1995 Soccer Season
By Randy Nelson
Every fall for the past twenty-three years, while Berg is running around Yellowstone, canoeing in Canada, or bicycling up and around Mille Lacs, etc., I have attempted to oversee the boys soccer team at Minnetonka. Because we enjoyed a super season and ended up ranked number two in the state in both the Saint Paul and Minneapolis papers, the editors thought some article about the season should be in Com-Mini-Cations. I am not sure why they see this as newsworthy, but it should not take away from the pride I have in the soccer program and the players who have worked with me through the years.
Even before varsity status for soccer was given in 1973, Mini-School students have enjoyed the sport. Dan and Dave Schierman along with Jack Brisley were participants in intramurals in 1971. Jack continued playing in adult leagues on a team made up of former Tonka players, Dan Richardson was a member of the first varsity team in 1973, and Mark Johnson and Jamie Brisley were all-conference players in 1978 (Junior Day was the goalkeeper on that team). Jamie, along with Brad Johnson are the boys coaches at Mound-Westonka now. Another Mini-Schooler in that era was Rick Roth who is a certified referee today. Mark Meldahl was one of the captains in 1979, and Clint Mattaccola played for me in 1980-81. As the years tend to run together, I risk leaving out several of the Mini-School students who played for me or were in the soccer program, but the tradition has continued into the 1990s with Joe and Dave Verner and present student, Matt Morseth. Joe and Dave have also come back to help coach in the high school and community programs.
Coaching soccer often brings some of the same pride I feel for Mini-School. It is good to see former students and players give their time, knowledge, expertise, etc., to those communities that nourished them as they were growing up. Both the soccer community and the Mini-School community have been enriched by their involvement. The successes of the 1995 soccer team were built on the foundation of their predecessors, and the strong coaching they received in the community program and at the younger levels of the high school program. These successes were carried out by the players willingness to keep striving to be the best through hard work and cooperation. The same can be said for Mini-School and its students.
Although our season ended abruptly in a 2-1 loss in the section semi-final, it wasn’t for lack of trying as we out-shot our opponent 28-6. The problem was the only shots that count are the ones that go in! This should not diminish from a team that (I feel) was arguably the best team in the state. Not being able to get to state for the twenty-second consecutive year was probably more disappointing this year than many others because I was fortunate enough to work with not just excellent soccer players, but high quality people as well – the latter being a constant in my coaching career. Professionally, I take pride in helping start both the Mini-School and soccer programs at Minnetonka. In my eyes, both have achieved a high degree of success giving students another choice, meeting student needs, providing them with a positive experience, and seeing them returning to give back, etc.