Mendota Heights Sports Roundup: Soccer Squads Enter Sectionals

After learning of their sectional pairings over the weekend, soccer teams from , and all head into their respective post-season tournaments this week and face the prospect of victory or elimination.

Henry Sibley Boys Soccer

Following a 10-4 regular season, the Henry Sibley boys soccer team was given a No. 5 seed for the Section 3AA Tournament. 

The Warriors will face two-time defending state Class AA champion Apple Valley in the playoff opener, traveling to Johnny Cake Field to face the fifth-seeded Eagles at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Henry Sibley Girls Soccer

Even though the Henry Sibley girls still have one regular-season game remaining—a final pre-playoff tune-up against St. Paul Highland Park on Monday night—the Spartans' 5-7-4 record heading into the weekend booked them a No. 7 seed for the 3AA tourney.

The Spartans play at No. 2 seed Eastview at 7 p.m. Tuesday night.

St. Thomas Academy Boys Soccer

An 8-7-1 record got the St. Thomas Academy boys soccer team a No. 5 seed for the Section 3A Tournament and a first-round home game.

The Cadets will host No. 12 Hmong Academy at 7 p.m. Tuesday night.

Visitation Girls Soccer

A late swoon that knocked the girls soccer team out of the top-10 Class A rankings also dropped the Blazers to a No. 5 seed in the Section 3AA Tournament.

Visitation opens at home at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday against No. 12 Bethany Academy.

Henry Sibley Girls Tennis

The Henry Sibley girls tennis team, seeded 12th in the Section 3AA Tournament, was eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs in a 7-0 loss at No. 5 Eastview on Oct. 4.

Selected members of the Warriors squad will compete in the sectional individual tournament that runs Oct. 14-18.

Visitation Girls Tennis

With two preliminary-round wins, the Visitation girls tennis team advanced to the semifinals of the Section 3AA Tournament.

The Blazers, seeded fourth, defeated No. 13 Richfield, 6-1, and No. 5 Eastview, 5-2, last week to move into a matchup versus No. 1 Prior Lake on Tuesday at Lifetime Fitness in Lakeville.

Henry Sibley Volleyball

The Henry Sibley volleyball team lost 3-2 to Tartan on Oct. 4 and 3-0 to North St. Paul on Oct. 6 to fall to 8-8 overall and 5-6 in the Classic Suburban Conference.

Visitation Volleyball

Wins of 3-0 and 3-1 over St. Paul Academy and DeLaSalle on Oct. 4 and 6, respectively, improved the Visitation volleyball team to 16-4 overall and a Tri-Metro Conference-best 9-0.

Henry Sibley Cross Country

The Henry Sibley boys and girls cross country teams competed in the Blaine Invitational on Oct. 6, finishing 11th and 13th, respectively.

Cruz Barrera paced the Warriors boys with a third-place individual run of 16 minutes, 37.1 seconds over 5,000 meters; Alicia Olsen and Laura Rice led the girls with identical times of 16:38.9 over 4,000-meters and were given respective placements of 56th and 57th.

Visitation Cross Country

The Visitation girls cross country team finished ninth at the Blaine Invitational on Oct. 6, led by Martha Hubbell's 4,000-meter time of 15:12.7, good for third-place individually.