Prep athletes of the week: Humboldt's Saw Say Tha soars in soccer section play

The junior forward has a tendency to be nervous. He is gradually overcoming the issue.

Tha registered back-to-back two-goal games in the Class 1A, Section 3 tournament and set up the lone goal with a perfect pass in a 1-0 triumph over St. Paul Academy in the championship.

"I am a hardworking person who is trying to get a lot better," Tha said.

He added that he was "really nervous at first" as a sophomore on varsity, but "I have improved in that area a little bit."

The Hawks entered section play as the No. 5 seed and shut out top-seeded Trinity 4-0 in the semifinals.

"We are playing really well right now," Tha said.

The Hawks will enter the state tournament with an 11-7-1 record. They play Metro College Prep on Thursday.

Tha had two goals in under five minutes against Minnehaha Academy and two more in the victory over Trinity.

"He has had a breakout season," St. Paul Humboldt coach John Pucci said. "He is a lightning-fast forward who can finish with both feet."

Ridenour ran her record to 25-1 this season by winning the Class 2A, Section 4 individual singles championship. "Nicole is not only one of the top players in the state, but she is an exceptional kid, great teammate and excels in the classroom with a 3.96 GPA," Roseville coach Bruce Hashimoto said.

The defensive lineman had eight tackles and three sacks as the Bulldogs completed an unbeaten regular season with a 17-0 shutout of Willmar. "Ian has been a big part of our defense that has only given up 58 points this season," Becker coach Dwight Lundeen said. "He has a nose for the football."

"Ashley is a clever player with excellent technical and finishing ability that has gotten hot at the right time," Panthers coach Brian Lehman said. Bennett scored in all three Class 3A, Section 1 tournament games, including twice in the championship.

A two-way player, Meissner is the key to the Lions' ground game while also anchoring the defensive line. He had five tackles, four for loss and a sack in a 13-7 victory over St. Paul Academy/Minnehaha Academy/Blake. "He is the heart and soul of our team," Lions coach Colin Rooney said.

The junior has enjoyed an outstanding offensive season, highlighted by a 30-kill performance when the Spartans rallied from a two-game deficit to beat North St. Paul. She concluded the regular season with 264 kills.

Magistad accounted for over half of Stillwater's goals (four), added a penalty-shot goal in a shootout victory and dished out an assist while helping the Ponies to the Class 3A, Section 4 championship. "He also anchored our defensive efforts," Stillwater coach Jake Smothers said.

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