Author: Steve Mulholland

It was a night of high drama, thrilling finishes and outstanding performances Monday as the Eden Prairie boys’ and girls’ soccer teams played host to Wayzata. The boys’ game kicked off the evening with the Eagles taking on the No. 1-ranked and undefeated Trojans at Aerie Stadium. The teams traded goals in the first half, with Eagles’ junior forward Ryan Donohue scoring midway through the half to tie the score at one. The Eagles raised the stakes with a physical battle in the second half. Senior forward Sebastian Bocanegra-Lima created numerous chances all evening and it paid off. Bocanegra-Limawove wove…

Eden Prairie head coach Mike Grant had a wry smile on his face after the Eagles’ showdown with Prior Lake Friday night. Grant’s team had been upset by Rosemount the week before, and they started this week’s contest by spotting Prior Lake 7 points compliments of the Lakers’ opening kickoff return that went 85 yards for a touchdown. “We had them right where we wanted them at that point,” Grant said with a mix of deadpan and a twinkle in the eye. The coach recalled twice giving up opening kickoffs for touchdowns in two prep bowl games against Cretin-Derham Hall.…

The fifth-ranked Eden Prairie Eagles ensured a happy homecoming Friday night at Aerie Stadium with a 28-14 win over second-ranked Prior Lake. The win boosts the Eagles’ record to 4-1 overall after last week’s upset loss to Rosemount. Previously unbeaten Prior Lake drops to 4-1 with the defeat. The evening began with fireworks and not from the homecoming festivities. Prior Lake senior Joey Krouse returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Lakers lead. The Eagles maintained their composure with solid defensive play and ball control on offense. Junior running back Liam Berndt and senior running…

The winds of autumn blew into Aerie Stadium Wednesday night, bringing a chill to the air and providing some challenging conditions in the EPHS girls’ soccer team’s clash with Edina. The two teams met earlier in the month on the Hornets’ home field, where Edina came away with a 2-1 win. The same team won by the same margin on a gusty evening in Eden Prairie, with the Hornets outlasting the Eagles 1-0 in a match that saw both teams battling the elements. “The wind definitely came into play, you could see it on goal kicks and punts,” Eden Prairie…

If you’re ever in search of a lacrosse wonderland, consider Eden Prairie as your No. 1 destination, at least in early September. That’s when the Eden Prairie Lacrosse Association (EPLA) and the EPHS Girls’ Lacrosse Booster Club take over Aerie Stadium and the surrounding athletic fields for the annual Land of 10,000 LAX tournament. “LAX” is the common abbreviation for lacrosse, but nothing was abridged about this event, which played host to 30 high school teams and six middle school squads this past Saturday and Sunday. Players arrived from around the metro and as far away as Hudson, Wisconsin, and…

They made the trip from all parts of the country, flying in from California and Texas; others arriving from Ohio, Colorado and Tennessee. Many came from parts of the Twin Cities metro and greater Minnesota. All of them gathered under the lights this past Friday night, on the same field they played football 30 years ago. They are members of Mike Grant’s first team at Eden Prairie High School and have become known as “the team that started it all.” They came together to commemorate Grant’s 30 years as the Eagles’ head coach and remember a magical season in 1992,…

The Eden Prairie football team honored their past and took a glimpse into their future Friday night at Aerie Stadium. Head Coach Mike Grant’s 1992 team was introduced in a ceremony before the Eagles clashed with Farmington. The group was Grant’s first team at Eden Prairie, and one that rebounded from back-to-back one-win seasons in 1990 and ’91 to reach the regional playoffs the following year in Grant’s inaugural campaign. “That group from ’92, they were our first champions and the first of 23 Lake Conference championship teams,” Grant said before the game. “It means alot what they did in…

The Eden Prairie girls’ soccer team has high aspirations for their 2022 season. But to reach their goals, the Eagles know they need to play their best against the best. Saturday’s game against 2nd ranked Edina, which opened Lake Conference play, had the makings for a good early-season test. “They’ve won the Lake Conference the last couple of years,” Eden Prairie head coach Kelly Taylor said, adding that the Hornets don’t have many holes in their lineup. “They have some of the best players in the state and on reputation alone, they’re always good.” Unfortunately for the Eagles, Edina’s play…

The Eden Prairie Eagles opened the 2022 football campaign by loading up buses at the high school for an hour-long trip to East Ridge in Woodbury on Thursday. But Eagles’ head coach Mike Grant is just fine with an odyssey through rush hour traffic, particularly for the first game of the season. “I like it because we don’t have school that day,” said Grant, who prefers having one of his team’s four regular season road games take place before classes begin. “Normally, we get out of school at 3:30 and we’re loading the bus at 4 p.m. The kids have…

It happens every year at this time. The summer heat loosens its grip, the air feels just a bit lighter, and before you can take that first bite of a Pronto Pup at the Minnesota State Fair, you realize it’s here: Football season. To prepare themselves for Friday nights this fall, the Eden Prairie Eagles spent last Saturday morning as hosts to what might be Minnesota’s largest scrimmage, the annual Football Jamboree at Eden Prairie High School. “We’ve been doing this for 30 years now,” said Eagles’ head coach Mike Grant. “It’s different teams over the years.” This year, Eden…