Junior captain Zinedine Kroeten said although being named to Minnesota’s second All-State team is an honor, he doesn’t play soccer for the awards.

“I’ve just been playing my whole life,” Kroeten said. “I play it because I love it, and I don’t play for awards.”

According to Kroeten, being part of second team All-State puts him in the top percentile of high school soccer players.

“Second team all-state means that some coaches decided that I was one of the 44 best field players in AA soccer out of around 1400 athletes,” Kroeten said.

Enright said the All-State team helps to honor players who have put substantial effort into their teams and skills.

“This award matters because it shows how good you are. (For) the people who work hard and want to be the best they can be, it is a really great feeling,” Enright said.

Junior Spencer Enright said the soccer team is proud of Kroeten for earning the honor.

“The award to me means you are the one of the best players in Minnesota and that is something to be proud of,” Enright said.

Assistant coach Pat Hartman said the boys’ soccer has named a few players to All-State teams over the years.

“Some years we have a couple, some years we have one, some years we have none, so it’s always a nice honor for kids to get that,” Hartman said.

Kroeten said while nothing is guaranteed, the award has the potential to help his future soccer career.

“This award will probably help me get into a good soccer school, but it doesn’t automatically get you in,” Kroeten said.

Hartman said the team received the news positively by supporting and encouraging Kroeten’s accomplishments.

“I think anytime anyone gets honored, it’s not jealousy or anything like that, they’re all real supportive of each other,” Hartman said.