Early MBSLA Predictions

As we did last year, we'll take an early look at who will be the favorites in the MBSLA in 2014. 

The 2014 MBSLA season continues a recent trend of exodus from the club league to the MSHSL.  Top teams like Shakopee and MontiQuois have bolted from the MBSLA along with up and coming teams like Providence Academy and Northfield (the latter two having only played two MBSLA seasons before moving on).  Henry-Sibley also disbanded their varsity team in favor of a JV only team.  The addition of a Stillwater club team and New Century-Hutchinson leaves us with only 18 teams competing for the 2014 MBSLA championship.

In 2014, I see four very good teams standing out above all others:  2013 MBSLA State Champion Hudson, St. Louis Park, Duluth and St. Paul.  Becker is right there as well.  After that there are some good teams, but probably not at the "compete for a state title" caliber.  The top four, I believe, all have a shot to win the 2014 title and would likely be fairly strong teams were they competing in the MSHSL.  Of the four, Hudson probably lost the most scoring firepower, but will still be strong and have a lot of talent coming up.  St. Louis Park, Duluth and St. Paul all return much of their scoring punch and will be tough teams to beat.  One team I see making a big breakthrough in 2014 is Proctor.  They have a big and dynamic attack player to pair with a couple of strong middies.  If their goalie can return from injury in 2014, they will surprise a lot of people.  Grand Rapids will be strong again in 2014 and return several starters, but did lose a few key contributors to graduation as well.  Red River Valley (formerly Fargo) may take a small step backward after losing one of the top offensive players in the state to graduation, but should remain in the Top 10.  St. Cloud North should be a Top 10 team once again and I see teams like Brainerd, Waconia, and STMA seeing improvement in 2014.  Grand Cities could take a small step back after graduating some good seniors but could be there as well and we're unsure where the Stillwater Club team will shake out.  Shattuck-St. Mary's will be really good as always, but they play few games and can't qualify for the playoffs. 

Looking forward to the start of the 2014 season and we'll be back in late March with our official MBSLA pre-season Top 10 rankings.  Stay tuned!

Proctor Rails - 2013 Season Preview

Proctor Rails 2013 Season Preview


High School: Proctor, MN

Coaches:

Ben Blaeser - 1st year

Last Year's Record:

1-9

Key Returning Players:

Proctor returns their leading scorers junior midfielder/attack Frank Napoli and sophomore attack Luke Hannan.  The Rails also return their talented goalie junior Noah Schramm and much of their defense. 

Key Newcomers:

Proctor has several new and athletic players this season.  With an infusion of new players, Proctor hopes to get them up to speed and ready to play by the start of the season.

Team Strengths:

The Rails will be strong at attack with Napoli and Hannan returning and should be able to put some points on the board.  With Schramm, they are also strong at goalie.

Games to Watch:

Big games this season will be against local rivals Duluth and Grand Rapids.

Season Outlook:

With their two leading scorers returning and a talented goalie, Proctor is hoping to improve on last seasons 1-9 record.  If they can find some improvement on the defensive side in front of Schramm, the Rails may turn some heads in 2013.

Grand Cities Predators - 2013 Season Preview

Grand Cities Predators 2013 Season Preview

High School:  Grand Cities area (The Predators are made up of players from Grand Forks Red River and Grand Forks Central High Schools, East Grand Forks Senior High, and Warren-Alvarado-Olso High School, and South Middle School in Grand Forks)
 

Coaches:

Aaron Cabanaw – 2nd year

Cameron Willox – 2nd year

Brent Lindstrom – 2nd year

Kevin Bartholomew – 1st year

Last Year's Record: 5-12

Key Returning Players:

All of Grand Cities 2012 starters are returning this season led by Tanner Lindstrom (2012 Second Team All North Conference Attack and team scoring leader), Christian Hansen (2012 Second Team All North Conference Mid Fielder and team MVP) and Brady McDonald (2012 All North Conference Honorable Mention Defenseman). Other key contributors for the Predators include: Nick Gaasvig, Jake Dunham, Trey Deck, Christian Hogness, Pete Schirrick, Jake Young, and Tom Twedell. 

Key Losses:

Eric Melland, Corey Saiger, and Coach Kelly Hurt

Key Newcomers:

Coach Cabanaw says, "Nick Erickson and Matt Lunski will bring huge amounts of athletic ability to the club and depth to the midfield position and others like Jake Olson, have picked up the systems really quick and are already working into key positions."  With the addition of the athletic talent and the ability of the kids to pick up the necessary information quickly, Grand Cities is looking to hit the ground running the first game weekend in April.

Team Strength:

Coach Cabanaw says one word, "Confidence."  He continues, "With a majority of the team returning from their first year of competition last year, they know what is ahead of them and are preparing much harder heading into this season."  According to Cabanaw, a few players have changed positions from last year to better use their skills and talents to benefit the team and their success. Goaltending is settled this year with Junior Captain Jake Young and he is assisted by a defensive corps of Sophomore Captain and North Conference Honorable Mention Brady McDonald, Tom Twedell, and Gunner Bowman. Junior Captain Pete Schirrick and Connor Shea have picked up long poles to bolster the already strong defense.

Games to Watch:

 Coach Cabanaw believes, "The rivalry game which is always a game to see comes when we match up against Fargo. This year we host Fargo on May 18^th. Whether it’s during the regular season or in fall ball it always is a good game between the two teams." An important game comes when the Predators travel to Grand Rapids to open up Conference play on April 27^th.   This is also the first time they return to Grand Rapids since last year’s first round state tournament loss.  Grand Forks sees all of their home games as games to watch since these games present a great opportunity to showcase the game of lacrosse to a community that hasn’t had much exposure to the game.

Season Outlook:

With a year or more of competitive lacrosse under most kids belts Grand Cities is looking to build off the experience gained last year, and expect to make an appearance in the state tournament. Coach Cabanaw is excited about the opportunities several of his players have taken advantage of, "This past fall we had a few players that jumped at opportunities to play for other teams including Tanner Lindstrom, Christian Hansen, Nick Gaasvig and Tyler Lindstrom.  We hope that the success these boys had with teams outside the club can carry over when Grand Cities hit’s the field this spring." Coach Cabanaw is also excited about the opportunity to play outside during the weekend of April 13-14 when they head to Billings to take part in a lacrosse tournament there, "The Billings weekend will mark the first time we are able to get outside to play lacrosse. So far this season practices have been held indoors in a hockey arena. Although this isn’t the ideal situation to prepare for a season, the Predators have adjusted well to the circumstances and have done the work necessary to compete. Here’s to a great 2013 season and getting outside before playoffs start!"

Duluth Chargers - 2013 Season Preview

Duluth Chargers 2013 Season Preview

High School:  Duluth area
 

Coaches:

 

Scott Wishart - 2nd year

Alex Rogers - 2nd year

Last Year's Record: 7-4

Returning Starters/Key Returning Players:

 

The Chargers have 11 returning players from last years team.  Coach Wishart says, "Our senior Captain at goalie , TJ Vallie, our junior attack Captain, Brody Carlson, senior defensive Captain, Tanner Fritsinger and junior midfielder Cooper Carlson will all be huge components for this years teams success."

Key Losses:

 

The Chargers will feel the loss due to graduation of leading scorer Steven Halver as well as 1st team all-conference LSM Matt Mensinger.  The losses of midfielders Zach Galo and Tyler Kolquist to graduation will also be felt.

Key Newcomers:

The Chargers will regain their senior midfield captain, Beau Hughes who missed last season due to injury, and are looking forward to his addition to the field as an anchor for a young corps of midfielders.  The Chargers also have a very strong Sophomore class that they will be relying on to contribute tremendously this season. Coach Wishart is looking forward to having a couple of other players new to the varsity roster, "Freshman Bryce Holak, and Junior Kevin Marshall will be some fun players to work with during the season as they bring a mix of high talent and athleticism to the Chargers."


Team Strength:

 

Coach Wishart says,  "Our Strength this season will be our determination. We have a hard working bunch of kids who want to succeed and excel in lacrosse."

Sophomore Defenseman August Cadotte and Senior Goalie TJ Vallie

Games to Watch:
 

The rivalry games against Grand Rapids and St. Cloud will be games to watch this season.  Duluth may be battling Grand Rapids for supremacy in the North Division while St. Cloud North is no longer in the same division as the Chargers but figures to continue to be a rivalry game based on the two teams history.

Season Outlook:

The Chargers expect to be competing for the North Division title and a place in the MBSLA playoffs in 2013.  Coach Wishart says, "We are looking forward to a fun season with high expectations. We have a difficult schedule playing many of the top MBSLA teams throughout the state and are excited for spring to come and games to begin."

Brainerd Warriors - 2013 Season Preview

Brainerd Warriors 2013 Season Preview

High School:  Brainerd

Coaches:

Tyler Brown - 4th year

Last Year's Record:  2-7

Returning Starters/Key Returning Players:

Ben Brodmarkle, Bodin Nichols, Kyler Walczak, and Kristian Haymaker return to lead the offense this year, while Goalie Jason Andrew and D-poles Jordan Schmaltz and Ryan Barnum will lead the defense.

Key Losses:

All Conference Defenseman John McGillis & All Conference Attack Mitch Howieson to graduation


Key Newcomers:

Coach Brown tells us, "We have a few young guns on our team that will look to make their mark in the North Conference this season."

Team Strength:

With a good core group of offensive players returning in 2013, the Warriors should be able to put the ball in the net.

Games to Watch:
 
Brainerd will host Fargo and Proctor on April 28th in two key North Conference battles. A home and away series with Grand Rapids has become almost tradition each year and will be a good test for Brainerd.

Season Outlook:

Coach Brown believes that, "With a solid mix of veteran players and new guys stepping in, we look to be a very competitive team this season. We have a lot of players that can play any position on the field, and we will use that to its fullest potential."

Grand Rapids - 2013 Season Preview

Grand Rapids 2013 Season Preview

High School:  Grand Rapids

Coaches:

Head Coach: Brad Gallop - 4th year
Asst Coach: Jon Richardson - 4th yr

Last Year's Record:   7-6

Returning Starters/Key Returning Players:

Grand Rapids returns 8 starters from last years team.

Key Losses:

Grand Rapids lost several important seniors to graduation from last years team including 1st team all-conference selections midfielder  Brody Geisler and defenseman Zach Brist as well as 2nd team all-conference selections attack Joey Keating and defenseman Zach Grandia.

Key Newcomers:

The varsity team will welcome 3 young up and coming sophomores that spent the previous summer playing lacrosse with the North Coast Jaxx travel team - midfielders Nick Zerfas and Riley Jensen and defenseman Logan Anderson.


Team Strength:

Grand Rapids will rely on strong Goaltending, midfield speed and a veteran attack to find success in 2013.

Games to Watch:

An early game against top ranked St. Louis Park will provide a glimpse of what we can expect from this years Grand Rapids team.  A mid-season battle against conference rival Duluth may determine the outcome of the North Division in 2013.

Season Outlook:

Grand Rapids graduated 5 seniors last year, but expect to be a stronger team, with a handful of seniors along with a core group of juniors and a very good addition of underclassmen that will add speed and goal scoring.   The first test will come out of state, as Grand Rapids opens the season on the road in Omaha, NE and Des Moines, IA April 12-13.  

Fargo Warriors - 2013 Season Preview

2013 Northern Minnesota Lacrosse Season Preview

This week we will be previewing each of the MBSLA teams that make up the North Division.  Some big changes at a few schools while others try to continue their winning ways or make improvements over last season.  We start our previews today with the Fargo Warriors.

Fargo Warriors 2013 Season Preview

High School: Fargo ND

Coaches:

Ben Fairbanks - Head Coach - 3 Years
Sam Morse - Assistant Coach - 2 Years
Chase Suiter - Assistant Coach - 1 Year

Last Year's Record:

6-6 Conference
11-10 Season 

Key Returning Players:

Fargo  returns 6 of their starting 10 from last year.  The Warriors return several key players from last season.  The attack position will be led by Carter Schulke who was the 2012 MBSLA Scoring Champion.  Returning veterans on defense include long poles Travis Bruse and Joe Noah along with goalie Danny Evenson.  The midfield is position is a led by All Conference Member Ben Noah along with Arik Foster and Mike Schlanser.

Key Losses:

The Warriors graduated a large senior class from the 2012 season, including 1st Team All Conference members Aaron Monson, and Mike Kringle, and Second Teamers Aaron Vanyo and John Deelstra.

Key Newcomers:

This season, the Warriors have had the good fortune to have several players move into the Fargo area that have lacrosse backgrounds and experience.  The Halverson Brothers, Alek  and Conner, arrived in Fargo from Texas bringing with them a lot of talent to the offensive side of the ball.  Alek a senior, put up big numbers last season at attack, and his younger brother Conner beings speed to the midfield position.  Arriving from New York is senior Tanner Brandt who will bring his hard nose style of play to the defensive side of the ball.  Other newcomers who will look to make a name for themselves this season are midfielder Blake McGovern, and LSM Chase Schulke, as well as an athletic group of freshman talent.

Team Strengths:

Veteran leadership at the Attack position will be a strength for the Warriors.  They will look to control the pace of the game with their Attack unit and limit their opponents scoring opportunities with their veteran long poles.  Veteran goal tending will also be a key factor for success in 2013.

Games to Watch:

Big games this season will be against conference opponents Duluth and Grand Rapids as the top remaining teams from the 2012 Northern Division.  Another game to watch will be against fellow North Dakota opponent Grand Cities.  Coach Fairbanks says, "Their team continues to improve every time we see them and we look forward to seeing the what 2013 holds for this rivalry."

Season Outlook:

Coach Fairbanks is looking to start the Fargo Warriors season with a bang as they travel to a Billings Montana tournament April 12-14.  Fairbanks says, "We're looking forward forward to fresh competition early in the season to help get our feet wet and set the pace for the season."  He continues, "This will be a good opportunity to provide experience for a number of rookie players and promote veteran leadership within the team. Once we have those elements established we feel that our team has the skilled players and dedication to improve on last years records and earn another berth into the state tournament."