National Sports Center to host eight of the best Minnesota high school soccer teams in 2006 Challenge Cup, September 8-9
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2006
Media Contact: Barclay Kruse, 763.785.5634
Blaine, Minn. (Aug. 29, 2006) – The National Sports Center (NSC) will revive a high school soccer tradition of the 1990’s by hosting four each of the top-ranked boys and girls soccer teams to face off in the 2006 Challenge Cup, Sept. 8-9. The event will give teams an early-season glimpse of their progress toward the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) State Tournament, October 25-November 2.
The girls division looks to be the powerhouse half of this year’s tournament. The Challenge Cup boasts all four Class AA and A championship game teams from the 2005 MSHSL Tournament, and the top three ranked girls teams on the August 23 Star Tribune Metro Top 10 ranking for the 2006 season: Mahtomedi (#1), Eden Prairie (#2) and Woodbury (#3). Benilde-St. Margaret’s, ranked #8, rounds out the girls field. Eden Prairie beat Woodbury 2-1 in last year’s Class AA championship game, while Mahtomedi nipped Benilde St. Margaret’s by the same score in the Class A title match.
On the boys side, the Challenge Cup brings four 2005 Class AA State Tournament teams together: defending champion Wayzata, runner-up Woodbury and two neighborhood rivals who faced off in the first round of last years tournament, Blaine and Spring Lake Park. Wayzata is ranked #1 in the August 23 Star Tribune Metro Top 10 ranking. The boys bracket features a potential re-match of the 2005 Class AA championship game, in which Wayzata beat Woodbury 2-0. Blaine beat Spring Lake Park in an overtime shootout in the first round of last year’s tournament. The Bengals then lost to Wayzata in overtime in the semifinals.
Here is the game schedule for the girls division:
Semifinals (Friday, September 8): Woodbury vs. Mahtomedi, 5:00 pm. Eden Prairie vs. Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 7:00 pm
Third-place game (Saturday, September 9): Semifinal losers, 1:00 pm.
Championship game (Saturday, September 9): Semifinal winners, 5:00 pm.
Here is the game schedule for the boys division:
Semifinals (Saturday, September 9): Woodbury vs. Blaine, 9:00 am. Wayzata vs. Spring Lake Park, 11:00 am.
Third-place game (Saturday, September 9): Semifinal losers, 3:00 pm.
Championship game (Saturday, September 9): Semifinal winners, 7:00 pm.
General admission tickets are priced at $7 for adults and $5 for students, and can be purchased at the gate. All games will be held in the National Sports Center Stadium.
Here is a link to the National Sports Center website, with Challenge Cup team-by-team profiles for the boys division and girls division, respectively:
http://www.nscsports.org/sports/soccer/tourneys/chall_cup/boys.htm
http://www.nscsports.org/sports/soccer/tourneys/chall_cup/girls.htm
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