the best position to win games."

The Wildcats will continue to be tough to score upon a year from now. They only had six seniors on this year's roster.

"We have the starting back four — Samantha Anderson, Anni Christenson, Hannah Pavek and Sydney Sherek — from the championship game [a 1-0 victory over Eden Prairie] of our defense returning next year," Ozturk said. "We also have our starting goalkeeper Jordyn Clark returning."

Eagan volleyball coach Kathy Gillen will be inducted into the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame during the state tournament banquet Wednesday at the RiverCentre in St. Paul.

Gillen is currently in her 22nd year as the Wildcats' coach. Her squad will seek to defend its Class 3A championship in the state tournament beginning Thursday against Cambridge-Isanti.

Gillen has a career record of 518-148. Under her leadership, the Wildcats won state titles in 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2003.

• Shakopee sophomore Tess Misgen continues to climb the Class 2A girls' cross-country ladder. At the state meet Saturday at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Misgen took third place behind twins Megan and Bethany Hasz of Alexandria with a time of 14 minutes, 13.5 seconds over the 4,000-meter course. She finished 10th last year, 21st in 2012.

• Belle Plaine senior Janessa Meuleners and Jordan freshman Owen Keiser were honored as the Minnesota River Conference cross-country runners of the year. Meuleners finished fourth in 14:58.1 in the Class 1A girls' state meet. Keiser finished 51st in the boys' 1A state meet.