Page 8 Edina Fall Sports Preview • Thursday , August 22 , 2024 current . mnsun . com
Replacing 12 is Edina boys soccer task
By JOHN SHERMAN john . sherman @ apgecm . com
The Edina High boys soccer team is in rebuilding mode after losing 12 seniors from the 2023 roster to graduation .
“ We might have to do it with smoke and mirrors this season ,” Edina head coach Dave Jenson said prior to 2024 tryouts . “ But we do have a good feeder system and a lot of our kids played club soccer in the offseason . One thing I can promise is that we ’ ll be fit . I suspect I ’ ll be using my voice a lot more this year than I have in the past since we only have four or five seniors returning .”
Leading the Hornets are senior captains Tyler Baker and Tommy Ott and junior captain Andreas Engle .
Baker and Ott were fulltime starters last season - Baker in goal and Ott at center back . Engle got a lot of playing time in the midfield .
“ I am super excited to have Tyler back in goal ,” coach Jenson said . “ We will need his leadership . His distribution is good and he does a great job with his feet . He is good in the air - a very solid athlete .
“ Tommy Ott is the youngest of three brothers who have played in our program . He is the biggest and strongest of the three and super competitive . Except when he got a card , Tommy didn ’ t come off the field last season . He loves the game and seldom loses a ball .”
With Baker and Ott leading the defense , Jenson will fill in around them . Philip Colwell , a senior who didn ’ t play much last season , is likely to see a lot of time in the back .
“ I like our chances with Tyler and Tommy ,” Jenson said .
Edina ’ s midfield potency took a hit when Carsten Koehler left Edina to play in England this year . “ He was our fourth captain ,” Jenson said .
With Koehler gone , senior Liam Garner is expected to step up . “ Liam played last year and is super fit ,” coach Jenson said . “ Junior Stellan Twill had a good club season and could help us in the midfield .”
The midfield is the area hit hardest by graduation with key players such as Drew Kruse , Nick Presthus , Pete Hannan and Matt Holmes moving on . Other key players who graduated are defenders Liam Garry and Kai Newton and forwards Carson Dederichs , Joe Lindberg and Sully Twill .
“ Minnetonka has more guys back than we do ,” Jenson said , reminding that Minnetonka is usually Edina ’ s main competition for the Section 2 largeschool championship .
“ We are playing a single round in the Lake Conference again this year ,” Jenson noted .
The Edina captains are ready to compete for championships in conference and section play .
“ We aren ’ t the biggest team this year ,” Engle said .
Edina ’ s boys soccer captains for 2024 are , from left to right : Tommy Ott , Anders Engle and Tyler Baker .
“ We will have to rely on our work ethic , a good attitude and our confidence .”
“ It is fun to see the young talent in captains ’ practices ,” Baker said . “ It should be a great year to bond as a team .”
“ We ’ ll whip this team into shape ,” Ott predicted . “ I see a lot of physicality on the field . We play Minnetonka the last game in October . We have marked that one on the calendar already .”
Ott is not a fan of the single round of Lake Conference games . “ I ’ d rather play Minnetonka , Wayzata and Eden Prairie twice ,” he said . “ Edina wants to battle the best .”
“ Wayzata has such a deep program ,” Baker said . “ They lost a lot to graduation , but I know they ’ ll be good again . We have some good returning players - Liam Garner , Philip Colwell , Will Irwin .”
“ And some other seniors who are ready to play ,” Ott added . “ Our coaches [ Jenson and Billy Garner ] will work us hard . They know how to win , and they will prepare us to win .”
Edina doesn ’ t have a full-time goalie coach - like some other schools . But Baker isn ’ t worried . “ During the season , me and the other goalies will grind it out ,” he said .
“ We ’ re going to give our goalies plenty of shots in practice ,” Engle said . “ They ’ ll b ready .”
Liam Garner said , “ This is the time of year I fall back in love with soccer . We have a lot of knew faces , but you ’ ll see everybody pulling together .”
( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN )
( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN )
Edina senior center back Tommy Ott takes a penalty kick during captains ’ practice on Edina High ’ s lower fields last week .