By Lem Satterfield, ESPNHS
No Distance Too Far
How far will one team go to play lacrosse?
If the team is the Grand Cities Predators, then more than 1,250 miles this season.
Five years ago Brent Lindstrom learned about lacrosse when his son Tanner became interested after watching a game on ESPNU while in Minneapolis for a summer hockey event.
To grow the sport, Brent organized and is an assistant coach with the Grand Cities' Predators Lacrosse team located in Grand Forks, N.D., which will begin its first season of play on April 13.
Their schedule is made up of 16 games -- five at home, six on the road, with a five-game tournament in Grand Rapids, Minn.
The team’s six road games will take them as far away as Providence Academy (Plymouth, Minn.), 306 miles and as close as 80 miles when they play Fargo (N.D.) on May 20.
The Predators are comprised of 17 boys ranging from eighth-to-11th grade from East Grand Forks (Minn.), Warren-Alvarado-Olso (Warren, Minn.), Central Middle School (East Grand Forks, Minn.) and Red River and Central High Schools (Grand Forks, N.D.). The Predators are coached by Aaron Cabanaw, along with assistants Brent Lindstrom, Cameron Willox and Kelly Hurt.
The team brings officials from Minneapolis for each of its home games.
"There is almost no lacrosse background in the area, and the college guys that do know the game are playing for the local college club teams and have their own practices and games," Lindstrom said. "We have to bring our officials in from over 300 miles away in the Minneapolis area and mileage charges are $170 per official each time they come up.”
“Last year in Fargo we played two home games, one on a Friday evening and the other the next day at noon. Two officials, $800 for two games," Lindstrom added.
The Predators play their first game on April 14 against Duluth (Minn.) at Denfield High School (Duluth, Minn.), 267 miles away.
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