Repeat success for Eastview soccer teams

Eastview's soccer teams accomplished a first last year. They both advanced to the state tournament.

The boys' and girls' teams enjoyed the experience so much that they decided to repeat the feat. They both won the Class 2A, Section 3 titles at Park High School in Cottage Grove.

"It is a great source of pride for our school to have both teams represented for the second year in a row," Lightning boys' coach Scott Gustafson said. "Each team is the other's biggest fan and they use each other for motivation and inspiration throughout the season."

Gustafson's squad beat crosstown-rival Apple Valley 1-0 on junior Jack Teske's goal, while the girls' team topped host Park in a shootout after playing to a scoreless draw.

"Whenever you lose the quality players that we did to both graduation and the [soccer] academy, you have a lot of question marks going into the season," Gustafson said. "The fun thing is the team responded by coming together, accepting their roles and learning what it takes to be successful."

Lakeville North's girls' team, ranked No. 1, also returns to the Class 2A field. The Panthers (16-1-2) and Lightning played to a 1-1 tie during the regular season.

Blazing a new trailExperience played a big part in Garnet Asmundson being named Burnsville's new girls' hockey coach.

He started his coaching career at Simley High School from 1998-2003. Asmundson, a Canadian native, also served an assistant coach for the Rosemount girls' team in 2011.

Asmundson replaces Bruce Anderson, who retired after coaching in the boys' and girls' programs at the school for 35 years.

Set for state playEagan senior Danielle Donahue highlights the group of girls' tennis players who advanced to the state individual tournament beginning Thursday at the University of Minnesota Baseline Tennis Center. Donahue, who will be appearing in her third consecutive state tournament, won the Class 2A, Section 3 singles championship.

Prior Lake sophomore Dani Keller was the runner-up. The top two qualified for the state tournament. Keller's teammates, freshman Chloe Hall and eighth-grader Savanna Crowell, were the section's doubles champions.

Also, Shakopee freshman Haley Lickfold was the singles runner-up in Section 2, and will be making her first state tournament appearance.