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Maple Grove's Meredith Haakenson is Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year in girls' soccer

By David La Vaque, Star Tribune, 10/23/17, 5:45PM CDT

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The senior midfielder is the Crimson's hardest worker.

Meredith Haakenson's hard work has helped her develop traits and skills that make her the focus of Maple Grove's opponents. “She’s driven, focused and a class act,” Blaine coach Scott Zachmann said. Photo by Jerry Holt • jerry.holt@startribune.com  


Meredith Haakenson’s early soccer instruction made her the envy of the neighborhood.

Backyard “World Cup” games against three future college soccer players — older brother Luke (Creighton), his best friend Kevin Hoof (Northern Michigan), and Hoof’s older sister Lauren (Concordia-St. Paul) — tested her toughness. Despite tears and bruises, she came back that much more determined.

Haakenson is committed to Michigan but remains focused on a special season. Maple Grove earned its first state tournament appearance and Haakenson, a central midfielder, was named the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year.

See who else is on this year's All-Metro first and second teams.

Haakenson has scored 18 goals and added nine assists thus far and ranks as her team’s hardest-working defender.

“She does special things in the game that other players just don’t do and we see it all the time,” Maple Grove coach Ben LeVahn said. “Other teams have to know where she is at all times and she’s still able to do what she does.”

LeVahn joked that he saw Haakenson as a freshman at varsity tryouts and needed “12 seconds to write her name in pen into the starting lineup.”

She later received the Gatorade Player of the Year in Minnesota as a junior and donated the $1,000 award to The Sanneh Foundation, a St. Paul-based youth initiative run by retired soccer player Tony Sanneh.

“She’s driven, focused and a class act,” Blaine coach Scott Zachmann said.

Elevating her play this fall, Haakenson, who also earned Class 2A Ms. Soccer honors from the state coaches association, led a talented Crimson team to its first section final victory after two consecutive losses.

“Our goal was to get to state and we faced it head-on,” Haakenson said.

A similar attitude helped her survive those cherished rough-and-tumble backyard games of her youth.

“The neighborhood girls thought I was crazy to play against older boys,” Haakenson said. “They’d sit on the playset and watch.”


Past Players of the Year

2016: Morgan Turner, Wayzata

2015: Hannah Cade, Lakeville North

2014: April Bockin, Eden Prairie

2013: Elizabeth Endy, Minnetonka

2012: Jenna Roering, Centennial

2011: Simone Kolander, Lakeville North

2010: Taylor Uhl, Eden Prairie

2009: Kassie Kallman, Woodbury

2008: Allie Phillips, Mounds View

2007: Krista Lundgren, Lakeville South

2006: Julie Rezac, Eden Prairie

2005: Dana Tripp, White Bear Lake

2004: Elena Fruci, Mahtomedi

2003: Kelsey Hans, Lakeville

2002: Katherine Krambeer, Osseo

2001: Caroline Smith, Edina

2000: Rachel Gilfillan, Woodbury

1999: Amanda McMahon, Stillwater

1998: Megan Almonzo, Armstrong

1997: Jena Kluegel, Mahtomedi

1996: Jena Kluegel, Mahtomedi

1995: Sarah Blaska, Anoka

1994: Mara Miller, Stillwater

1993: Jennifer McElmury, White Bear Lake

1992: Jennifer Walek, North St. Paul

1991: Gretchen Brandt, Mounds View

1990: Shannan Scibilia, Park of Cottage Grove

1989: Janet Newinski, Burnsville

1988: Lisa Mickelson, North St. Paul

1987: Nicole Johnson, Rosemount; 

          Kari Maijala, Bloomington Jefferson

 

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