August 27, 2012

North Coast Jaxx Complete Successful First Season

HGL Champions
The North Coast Jaxx team composed of players from the Duluth area, Grand Rapids and Proctor completed a very successful first summer in 2012, topping it off with the 2012 Homegrown Summer Varsity Prep League championship on August 8.  The NC Jaxx topped Eastview III 5-3 in the semifinal and Champlin Park 5-4 in the Championship game.  They finished the summer Homegrown League season with an undefeated 8-0 record and the season with a 13-3-1 overall record.

North Coast Jaxx in Michigan
Along with the on-field success, the team proved to be a success in many other ways.  The North Coast Jaxx proved that a summer travel team could succeed and flourish in Northern Minnesota.  The team brought together kids and families from rival programs and forged new friendships.  Most importantly, the kids and families had a lot of fun.  The team improved greatly during the Cherry Bomb Tournament in Traverse City, MI while playing some very good competition, and they also had a great time.

Kids in Northern Minnesota are finally playing lacrosse in the off-season and improving their games.  It's a new day for lacrosse in Northern Minnesota, and the North Coast Jaxx were part of the "lax revolution" in the North!  Here's to another successful and flourishing season of summer lacrosse for the Jaxx in 2013!

August 20, 2012

Thunder Ducks Lax Take Home First SOLL Championship

The first Superior Outdoor Lacrosse League (SOLL) 7 v. 7 Championship Sunday included some close games and exciting lacrosse play.  Games were played at Park Point in Duluth, MN.  With every team in the league having at least 2 losses, the championship was up for grabs.

In game 1, the #3 seed Honey Badgers took on the #6 seed Free Agents.  The young Honey Badgers team, with their two elder statesmen, were looking to warm up against the Free Agents in anticipation of a match up against the #2 seed Brojans in the next round.  The Free Agents however, had other things in mind.  

SOLL regular season scoring leader Scott Wishart #17
The game was close throughout with the score being tied for the majority of the game.  Young James Holak, a 6th grader and new player to the Free Agent team helped to keep the game close by leading the team with 3 goals.  Jack O’ Connell, also a 6th grader and new to the Free Agent team helped to control the high scoring Honey Badgers team on defense.  The Free Agents held the Honey Badgers to 8 goals and the game ended with the Honey Badgers eking out an 8-6 win in the first round of the playoffs.

Iziah Schramm, playing lacrosse for the first time ever this summer also scored 2 goals for the Free Agents along with Treven Smalley with 2 goals.  The Honey Badgers were led on offense by Dan O’Connell, Bryce Holak and Jesse Larson who each scored 2 goals.  Holak and O’Connell also added an assist each.  Aaron Kilpo added a goal and an assist and Andy Holak scored one goal.

The second game of the night featured #4 Fighting Aye-Aye’s against #5 Broseidon.  The score was knotted up for much of the game before the Aye-Aye’s pulled away behind the prolific scoring of Frank Napoli and Cooper Carlson to win 20-13.  Napoli poured in 8 goals and added 2 assists while Carlson scorched the net for 6 goals and 1 assist.  Tyler Kolquist added 3 goals, Steve Halver added 2 and Mac Johnson pitched in one goal.  Zack Zierden led the way for Broseidon with 5 goals while Zach Galo and Kevin Marshall added 3 goals apiece and Luke Hannan tallied 2 goals.  TJ Vallie saved Broseidon from even more scoring by standing tall between the pipes with 14 saves.  

The first final four game featured the #1 seed Thunder Ducks against first round winner Fighting Aye-Aye’s.  This game was close until the final minutes of the game when the Thunder Ducks pulled away to win 14-11.  Scott Wishart, the regular season scoring leader, led the Thunder Ducks with 5 goals and 5 assists while Mike Hillman scored 3 goals, Alex Rogers scored two goals and added one assist, Frank Rush added one goal and one assist, and Nick Teresi, Beau Hughes and Tanner Fritsinger each pitched in with one goal.  The Aye-Aye’s were led by Frank Napoli with 5 goals and Cooper Carlson with 3 goals.  Steve Halver added two goals and Tyler Kolquist scored one goal.

The next game proved to be one of the most exciting games of the season with the score knotted up nearly the entire game and ended with a controversial call.  The #2 seed Brojans took on the #3 seed Honey Badgers for the right to play in the first SOLL Championship game.  The game see-sawed back and forth with no team ever leading by more than 3 goals.  The Brojans led by 3 goals late in the game and it looked like it would be a #1 versus #2 championship game before the Honey Badgers stormed back to tie the game.  The Brojans would then take a one goal lead right up until the end before a late goal by the Honey Badgers would tie the game again and send it into overtime. 

BRAVEHEART!
The final overtime period would be decided by Braveheart.  Bryce Holak came out for the Honey Badgers and Doug Jensen would take the face off for the Brojans.  Holak won the opening faceoff and took the ball down the field before solid defense by Jensen and good goalie play would force Holak’s shot to go wide.  Jensen then took possession and made a contested shot on goal that was saved by the 2012 SOLL saves leader Pat O’ Connell, with another fearless play in the net.  On the ensuing loose ball, Holak would pick up the ground ball while Jensen’s head would come off his shaft.  Holak’s shot on goal would be saved by goalie Tyler Altringer making a tremendous play on the ball.  With a new stick Jensen would take the ball upfield again.  Amazingly, on another ground ball, Jensen’s head would come off his back up stick!  This time Holak, with Jackson Schwartz rushing on the field to cover for Jensen, would come down the field and bury the ball in the back of the net for a 16-15 Braveheart win for the Honey Badgers.  There was some confusion on the final play and a questioning of whether or not to continue play after a player’s head comes off his stick in Braveheart.  An explanation of the ruling based on a conversation with head lacrosse referee Dan Heldt can be found HERE

Doug Jensen led the Brojans and all scorers with 7 goals.  Joey Keating scored 3 goals, Graham Gallop and Brad Sandeen each added 2 goals and Ben Dunnell scored one goal for the Brojans.  Bryce Holak led the Honey Badgers with 6 goals while Jeff Wright would add 3 goals, Jesse Larson and Jack Norlen chipped in with 2 goals each and Dan O’ Connell and Aaron Kilpo each scored one goal.  Both Tyler Altringer and Pat O’ Connell were strong in the net.

The Honey Badgers would continue their strong play into the final Championship game with the #1 seeded Thunder Ducks.  The Honey Badgers played well, hanging with the Thunder Ducks goal for goal until the second half.  The Thunder Ducks would pull away from the Honey Badgers to take the first SOLL Championship with a 15-12 win.
2012 SOLL Champions - Thunder Ducks
Alex Rogers led the Thunder Ducks with 6 goals and one assist while Scott Wishart had 3 goals and an assist, Beau Hughes and Nick Teresi added two goals and Mike Hillman and Nevada Shelton each added a goal.  Frank Rush added an assist.   The Honey Badgers were led by Jesse Larson with 4 goals, while Aaron Kilpo, Bryce Holak and Dan O’ Connell each had 2 goals and one assist and Andy Holak added 2 goals.  Jeff Wright added one assist.
2012 SOLL Runners Up - Honey Badgers
The first SOLL season was fun and high school players continued to improve their lacrosse skills over the summer.  We're looking forward to our upcoming winter lacrosse season with the 2nd season of the Northcoast Indoor Lacrosse League starting play in December.