Lacrosse Brings Youth Together Across Cultures in Minnesota

Great article from the The Circle News

Lacrosse brings youth together across cultures

Saturday, September 10 2011

Written by Story by Art Coulson Photos by Tyler Isenmann,

It could have been a pitched battle of Eagles, fought swiftly and without mercy. But the lacrosse game played on a recent hot summer day between the Eagles of Prairie Island Indian Community and the Eagles of Apple Valley was a friendlier affair, pitting two teams who respected the other's sportsmanship and reverence for the Creator's Game.
In fact, the two groups of boys - separated by history, culture and geography - came together to play, not one team against the other, but on mixed teams playing for the love of the game.

The game, at a small park in suburban Burnsville, and the family picnic that followed was the idea of a group of Valley Athletic Association youth lacrosse players who were inspired by the Prairie Island team's sportsmanship when the two teams played earlier in the summer.

"We had a really, really good time [playing against Prairie Island]," said Adam Johnson, an Apple Valley eighth-grader and one of the organizers of the family get-together. "I wanted them to come here so that we could do something fun with them."

"My son came home after the first game and said, 'Mom, that was so much fun," said Tyler Isenmann, a professional photographer who has visited Prairie Island several times to shoot photos of the young players. "He was so impressed with their sportsmanship. There was no smack talk."

While many of the Apple Valley players have been playing lacrosse for several years, the Prairie Island team has been playing for about a year, said coach Brian Kimmell, Native American Coordinator for the Minnesota Swarm professional lacrosse team. The Prairie Island Lacrosse program was created by the Prairie Island Indian Community and the Swarm to promote the traditional American Indian sport among Native youth.

"Lacrosse is part of my heritage," said Evan Childs, a Prairie Island defenseman who became interested in the sport at a Swarm-sponsored summer camp. "This is really fun. I have been playing all summer with my cousins."

Last summer, the Swarm hosted the weeklong Lax-4-Life camp at Prairie Island to introduce the boys and girls on the reservation to the sport of lacrosse, the heritage of the game, health tips and life skills. It was modeled after an earlier camp held by the team at the Fond du Lac reservation near Duluth.
Last year the Swarm signed a partnership with the tribe's Treasure Island Resort & Casino that included a three-year commitment to develop youth lacrosse programs and gave the tribe exclusive naming rights to the Swarm's home playing field at the Xcel Center in St. Paul.

"We are honored to have the chance to teach Native youth the game of lacrosse," said Swarm Co-Owner and Vice President Andy Arlotta. "In doing so, we hope to rekindle the spirit and tradition of lacrosse on their reservation, while at the same time providing them with an active and healthy lifestyle alternative."

For its efforts in developing lacrosse programs for Native youth on the Fond du Lac and Prairie Island reservations, the Minnesota Swarm was recognized at the White House on July 11 during First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move in Indian Country initiative.

Kimmell, the Prairie Island coach, said the tribe plans to expand its seventh- and eighth-grade lacrosse program down to the fourth-grade level next year. He is also working with Red Wing High School to develop a program for the youth to play in as they grow older.

The youth will be practicing three to four days a week after school starts in preparation for the Swarm's Youth Box Lacrosse League this winter, Kimmell said.

The coach is also appreciative of the strong support he has received from tribal leaders.

"We play on an old buffalo field now," he said. "The tribal council plans to rip out the old dirt and grass and put in a proper field - with lights."

With the backing of the tribe and an intense cultural connection, the lacrosse program at Prairie Island is sure to grow and flourish.

"I think this will go on for years, probably," said Prairie Island ninth-grader T.J. Benway, a middie and defenseman. "I like to keep the tradition going. It's an honor to play this game."

For more information about youth lacrosse programs, visit the Minnesota Swarm web site at: mnswarm.com.

Photos courtesy of Tyler Isenmann, Caught in the Moment Photography, 612-382-2822. Check out more photos of the game at www.caughtinthemomentphotography.com.

See the Prairie Island Youth Lacrosse at: www.facebook.com/pages/Prairie-Island-Lacrosse/180924358599637.

Winter Lacrosse in Duluth? Pioneer Park Opening Soon!

Great news on the winter off-season lacrosse front.  The DECC will be opening Pioneer Park soon!  There is now a great opportunity to form winter off-season lacrosse leagues and practice lacrosse year round indoors.  Opportunities for an off-season 7 v. 7 lacrosse league and other leagues are presently being explored.  The obvious concern for interested users of the park will be how much rental time will cost.

The full article from the Duluth News-Tribune follows:

Indoor soccer, other sports coming to Duluth's Pioneer Park

People soon will be able to play soccer, baseball, lacrosse and other such warm-weather sports in comfort nearly year-round in Duluth. By: News Tribune staff, Duluth News Tribune

People soon will be able to play soccer, baseball, lacrosse and other such warm-weather sports in comfort nearly year-round in Duluth.

The indoor athletic turf used in the Duluth Heritage Center’s Seitz Arena in spring and summer now will be used in the DECC’s Pioneer Hall during the winter, it was announced today at a news conference in Seitz Arena.

“The Duluth Heritage Sports Center is providing the community an excellent service by continuing its programming in Pioneer Park,” Deb Messer, DECC Board of Directors President, said.

DECC Executive Director Dan Russell estimated the turf could see 800 hours of service a winter at Pioneer Park, as Pioneer Hall will be known when the turf is there. For direct access from the DECC parking lot, a new entrance to Pioneer Park is being built across from the William A. Irvin.

The Minnesota Vikings donated the 210-by-120-foot turf to the Boys and Girls Club of the Northland in 2008 for indoor youth activities. The Heritage Sports Center has managed the turf and its programming since then. But the turf only has been available for use from April to September, when ice is put down in Seitz Arena. The DECC will have the turf available from November to March.

Native American Youth Get Active at the Minnesota Swarm’s Lacrosse Camp

From the Let's Move website
Posted by Kevin Discepolo, Secretary’s Fellow for Youth in the Great Outdoors at the Department of the Interior on August 29, 2011

Building off of the commitments made at the July White House South Lawn Series lacrosse event, I was excited to hear about the success of the Minnesota Swarm’s 2ndannual Lax-4-Life camp. The National Lacrosse League’s team from the Land of 10,000 Lakes saw their enrollment double for this year’s camp, with nearly fifty 13-15 year old Native America youth attending. Seven different Tribal communities were present, including: Fond du Lac, Prairie Island, Oneida Nation, Little Earth, Lac Courte Orelles, Grand Portage, and Mille Lacs.

The five-day overnight camp was presented by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Lax-4-Life co-founder Clint Letch and the Minnesota Swarm. In addition to lacrosse training and instruction, the camp also provided educational sessions on drug, alcohol, violence, and gang prevention, as well as diabetes and obesity awareness.

Photo Credit: Alec Schimke, MN Swarm

“With the curriculum this year, we tried to teach these kids the value of lacrosse as well as the heritage of the sport and what it means to them,” Swarm Director of Lacrosse Operations Kevin Dunnigan said. “But we also wanted to work on different community aspects such as nutrition and fitness. We hope these are skills they can take forward in their lifestyle.”

Minnesota Swarm co-owner Andy Arlotta and Clint Letch started the camp last year with the goal of providing Native American youth with a healthy lifestyle choice that they could take pride in.

“In the last two years, the program has grown,” Letch said. “This year we brought girls into the program, which I think is a huge asset to have as more and more women are being called on to leadership positions throughout reservations.”

“When we arrived in Minnesota a few years ago, we were surprised that lacrosse was not being played in the Native American communities,” Arlotta said. “It has been our goal to help return lacrosse to this community where it all started, and it's exciting and rewarding to see how fast it is growing through programs like Lax-4-Life."

Brookston Community Center Manager Bryan Bosto who hosted the camp, echoed Arlotta’s observations of the sports growth, “Two years ago there was no discussion of lacrosse in this community. To see the kids carrying around their sticks in December...practicing with themselves by throwing the ball against the wall…to me that’s the biggest impact I’ve seen in any sport. The general consensus used to be that lacrosse is an East Coast game, but it's not. It’s a traditional Native American sport.”

Photo Credit: Alec Schimke, MN Swarm

Commissioner George Daniel of the National Lacrosse League congratulated the Swarm, “We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication from the Minnesota Swarm. It is encouraging to see such an amazing alliance with community members to ensure the health and well-being of Native American youth. The Swarm has set the model as we look to do similar outreach in Native American communities with our other teams.”

WDIO.com - Duluth Summer Lacrosse

Nice news report from the WDIO Up North segment on August 10, 2011 about lacrosse in Duluth featuring the YMCA youth league and Tuesday night pick-up games for middle school, high school, college and adult players.

Video Highlights from the Bulldog Lacrosse Camp in Duluth

Day 1:

Bulldog Lacrosse Camp from Epoch Lacrosse on Vimeo.

Day 2:

Bulldog Lacrosse Camp Day 2! from Epoch Lacrosse on Vimeo.

Day 3:

Bulldog Lacrosse Camp Day 3! from Epoch Lacrosse on Vimeo.

Tribal Communities Celebrate Their Anscentral Sport

Wouldn't it be great to have a northern Minnesota lacrosse team from one of our northern Minnesota tribal communities?  Even better, lacrosse teams in all of our northern Minnesota tribal communities!  Great to see the sport spreading across the Northland!

Article from Northland Newscenter and video below




Cloquet, MN (Northland's NewsCenter) --- Members of the Minnesota Swarm, the state's only professional lacrosse team, were the guests of honor this week at the second annual Lax-4-Life lacrosse camp.

They said it's an honor to be able to work with the kids of the Northland.

"Working with these kids is even more rewarding for us because these kids really appreciate every word that comes out of our mouth," said Kevin Dunnigan, the Storm's director of lacrosse operations. "These kids really soak in every experience they get, and it's an awesome experience for us as instructors."

"Of all the things I do, I've coached from youth to the professional level, this is one of the most rewarding things," said Aime Caines, a Storm assistant coach. "To be able to give back, lacrosse has given me so much, to give back like this is special."

More than 50 kids from seven tribal communities across the Northland took part in this week's camp.

The Swarm coaches said, for most of them, lacrosse just comes natural.

"It's in their blood, and we see that," Dunnigan said. "These kids pick it up quick. We put a stick in their hands and they're catching and throwing. It's pretty amazing, actually, right off the bat. It's almost natural for them."

"Every one of these kids born in the tribal communities, it's their birthright to have a stick given to them," Caines said. "When they pass on into the afterlife, they're going to leave with that stick."

The sport of lacrosse has been gaining a fan base in recent years. Dunnigan said it's the Swarm's goal to keep improving the sport's popularity amongst kids.

"What we're trying to do is build a base or a foundation in a lacrosse community, and also reach out to these communities that might need some help," Dunnigan said. "They don't know where to start, so we're lucky to have that opportunity to go out and work with these new communities."

Posted by Zach Schneider
zschneider@northlandsnewscenter.com

Highlights from Duluth YMCA Youth League

The Duluth YMCA Youth Lacrosse League is in full swing and the kids are improving by leaps and bounds with each practice and game.  The passing and catching is improving, the kids are understanding what to do and more goals are being scored.  The parents are having fun watching the games and the kids are having more fun playing!  Here are some scenes from league play.

Duluth Y Youth League Practice Cancelled; Pick Up Games Still On

The Duluth YMCA Youth Lacrosse League practices are cancelled tonight due to inclement weather.  The Drop-In League pick-up games are still on.  If the inclement weather clears by 7:00 p.m., the pick-up games will still be played.

Lacrosse Should stick Around in the North

Article from the Duluth Budgeteer about lacrosse in Duluth and northern Minnesota

Louie St. George: Lacrosse should stick around

Louie St. George, for the Budgeteer

Duluth Chargers Varsity player Henry Roningen (rught)

Every evening this spring, it seemed, there was a collection of stick-wielding teenagers running rampant across the turf at Public Schools Stadium.

Baseball team? Nope. Dry-land hockey practice? Certainly not. Golfers? They don’t run. No, it was a burgeoning group of lacrosse enthusiasts, who apparently find strength in numbers.

Lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport in the country, and the Duluth Superior Chargers certainly exemplify that trend. A club team, the Chargers boasted 70 players (primarily from Eastern Duluth and Hermantown) spread across three teams — middle school, junior varsity and varsity — and won seven of nine games while finishing second in the North Division of the Minnesota Boys Scholastic Lacrosse Association.

Duluth Chargers Middle Schooler Bryce Holak

Not too shabby for a team whose sport remains on the fringe of mainstream society — at least here in the Northland.

“A lot of people are afraid of it just because it’s an obscure sport to most of Northern Minnesota,” the team’s co-coach, Matt Reeves, who was in his fifth season of coaching the Chargers, said shortly after the Chargers’ season ended in early June. "They don’t understand it, so they kind of are leery to get involved, but the growth that we’ve had, once kids come out and try it, they love it."

As soccer’s dramatic growth of the 1990s appears to have reached a plateau — a very healthy and sustainable plateau — lacrosse looks destined to become the Next Big Thing.  Or, perhaps, we already have reached that point, and lacrosse is the Current Big Thing.  Either way, it’s a big thing.

Even in Minnesota, where folks are often skeptical of any sporting pursuit that doesn’t include a puck, the game’s popularity is stunning. The Minnesota State High School League sanctioned 113 teams (59 girls, 54 boys) this spring.

The state’s professional lacrosse team, the Minnesota Swarm, averages close to 10,000 fans a game. Locally, Minnesota Duluth’s club program is among the most successful in the nation.
“It’s been outstanding,” said Matt Koppang, Reeves’ coaching counterpart with the Chargers, of the uptick in interest. “The fact that Minnesota now has a professional lacrosse team that’s one of the greatest things in our world now is going down and watching the Swarm play. And finally just being able to watch it on TV now."

The Chargers hope to eventually join the MSHSL and become an official high school varsity sport. In the meantime, they will continue to compete against other infant club programs from around the state. Fortunately, the schedule has become less burdensome in recent years, as programs sprout up throughout Northeastern Minnesota, thereby limiting road trips to the Twin Cities.

Duluth Chargers JV player Britton Harris

Part of lacrosse’s appeal is that it develops a plethora of skills used in other sports. Hockey players enjoy it because of its utilization of a stick. Football players relish the physicality, and basketball players can enhance their footwork while running plays similar to those often used on the hardwood.

Plus, it’s just downright fun.

“It’s faster-paced and it’s good exercise for other sports,” said the Chargers’ Britton Harris, who will be a junior at Duluth East this fall.

Duluth Nighthawks in blue

While the Chargers will have to replace roughly 15 seniors who graduated last month, the Duluth Nighthawks were remarkably young in 2011. Only four of the Nighthawks’ 37 players were seniors, meaning the team should feature impressive experience when it reconvenes next spring.

The Nighthawks, like the Chargers a club team, went 3-4-1 to finish in the middle of the pack of the Northcentral Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association.

Read the full article HERE

Northern Player Finds Success on Minnesota Frost Select Lacrosse Team

Duluth's Nate Pratt (right)

Recently graduated Duluth-Superior Chargers senior defenseman Nate Pratt just returned from Colorado where he was a member of the Minnesota Frost U-19 Select lacrosse team.  The Minnesota Frost U-19 select team includes some of the best graduating seniors in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Frost team represented the state of Minnesota well at the Vail Lacrosse Shootout in Vail, CO from June 27 to June 30.  The Frost participated in the Division 1 bracket and came out in 6th place among 18 teams.  The tournament winner, the Crabs from Baltimore, is a team made up almost entirely of NCAA Division I recruits.  The competition at this tourney is top notch, and it's great to see one of our own northern Minnesota players making a big contribution to the team representing Minnesota.  Pratt is a University of Minnesota-Duluth lacrosse recruit at defense and will be suiting up for the 14 time UMLL conference champion Bulldogs next Spring.

More on MN Elite's Tournament in Maryland

Another interesting perspective of MN Elite's tournament in Baltimore from the perspective of one of the players.  You can find the full article HERE.

Here's an excerpt from the piece:

Jake Woodring shooting

General Impressions: We went 6-0 in the showcase, and were the only undefeated team. Our team thought our hardest competition was going to be the two long island teams but we beat them 10-6 and 9-2. Our hardest competition were the Haymakers (6-3) and the Arizona Burn (8-7). I think this shows that there are new hotbeds showing up. It was good seeing that skill level was growing to other places and not just the east coast. I would have liked to play teams like Team Central and the CT Chargers, two teams that could really play the game well.

Our team: We got to bring the rising junior elite team there as well. Our team has been known to be the best team to come out of our state and I think we proved that this weekend by going 6-0. We had six kids make the tournament’s all-star game which is voted by the college coaches in attendance; Attackmen Al Barnhart (Blake School ’12) and Andy Dines (Westminster School ’12/Delaware Commit), Midfielders Jake Woodring (Eden Prarie ’13) and Taylor Topousis (Deerfield PG ’12/Dartmouth Commit), and Goalies Thomas Gilligan (Benilde-St. Margarets ’12) and Calder Sutton (Blake School ’12). All of them played great.

Minnesota Lacrosse Getting Some Love

Writers at the highest level are finally starting to give Minnesota lacrosse its due.  It's time for the north to start contributing to the growth and success of lacrosse in the state.

From Inside Lacrosse - Full Article HERE

The 2nd annual Baltimore Summer Kickoff took place this weekend at the Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills, Md. Jon Torpey and Pat Tracey from High Point ran an excellent event with a geographically diverse group of teams which made for an exciting round two of the Baltimore Summer Kickoff.

Last weekend was mostly centered around teams from the Mid-Atlantic (mostly Maryland and Virginia), but this weekend has teams from a bevy of states. Rather than focusing on specific games throughout the day, I followed individual teams from areas that we don't usually cover. Seeing teams from Minnesota and Arizona kill it was quite satisfying, also making me realize that the talent pool is much larger than that of three or four years ago.

MINNESOTA ELITE GOLD

I enjoyed watching these guys the most, as they attracted a myriad of coaches spread out over the sideline. By watching them play, you never would guess that they were from Minnesota, as they played like they were from a hotbed.

I must say, not only were the one of the top teams at the event (if not the best), they were also the best dressed. The shorts had a sweet argyle maroon and gold pattern on the front and on the back on one side, with a large Minnesota state outline on the other.

Some serious standouts on the offensive end for the boys from 'Sota. Taylor Topousis, who will attend Deerfield Academy for a year before heading to Dartmouth, was the lynchpin at midfield. He was outstanding on wings and had superb stick skills and vision. Al Barnhart (Blake School '12) was very slick though hovering around five feet tall. He was a real speedster and a tenacious rider and embraced a ton of contact yet wasn't affected by it one bit. Attackman Andy Dines (Westminster School '12), a Delaware commit, was extremely impressive and made some dazzling plays.

On defense, Ryan Lawyer (Benilde-St. Margaret's '12) was a stud on the wings and made some great runs upfield. Lawyer was listed as a LSM but was making plays all over the field. Thomas Gilligan (Benilde-St. Margaret's '12) was a stout lefty with great size who saw the ball very well all day as the first half goalie. Very impressed with his ability to shut the door from close range.

Duluth YMCA Youth lacrosse Cancelled Today

Note from the YMCA:

Due to poor field conditions practice/games for today have been cancelled.  We hope the weather clears up for next week so we can get back on track!  Note: We will plan a make-up day for this weeks cancellations.

Check the Duluth YMCA Youth Lacrosse Facebook page for practice updates.  Also, you can call the YMCA front desk at 722.4745 ext 100 by 4:00 to hear whether or not practice will be held

US Lacrosse Study Reveals Continued Growth

From US Lacrosse

National lacrosse participation grew 10 percent in 2010 according to the annual participation survey conducted by US Lacrosse, released May 27, 2011. The US Lacrosse report found 624,593 players competed on organized teams in 2010, up 10 percent from the total of 568,021 in 2009. US Lacrosse first tracked overall lacrosse participation in 2001, when 253,931 people played on organized teams.

Youth lacrosse, categorized as players age 15 and under, accounted for the largest number of players with 324,673 competing in 2010, up 9.2 percent from 2009.

High school lacrosse also continued to boom with 255,314 players, up 12.2 percent from 2009. There are now 21 state high school athletic associations that have either formally sanctioned or recognized lacrosse. According to data from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the number of boys’ varsity programs has increased 55.0 percent over the last five years and the number of girls’ varsity programs has increased 48.4 percent. Both figures are the highest total among high school sports.

Growth Rates of NFHS Sports Boys 5-yr
1. Lacrosse.........55%
2. Bowling.........39%
3. Volleyball......24%
4. Water Polo.....18%
5. Swimming.....16%

Growth Rates of NFHS Sports Girls 5-yr
1. Lacrosse.........48%
2. Bowling.........45%
3. Ice Hockey.....30%
4. Golf................17%
5. Swimming......15%

Despite a challenging economic environment, college lacrosse also has seen an upward trend in participation. A total of 32,431 players competed on varsity and club teams in 2010, up 2.6 percent from 2009. Over the last five years, men’s and women’s college lacrosse are the fastest growing sports at the NCAA level. The number of men’s programs has increased 22.4 percent in that time span, and the number of women’s programs has increased 30.3 percent.

Growth Rates of NCAA Sports Men's 5-yr
1. Lacrosse............22%
2. Volleyball..........14%
3. Cross Country.....7%
4. Indoor Track.......6%
5. Golf/Swimming..5%

The US Lacrosse Participation Survey is produced annually by US Lacrosse. The survey is used to monitor participation at different levels of the sport across the country. The primary sources of data for this report are surveys that are sent to the 63 US Lacrosse regional chapters that were active in 2010. Data also is provided by the US Lacrosse database, the NCAA, the NFHS, the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association and the website www.laxpower.com. The survey counts only participation on organized teams and does not include leisure-time play of lacrosse.

► Download the 2010 US Lacrosse Participation Study

LACROSSE GROWTH SINCE 2001
The following numbers represent the total number of lacrosse players nationally since US
Lacrosse began tracking data in 2001.
Year Players     % 1-yr Growth
2001 253,931........... —
2002 288,104........... 13.5
2003 301,560..............4.7
2004 351,852............16.7
2005 381,568..............8.4
2006 426,022............11.7
2007 480,627............12.8
2008 524,230..............9.1
2009 568,021..............8.4
2010 624,593............10.0

Drop-In League Games Canceled Tonight

The Duluth Drop-In League pick up games have been canceled tonight due to inclement weather.  We'll play again next Tuesday (6/28) at 7:00 p.m.  Bring your gear and be ready to play!

Northern Lights Lacrosse MBSLA North All-Conference Team

In what is sure to produce some amount of controversy, the MBSLA just released their 2011 all-conference and all-state teams.  In the North Conference, Duluth was left completely off the all-conference list.  There were no Duluth players named to the 1st or 2nd team or the Honorable Mention list.  Unfortunately, the Duluth players paid for the Duluth officials, who were contacted to participate in the all-conference selection, lack of involvement.


MBSLA officials exercised due diligence in contacting team officials and setting up a conference call to select the all-conference teams.  Duluth failed to respond to any of the communications.  It's unfortunate that the players, who earned the right to be recognized on an all-conference team, were penalized due to this indifference.  An all-conference team without any players from a team that finished the season 3-1 in conference, finished with an overall record of 7-3 and clearly had some very good players simply cannot be considered as meaningful as a team fully represented by the entire conference.  Again, Duluth is clearly at fault, but it's the players who must pay unfortunately. 


In light of this situation, Northern Lights Lacrosse made an effort to name an MBSLA North all-conference team that more fairly represents the entire conference.  Of course our effort wasn't perfect just as any other effort like this that introduces subjectivity is never perfect.  We realize that our Honorable Mention list is way too large, but we did want to recognize those players that may have been bumped off the 2nd team with the addition of more players to the team.  We really didn't have great justification for bumping them off the second team and weren't familiar enough with the names already on the Honorable Mention list and wanted to be sure they were recognized for their efforts as well.


So, with the admission that nothing is perfect, here is the 2011 Northern Lights Lacrosse MBSLA North All-Conference team.  Please feel free to comment:

2011 MBSLA North All Conference
1st Team		2nd Team
Attack		Attack
Mike Whitson, Jr. - St. Cloud North		Andrew Lindmeier, So. - St. Cloud North
Zach Thompson, Sr. - Duluth		Steven Halver, Jr. - Duluth
Zach Brown, Sr. - Brainerd		Tanner Lindstrom, So. - Fargo
Mid-Field		Mid-Field
Jake Reichenbach, Sr. - Brainerd		Beau Hughes, So. - Duluth
Keith Haymaker, Sr. - Brainerd		Ian Wieczorek, Sr. - Duluth
Mike Hillman, Sr. - Duluth		Aaron Monson, Jr. - Fargo
Defense		Defense
Nate Pratt, Sr. - Duluth		Mark Torgerson, Sr. - Brainerd
Tyler Kohnen, Sr. - St. Cloud North		Justin Kremer, Jr. - St. Cloud North
Tyler Minkel, So. - St. Cloud North		John Babick, Sr. - Duluth
Long Stick Mid-Field		Long Stick Mid-Field
Matt Mensinger, Jr. - Duluth		Ben Berghuis, Sr. - Brainerd
Goalie		Goalie
Tyler Olson, Sr. - Duluth		Alex Hoalupczok, Sr. - St. Cloud North
Face-Off Mid-Field		Face-Off Mid-Field
Christian Murray, Jr. - St. Cloud North		Kristian Haymaker, Fr. - Brainerd
Honorable Mention -  Ben Dunnell (A) Grand Rapids, Brandon Kruse (A) St. Cloud North, Mitch Howieson (A) Brainerd, Cameron Waby (A) Brainerd, Henry Roningen (M) Duluth, Trevor Clark (M) Duluth, Jack Maddy (M) Duluth, Ryan Bidinger (M) St. Cloud North, Zach Peterson (M) St. Cloud North, John Kirick (M) St. Cloud North, Michael Kringle (M) Fargo, Brody Geisler (M) Grand Rapids, Ben Noah (M) Fargo, Jeremy Young (M) Brainerd, Adam Casperson (M) Brainerd, Nevada Shelton, (LSM) Duluth, Tucker Isaacson (LSM) St. Cloud North, John McGillis (D) Brainerd, Daniel Evenson (D) Fargo, Zach Brist (D) Grand Rapids, Jake North (D) Duluth, John Deelstra (D) Fargo, Zach Caldwell (D) Brainerd, Kevin Lechner (G) Brainerd, Joe Noah (G) Fargo

Best of College Lacrosse 2011 Highlight Video

The best highlight videos on the net from JL Productions.  Enjoy!

Grand Forks Area Skills Familiarization Clinic

The Grand Cities Lacrosse Club in Grand Forks will be offering skills familiarization clinics this July.  Details on the clinics below.

Grand Cities Lacrosse Club

Skills Familiarization Clinic

Looking for players that will be in 6th – 12th grade in the fall of 2011

7 - two hour sessions

Tuesdays and Thursdays

7-28 July 2011

Clinic fee:  $50

All sessions held at:

Lions Park

3211 17th Avenue South

Grand Forks, ND

Learn the skills to play lacrosse!  Clinics will be lead by University of North Dakota Men’s Lacrosse Club members.  Sometimes known as the fastest game on two feet, lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the United States and is taking root in the Upper Red River Valley.  Get involved in the first youth lacrosse program in the Greater Grand Forks area!

For more information about the club or to register on-line for the familiarization clinic, please e-mail us at Grand.Cities.Lacrosse@gmail.com .  You can also check out our Facebook page, search Grand Cities Lacrosse Club.