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.