New Look Trojans Optimistic About 2011 Season

Setting, achieving and scoring goals is the foundation for most soccer coaches  at the beginning of a new season. The Wayzata girls soccer program has established a higher standard of success in coach Tony Peszneker’s 22 years in command: five state titles (1990, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2009) and at least 11 other state tournament appearances.

“Our No. 1 goal is always, we want to get to the state tournament,” Peszneker said. “If you don’t get there you have nothing. At least if you get there, you’re one of eight. Then you’ve got a chance to [win] it.”

Last year’s Trojan team finished 16-3-3 and made it to the Minnesota State High School League Class AA State Championship, where they fell 3-0 to Lake Conference foe and top-seeded Eden Prairie.

Wipe the slate clean and start fresh.

The 2011 Trojans embody a much different look than the 2010 version. Seven players from last year’s state runner-up team are playing college soccer at some level this season—three of whom are playing Division I ball with full athletic scholarships. The 2011 version has just five seniors on its roster.

This year’s team will be led by captains Chelsey Ulrich (senior midfielder), Rachel Swenson (senior defenseman) and Kylie Swarz (junior forward). Swarz started as a freshman on the 2009 state championship team, was voted to the All-Tournament Team and is expected to be the Trojans’ “key player” this season, according to Peszneker. Also returning is junior midfielder Kiana Nickel, who was named to last season’s All-Tournament Team.

“Every year it’s hard to restart (at the beginning of the season),” Swenson said, “but we have good people that came in and we have a lot of returning players.”

In the era of no off-season, the 19 girls listed on this season’s Wayzata varsity team were dispersed between as many as seven different club teams, according to senior captain and midfielder Chelsey Ulrich. Fusing styles of play and forming a new cohesive unit on the field has been a high priority for the Trojans in the early going.

“The beginning of the season is basically just getting familiar with each other and learning what every one's role is, and what we’ll have to do for this high school season,” Ulrich said.

August wins over Elk River (3-1) and Minneapolis Southwest (3-0) have the team off to a 2-0 start with a full season to develop an identity.

One of the major holes they will have to fill this season is at keeper. Megan Pyrz was an All-State goal keeper who Peszneker called “one of the best goalies” he’d ever coached at Wayzata. The Trojans split the keeper duties between a pair of juniors in each of their two wins, and Peszneker plans to continue to rotate the two indefinitely. Delane Swanson started against Elk River and Mara Dougherty against Southwest.

“(My first start) was nerve-wracking,” Dougherty said. “Before, I would sit on the bench and watch Megan [Pyrz]. I felt pretty safe, because I knew I wouldn’t be playing. Now, knowing that I’m playing it makes it a little more severe. If I let in the goal it’s my responsibility. It’s a lot more pressure.”

Note: Dougherty described this pressure with uncontrollable smiles and she added that she is excited for the opportunity.

Peszneker  added that neither Dougherty or Swanson recorded a save in each of their respective starts. Not to discredit either goalie, rather to exemplify that defense isn’t just about who’s in net.

“We’ve got two pretty solid keepers,” Peszneker said. “I think defensively we’ll do OK, but the name of the game is still scoring goals.”

Scoring goals is what 2010 NSCAA All-American midfielder Taylor Wodnick did—more than 40 in her last two seasons at Wayzata. Now a Golden Gopher, the Trojans will need to find new ways to put the ball in the net.

“We lost a lot of talent on the offensive side,” Peszneker said. “I think that’s going to be our biggest challenge to try to replace that.”

While replacing All-State players is no easy task for any program, the 2011 Trojans have nothing less than a state tournament berth in mind. And while they are still figuring out what they have in each other and as a team, they needn’t wait long before they’re first big test: Sept. 6 at Eden Prairie.

For Peszneker, the match is just another step to building a better team for sections and beyond.

“We’re early in the season and I’m still trying to evaluate our talent,” Peszneker said about the importance of the Eden Prairie match up, or lack thereof. “Obviously, we’re always going to try to play and win games, but it’s still too early in the year to have to say we have to win a game. … I want to give our players an opportunity to show what they can do in different situations.”

For the girls, the game has been marked on their calendars since they received the schedule.

“Definitely expect it to be a close game,” Ulrich said. “It’s not going to be blowout on either side. It’ll be a fight all game.”

Eden Prairie is currently ranked No. 1 in Class AA according to the Star Tribune’s rankings. The Trojans are No. 2. Last season’s Eden Prairie team finished 20-0-1 and was ranked sixth in an ESPN’s nationwide high school rankings. But they, too, graduated a number of key players.  Including, Class AA Player of the Year Taylor Uhl (also a Golden Gopher, now), who scored all three of her team’s goals in last season’s final against Wayzata.

Peszneker refuted the notion that the Lake Conference is a two-team battle. He credited Minnetonka for always have a competitive team come time for sections and Edina is ranked No. 9 in Class AA.

With such a competitive conference and schedule Peszneker maintains value in the path that got him and his players where there are: A passion for the game.  

“No. 1, we want to make what they’re doing here enjoyable and fun,” Peszneker said. “If [the game is] not going to be enjoyable and fun, you’re not going to get enough out of them.”