Stillwater Athletics Off to a Great Start

A new football coach, new girls soccer coach, long time cross country coach calling it a career come season end, mix in experienced players and devoted coaching staffs and here it is, the 2011 fall season for Ponies sports.

Stillwater could not have asked for a better start to its fall athletic season.

Football

Garnering most of the attention is the football team and new head coach Beau LaBore.

All he has done, with some pressure for sure, is knock out two wins to start his new job, one against his former Woodbury squad and the second, a dramatic 17-14 win against the Ponies long-time rival, White Bear Lake.

LaBore and the Ponies will have another big task with Cretin-Derham Hall coming to town, but Stillwater has won the last two meetings over the Raiders.

Since Cretin has come to the Suburban East Conference in 2005, it has a 41-3 record in the regular season and 45-4 record including postseason play.

The Ponies have accounted for half of those losses since the Raiders joined.

Boys Soccer

Not surprising is the start by the boys soccer team. Usual suspects in talks of state powers, Stillwater has not lost to a team from the state of Minnesota yet.

It lost to Brookfield East (Wis.).

It has shown how tough it has defensively, allowing only four goals in eight games, compiling a 7-1 record.

Ben Wilhelm has been solid in goal, playing in every game so far this season for the Ponies. He has accumulated four shutouts already on the young season.

There will be some bigger tests for the Ponies with No. 9-ranked North St. Paul on tap soon as well as conference rival Woodbury.

Girls Soccer

On the girl’s side, they are right in the mix as well.

Amanda Maxwell is in her first year as head coach for Stillwater and she had a pretty daunting schedule to start off her career with the Ponies.

Three losses already, but none to really hang her head about.

Edina was ranked No. 9 at the time, now No. 2, and most recently, a loss to No. 3 Mahtomedi, has proven how brutally tough the Ponies schedule has been.

They too will have a big game against rival No. 9 Woodbury next week as well.

Tennis

Another fall squad that has been on fire of late is the girl’s tennis team.

Junior Natalie Phippen, who plays No. 1 singles, has been a rock for the Ponies.

She continues to play stellar tennis in the top spot and has done so pretty much since she first hit the hard court.

During its four matching winning streak, Stillwater has won 7-0, 7-0, 6-1 and 7-0. Not too bad.

Swimming and Diving

Of course, can’t forget about the girl’s swimming and diving team. Yet again, Brian Luke has the Ponies at the top of the state rankings and are going to be a favorites not only to win the conference title, but will definitely be in the state championship mix as well.

Luke, year in and year out, has a team that contends with the best and it comes almost as no surprise whatsoever when the Ponies are at the top of the podium come season end.

This has been one of the best starts Stillwater has had in all of its fall sports. Typically this has led to positive vibes in the winter and spring seasons as well, because there are an abundance of multi-sport athletes at Stillwater.

One of the best attributes can have and earn is a winning attitude. Right now, that is what most of the student-athletes have in Stillwater.