For the first time in the history of the Grand Rapids Shootout, two northern Minnesota teams battled for the
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| Clearing fields for the tournament |
Varsity championship when Duluth squared off against Grand Rapids on Sunday. It was a watershed moment for northern Minnesota lacrosse and perhaps an indication that northern Minnesota lacrosse has taken a big step forward.
In it's 5th year, the Grand Rapids Shootout has grown into one of the top tournaments in the state of Minnesota. Drawing teams from throughout the state, North Dakota and Canada, this weekend of lacrosse is remarkable, even more so this year with the late April snows and cold weather. Tournament organizers went above and beyond to pull off the tournament this year, clearing 8 fields of snow a couple weeks prior to the event. Heavy equipment and snow piles over 10 feet high were required to allow the tournament to go on. A huge thank you and congratulations to all of the tournament organizers and volunteers who worked so hard to make this tournament happen. Under very difficult circumstances, the tournament came off without a hitch and had to be the best yet!
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| Duluth and Grand Rapids battling for a ground ball |
With teams from Varsity down to U13, there was something for everyone. Northern Minnesota teams fared well. In the Varsity Championship, Duluth won their first ever Grand Rapids Shootout with a 6-4 victory over Grand Rapids. To get there, Grand Rapids defeated perennial power St. Louis Park 9-3, while Duluth beat St. Cloud North 8-4. In the championship game, it wasn't easy for Duluth. Grand Rapids jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead before Duluth even knew what hit them. The Chargers however didn't panic and methodically chipped away at the Grand Rapids lead, rattling off 6 unanswered goals and helped along the way by several Grand Rapids penalties and a stellar Man Up unit. It was exciting game and bodes well for lacrosse in northern Minnesota.
At every level, northern Minnesota teams fared well. The U13 tournament, which included two teams from
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| James Holak of Duluth U13 moves upfield against Grand Rapids |
Duluth and two from Grand Rapids, an exceptional showing of growth at the younger levels, grew tremendously from the previous year and featured some excellent lacrosse play. The Fargo U13 team fielded one of the top teams in the tournament as another testament to the tremendous growth of the sport in the north.
Teams are already looking forward to next years Grand Rapids Shootout. Looking forward to more growth for the game of lacrosse in northern Minnesota!
