High School teams in Northern Minnesota:
MBSLA teams: MBSLA high school teams listed below participate in the North Division
Brainerd Warriors - location: Brainerd, MN
Fargo High School - location: Fargo, ND
Grand Rapids Thunderhawks - location: Grand Rapids, MN
St. Cloud North Knights - location: St. Cloud, MN. Comprised of kids from Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Apollo and other surrounding area high schools
MSHSL teams:
St. Cloud South Tigers - location: St. Cloud, MN. The only MSHSL team presently located in the north.
Girls Lacrosse in the North:
Youth Programs and Lacrosse Associations:
Duluth YMCA Youth Lacrosse League - In 2011, this league will be expanding to include 4 teams at the 3/4 and 5/6 grade levels. Practices will be held on Tuesdays throughout the summer (first week in June until last week in July) with games every Thursday. The Y league is hoping to recruit more kids at the 3rd through 6th grade levels to allow for the formation of teams at both age levels and a more competitive and fun league. In addition, a travel team will be formed at both the 3/4 and 5/6 grade levels to participate in a couple of tournaments later in the summer. UMD Bulldog lacrosse players and coaches provide the coaching and instruction for this league, making it a very attractive league for kids just getting started.
Grand Rapids Lacrosse Association - Will have a 5/6 grade team play in the MBSLA spring league in 2011
Fargo Lacrosse Club - Fargo offers a youth spring lacrosse league for kids ages 9-14.
College Lacrosse Teams:
St. Cloud State - MCLA Division I
Minnesota State Moorhead - MCLA Division II
Events:
Fargo Tournament - 2011 Fargo Ambush Tournament, May 14 & 15, 2011. Each team is guaranteed 3 games. Age divisions for boys are high school varsity, high school JV, high school 9/10, 7/8, 5/6 and 3/4. There is a single division for girls high school varsity. Contact Tournament Director, Matt Noah, matt@fargolacrosse.org if you have any questions.
Grand Rapids Tournament - Grand Rapids Lax Shootout is scheduled for May 7 & 8, 2011. This tournament will include varsity, JV, middle school and girls teams. For more information about this tournament contact lacrosse@mchsi.com
Future of Lacrosse in Northern Minnesota:
At the present time, there are only 5 MBSLA teams in Northern Minnesota and one MSHSL team. Where and how could lacrosse grow at the high school level in Northern Minnesota? Here are some possibilities:
A team on the Iron Range is a distinct possibility in the near future. This team could be composed of Virginia-Eveleth-Mt. Iron and other Iron Range schools
Other possible northern teams could include a North Shore team composed of a combination of Two Harbors/Silver Bay/Grand Marais. Some other combination teams similar to some of the hockey combinations could include - Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, Hermantown/Proctor/Marshall, and Mora/Hinckley/Finlayson. Other teams located in the larger communities of Bemidji, International Falls, Thief River Falls, Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area, Moorhead, Fergus Falls/Alexandria, and a Northern Wisconsin team composed of Superior/Ashland are also possibilities.
Of the most likely teams, two solid Northern Divisions could be formed:
Northeast Division, composed of - Duluth, Grand Rapids, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, Hermantown/Proctor/Marshall, Iron Range, International Falls and Superior.
Northwest Division, composed of Brainerd, St. Cloud North, Fargo, Bemidji, Grand Forks/East Grand Forks, Thief River Falls and Moorhead.
The North Shore, Mora/Hinckley, and Fergus Falls/Alexandria may be a little further out based on their respective school sizes, proximity to other schools and distance between schools.
