The East Ridge boys' soccer team is making a name for itself.
The Raptors, as a No. 5 seed in their section last year, managed to upset No. 1-ranked North St. Paul 2-0 to advance to the section finals, where they fell just shy of making their first state tournament appearance.
The victory over the Polars was impressive in a number of ways, including keeping in check two of the state's top scorers in twin brothers Justin and Tyler Oliver of North St. Paul. The two combined for a total of 55 goals last year.
It was a good step for a youthful roster. And East Ridge has lost only one starter from that squad.
"It was a young team, so it was definitely a momentum builder," second-year head coach Anthony Bidwell said. "It was good to see that as we move forward in building the program we want to build here."
Defense is a key theme and strength within the program, as evidenced by that marquee victory. It's continued this fall. Through the team's first three games this season, the Raptors allowed only one goal.
Captains Alec Tostenrud and Joseph Kays help anchor the defensive corps. Kays was more of a follower last year, but has made big leadership strides. Tostenrud is serving as captain for his second season.
"Alec does a tremendous job of role modeling on the training field, in the game and in the classroom, so he's a player that all the young players can look up to," Bidwell said. "He earns the trust and respect of all players. Both of those captains are great attributes to us."
