This week in the Wildcat’s world of sports, we have yet another team being recognized nationally. Our volleyball team here at Eagan High School did it, and now the girls’ soccer team has too. After a huge win over the #1 team in the state, Prior Lake, our ladies went on to dominate Lakeville North in a 3-0 win. To catch up on all the excitement surrounding their undefeated season, I talked to varsity goalie Jordyn Clark.
Despite all their success, she still saw room for improvement. Clark commented, “We had a lot of opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of.” She also added that, “If we are going to do well this year, we need to learn how to capitalize.” Other than a few mistakes, Clark was very positive about her fellow teammates. She especially wanted to commend sophomore player Sydney Flannery, who scored her first varsity goal in Tuesday’s game against Lakeville. A few other key players mentioned were: forward Jade King, who is currently lead scorer with 3 goals; fellow goalkeeper Ashley Patyk, who has had 16 saves this season; and middle Gabby Bland, who leads the team with 3 total assists.
Of course, with any great team like this, there is always a great coach supporting them. In his first year here at Eagan High School, Head Coach Bulut Ozturk is making a good first impression. Clark spoke highly of her coach, saying, “He really pushes us… making us condition every week.” And it shows. The girls easily kept up with Prior Lake, eventually pushing them out of the number one spot in the South Suburban conference. This year’s combination of good coach-player chemistry and a winning attitude could prove to be the reason for Eagan girls’ soccer’s most successful run ever.
Though they don’t want to get too far ahead of themselves, our girls eagerly look forward to their next big challenge: Eastview. Our old rivals have gone 11-0-0 in their 2014 season, proving to be quite the competitors. If you want to catch any of the action or cheer on the Lady Cats, get down to Eastview High School on September 23rd.
