Last fall first-year coach Julian Buss inherited an inexperienced and undermanned squad that finished the season with four wins. This fall the win total went up by 50 percent.
The Tigers posted a 6-11 record, going 3-4 in Missota Conference play and tying for fourth place in the league standings.
"Last year we beat three teams and this year we beat six," Buss said. "We had increased participation numbers and got great leadership from our captains. Our parent leadership was also outstanding.
"We played some of the best teams in the state and were competitive. I feel our program is becoming competitive with every team we play."
Buss awarded 17 varsity letters to team members this fall, including six seniors: Aaron Dahl, Elijah Kierski, Mike Moser, Christian Thao, Justen Thelen and Zach Wyatt.
Other letterwinners included juniors Chad Stivers, Brandon Scott, Mike Ricker, Sam Leske and Cole Landwehr; sophomores Reid Wolfe and Tyler Petter-McCauley and freshmen Jared Holt, Blake Smith, Hunter Meyers and Jeff Hanson.
Junior Tyler Vue, a starting defender last season, was injured during the pre-season, and did not play. Buss expects to have him back in the lineup next fall.
Elsa Saari and Nikki Websters served as team managers this fall.
Thelen (8 goals, 6 assists) and Leske (3 goals, 2 assists) landed spots on the all-Missota Conference team. Thao (2 goals, 1 assist) and goalie Stivers received honorable mention.
Stivers, whose 157 saves tied for eighth in the state, won the team's Most Valuable Player honor while newcomer Wyatt took home the Most Improved Player award. Smith and Hanson shared the Rookie of the Year award.
Buss pointed to his team's 2-0 start; an exciting 4-3 win over Chaska; the development of Stivers as a goalkeeper and a quality effort against state champion Apple Valley as major highlights of the 2010 Tiger season.
On the downside, he pointed to a six-game losing skid in the middle of the season that included a 3-2 overtime loss to conference champion Chanhassen in which his team led 2-1 with a minute left in regulation.
"We also lost a tough overtime game to Winona and didn't play well in losses to Northfield and Park," Buss said.
Buss has named Leske, Scott and Stivers as tri-captains for the 2011 season and said the trio will have to work hard to provide the leadership provided by departed senior captains Thelen and Thao.
"Justen was a great goal scorer but he was also very unselfish," he said. "He has what it takes to play at a higher level.
"Christian is an outstanding soccer player with outstanding character. He was an amazing resource in terms of knowledge and skill. He made the players around him better."
Buss said he hopes to add a fourth level of competition either next year or in 2012 while continuing to add to participation numbers.
"We've also scheduled more games against section teams so we have a better chance to move up in the seedings for the section tournament," he said.
"I'm looking forward to next year. We'll be returning quite a few strong soccer players."
