JOHN SHERMAN john. sherman @ apgecm. com

At the beginning of summer training, the Edina High girls soccer team was gearing up to compete for a State Class AAA Tournament championship.

However, circumstances interfered and All-State senior forward Lou Ruffien was locked into a fall commitment to the French national soccer program.

Ruffien’ s offense leaves a big hole in an Edina team that still has a chance to be very good this season. But, of course, it’ s hard to overlook the fact Ruffien either scored or assisted on a majority of goals last season.

Leading the Hornets into the 2025 season are two senior captains, defender Lucia Begg and midfielder Evie Kachmarzinski.

Begg lettered last season when the Hornets lost to Wayzata in the state championship match at US Bank Stadium.

Kachmarzinski is a two-year letter winner. She played in last year’ s finals and also played in the state championship match that Edina won at the end of the 2023 season.

Upbeat and optimistic are two words that describe the captains’ outlook for 2025.

“ Through summer training, all of the girls got to know each other,”

( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN)

Edina High’ s girls soccer captains for the 2025 season are returning letter winners Lucia Begg and Evie Kachmarzinski.

Begg said.“ Everyone on the team is uplifting.”

Kachmarzinski said,“ All of the girls are super encouraging and giving 100 percent every day.”

The toughest part of the season is usually tryout week, which the Hornets completed Aug. 14 on the lower field at the high school.

In her second year as head coach, Taylor Greathouse had to choose the players who’ ll be with her on varsity to

start the season.

“ We have been thinking about the state tournament the whole summer, and that is our goal,” Begg said.

“ It was so much fun playing in state,” Kachmarzinski said.“ Getting there is such a big accomplishment. It is fun being at US Bank Stadium with our classmates cheering us on.”

To reach the state tournament, Edina usually has to go through its

arch rival Minnetonka, a team coached by Jeff Hopkins, who already has two state championships on his resume. Edina, Minnetonka and Wayzata are usually the three teams battling for the Lake Conference girls soccer championship.

“ Wayzata is always super good,” Kachmarzinski said.“ We are going to play Blake for the first time this year, and they are a good team.

Minnetonka is always our rival.”

Edina has had a legacy of superstars the past few seasons – first with Maddie Dahlien, who passed the torch to Izzy Engle. Then the mantle of state’ s best player went to Ruffien last season.

Dahlien is now playing in the pro ranks after winning an NCAA title with the University of North Carolina. Engle was the leading scorer for the University of Notre Dame last fall.

As is the case every year, new players will play an important role in Edina’ s success this season.

“ We will have some new players on the back line,” Begg said.“ We should be really strong all over.”

Begg and Kachmarzinski enjoy the team culture that they have created along with the Edina coaching staff.

“ Taylor is a very good coach,” Begg said.“ She finds a balance between hard work and having fun.”

“ Our coaches care about us as individuals,” Kachmarzinski said.“ They want to get to know us and see what our personalities are.”

Edina lost only eight seniors from last year’ s state runner-up team. Among those seniors were starting goalkeeper Eleni McGuire and key defenders Anna Conner and Elly Doscotch. Midfielder Kaylee Idrogo-Lam was another

excellent defensive player last season.

Among the underclass players from last year’ s team are goalkeeper Brenna Prellwitz, defenders Begg, Emerson Fritz, Ainsley Graves, midfielders Kachmarzinski, Mikaela Caverly, Kate Hu and Maddie McWain, and forwards Elizabeth Conner, Avery Cooper, Lily Smoley and Kelly Sprague.

In the playoffs last season, Cooper and Caverly stepped up on the offensive side, scoring some big goals in the playoffs.

The Hornets’ schedule is similar to last year’ s with a single roundrobin against Lake Conference opponents Buffalo, Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Minnetonka, St. Michael-Albertville and Wayzata and nonconference games against a variety of opponents, starting with Rosemount and Prior Lake on opening week.

The biggest match of the season could be a 7 p. m. meeting between the Hornets and Minnetonka at 7 p. m. Tuesday, Sept. 30 at Minnetonka’ s Einer Anderson Stadium. The winner is likely to be the No. 1 seed for the Section 2AAA Tournament in October.

Edina has had a hold on that state berth. Minnetonka is anxious to secure the state bid this year with a strong nucleus of returning talent.