2026 Edina Fall Sports Preview | Page 3

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Check the experience box for soccer season

JOHN SHERMAN john. sherman @ apgecm. com
In evaluating the strengths of the Edina High girls soccer team for the 2026 season, put a big check mark in the experience box.
The Hornets return 13 players from a varsity squad that finished 9-3-5 overall in 2025. It was a season of near misses for Edina head coach Taylor Greathouse and her squad. The Hornets went undefeated in Lake Conference matches with a 5-0-2 record, but lost in a close title fight with Wayzata( 6-0-1). In the Section 2AAA playoffs, Edina was upset by Chanhassen 3-1 in a semifinal match at Kuhlman Field.
( SUN PHOTO BY GUY WARREN PHOTOGRAPHY)
Senior forward Avery Cooper is one of the dangerous offensive players for the Edina High girls soccer team.
Going into the 2026 season, Edina has three of the premier players in the Lake Conference – Senior forward Avery Cooper,
senior midfielder Mikaela Caverly and junior midfielder Maddie McWain.
Other varsity veterans on the squad are junior
goalie Olive Ni, senior defenders Ainsley Graves and Emerson Fritz, senior midfielders Stephanie Rodriguez and Anne Vander Vort, junior forwards Katherine McGarvey and Piper Utne, junior midfielders Karoline Angelats and Kate Hu and junior defender Elizabeth Conner.
The eight Hornets who are new to varsity soccer are senior goalie Ardyn Teitscheid, senior defender Chloe Hunt, senior forward Grace Gady, junior forward Eloise Thompson, sophomore midfielder Joanna Libby, sophomore forward Josie Miller and sophomore defenders Josie Nelson and Margot Nordstrum.
The Hornets were a defensive-minded team last year with 2026 graduate Brenna Prellwitz starring in goal.
Graves and Fritz are multi-year varsity returnees on the defensive side. Fritz was often assigned to mark opponents’ leading scorers last season and played exceptionally well in that role.
On the offensive side, Cooper and Caverly showed their skills as scorers and playmakers last season. Both are fast and capable of making long runs. The surprise player last season was McGarvey. She was promoted to the varsity early in the season and proved to be another scoring threat.
As usual, Edina will be one of the favorites for the Lake Conference title in 2026.
Defending state Class AAA champion Wayzata returns a strong side with senior forward Lauren Craig as its scoring leader. Two setbacks have left the Trojans without their other All-State players from last season. Senior midfielder Alex Vellieux is likely to be sidelined all season with an injury and junior defender Carolyn Voss has left the Trojans to join the Under-17 USA National Women’ s Team.
“ It is going to be another interesting season for us,” veteran Wayzata head coach Tony
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