Fargo Warriors - 2012 Northern Minnesota Lacrosse Season Preview

Team: Fargo Warriors - The Warriors are made up of players from Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead High Schools.

Coaches:
Ben Fairbanks, Head Coach –
Second year with Fargo
Sam Morse, Assistant Coach –
First year with Fargo

Last Year's Record: 1-10

Number of Returning Starters/Key Returning Players: The Warriors return 6 MBSLA North All Conference players from last season who look to be a strong foundation for the team. Those players are Aaron Monson Senior midfielder, John Deelstra Senior Defensman, Ben Noah Sophmore Midfielder, Danie Evenson Junior Goalie, Mike Kringlie Senior Midfielder, and Joe Noah Junior Defense. Among this years Seniors Aaron Monson and John Deelstra are expected to make an strong impact as they step into leadership roles during practice and games to help guide the team through its second season.

Key Losses: Junior Attackman Tannor Lindstrom has moved his talents North as he will be playing with his hometown of Grand Forks as they play their inaugural season and help to continue the growth of lacrosse throughout North Dakota.

Key Newcomers to this years team: Junior Midfielder Carter Schulke looks to have an immediate impact on the team as he comes to the Fargo area with years of experience having played previously in the lacrosse program in Ohio.  Senior Defenseman Ben Nelson will give the Warrior defense the physical presence it needs in this years defensive scheme put in place by new Assistant Coach Sam Morse.

Team Strength this season: Determination & Optimism. Strong Goaltending and Midfield play will help the Warriors to control the game on both ends of the field.

Games to Watch:  With Grand Cities lacrosse joining the ranks of teams in North Dakota, meetings between the two teams have the possibility of growing into a great rivalry for years to come.  Games to watch this season will be when the Warriors face off against Grand Rapids on May 19^th and Brainerd on the 20^th.  Both of these teams squeaked by the Warriors with 1 goal victories last season and these match ups will be strong indicators of how the program has grown over the last year.

Season Outlook:   The Fargo Warriors will be returning every player but one from last year's roster.  With another year of experience and some new players coming in, the Warriors have high hopes for their team in 2012.  Coach Fairbanks believes that, "With there still being a lot of youth on this years roster we are looking to continue to grow game by game and stay determined throughout the season focusing on winning the small battles in every game."  With improvement throughout the season Coach Fairbanks adds, "Our ultimate goal will be a winning record and a birth into the state tournament."