Sports Roundup: Ponies Upset In Sectional Tennis Final

The Stillwater girls tennis team suffered the first heartbreak of the fall season as the Ponies missed out on a trip to state after being upset in its sectional final in the first contest of a week full of postseason matchups.

Girls Tennis

After a 10-2 regular season and a 6-1 defeat of ninth-seeded Woodbury in its Sectional 4AA opener on Oct. 5, the Stillwater girls tennis team, seeded No. 1 in the bracket, was on a roll.

However, that run came to an abrupt end on Monday as the Ponies, who squeaked by fifth-seeded Hill-Murray, 4-3, last Friday in the semifinals, were topped 5-2 by second-seeded Mahtomedi in the 4AA championship match on Monday at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis.

Individual statistics were not made available. Selected Ponies members still have a chance at a state berth as they compete in the sectional individual tournament on Oct. 13 and 17.

Natalie Phippen is the top-seeded girl in the 4AA singles playoffs, she is joined in the bracket by teammate Savannah Johnson.

The duo of Shelby Ahrendt and Lindsey Berger are seeded seventh for the sectional doubles tournament, with Natalie Cardenas and Aliza Deming also competing for a shot at state.

Volleyball

After finishing 21st in the St. Michael-Albertville Tournament last weekend, the Stillwater volleyball team lost 3-0 to visiting Cretin-Derham Hall on Tuesday to fall to 11-11 overall and 6-2 in Suburban East Conference play, good for third place in the circuit standings behind the Raiders and Mounds View.

Individual statistics were not made available. The Ponies play at East Ridge in its Suburban East finale at 7 p.m. Thursday before closing out the regular season in the Chaska Tournament on Saturday.

Boys Soccer

The Ponies boyssoccer team, seeded second behind No. 1-ranked and undefeated North St. Paul, begin their Section 4AA Tournament run at home against White Bear Lake on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Stillwater was 13-2-1 in the regular season, including a 2-1 defeat of the Bears on Oct. 6.

Girls Soccer

The tables are turned for the Ponies girls soccer team, who are seeded fifth after a 9-5-2 regular season and play at White Bear Lake at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Bears were given the preferential seeding with an 11-5 overall record and a conference mark one-half game better than Stillwater despite the fact that the Ponies defeated White Bear Lake 2-1 in the regular-season finale on Oct. 6.