Girls Lacrosse in the North? Yes!

Two active girls teams participate in lacrosse in Northern Minnesota.  In Duluth, the Knighthawks girls lacrosse team has been active in Duluth for several years.  The Knighthawks include players ages 13 and up, from all area high schools and middle schools.  In 2010, the team finished fourth place in the Northcentral Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association with a 4-3 record.  Girls lacrosse is also being played in Grand Rapids.  The Grand Rapids team also participates in the Northcentral Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association.  Here's a video of the Grand Rapids Girls Lacrosse team in action.  Brainerd also has a new girls lacrosse team for 2011 that participates in the NSLA.  For more information about either team, go to the team contact page on the NSLA website.

UMD Bulldogs Win Big Again

The UMD Bulldogs lacrosse team notched another big victory over UMLL Conference rival Mankato State University Saturday by a 12-3 score. UMD overcame a bit of adversity, coming back from a 3-0 deficit after the 1st quarter to shut out the Mavericks for the remainder of the game and notch 12 unanswered goals.

Brandon Nispel once again led the Bulldogs with 4 goals while Max Thomas-Olson added 3 goals.

The Bulldogs next game kicks off a Western road swing starting with a matchup against BYU on March 4 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT. The Bulldogs are presently ranked #10 in the country by both laxpower.com and MCLA Magazine with a 2-0 record.

Instructional Video of the Week: Shot Fakes

Duluth-Superior Chargers Season Schedule

Varsity Schedule
Date                          Opponent            Site       

Saturday, April 16     North St. Paul      Duluth, MN    
Saturday, April 16     Tartan                 Duluth, MN  
Saturday, April 30     Brainerd^            Duluth, MN   
Saturday, April 30     White Bear Lake  Duluth, MN   
Sunday, May 1       at St. Cloud North^St Cloud, MN   
Tuesday, May 3   at Grand Rapids^ Grand Rapids, MN
Saturday, May 7  Grand Rapids Trny Grand Rapids, MN
Sunday, May 8    Grand Rapids Trny Grand Rapids, MN
Thursday, May 12   Grand Rapids        Duluth, MN
Saturday, May 21     at Brainerd            Brainerd, MN
Saturday, May 21     at Fargo^              Brainerd, MN
Tuesday, May 24   at Grand Rapids Grand Rapids, MN
Tuesday, May 31     Grand Rapids         Duluth, MN
May 31 – June 11     MBSLA Playoffs    Minneapolis, MN

JV Schedule
Date                         Opponent                        Site

Saturday, April 16     North St. Paul            Duluth, MN
Saturday, April 16     Tartan                       Duluth, MN
Saturday, April 30     Wht Bear Lk Gm#1     Duluth, MN
Saturday, April 30     Wht Bear Lk Gm #2    Duluth, MN
Tuesday, May 3   at Grand Rapids^     Grand Rapids, MN
Saturday, May 7  Grand Rapids Trny  Grand Rapids, MN
Sunday, May 8    Grand Rapids Trny   Grand Rapids, MN
Thursday, May 12     Grand Rapids         Duluth, MN
Tuesday, May 24  at Grand Rapids     Grand Rapids, MN
Tuesday, May 31     Grand Rapids          Duluth, MN
May 31 – June 11   MBSLA Playoffs    Minneapolis, MN

Practice Begins March 21 for St. Cloud North High School; Game Schedule

Practices start the week of March 21 for St. Cloud North High School and April 4 for middle school.
High school captains practices will be held starting March 7th.  Varsity and Middle Schedule below:

St. Cloud North Varsity Schedule

4/18/11                White Bear Lake 5:30 pm @ ORE - Scrimmage
4/21/11                Delano 6:00 pm @ Delano
4/23/11                Fargo 3:00 pm @ Fargo
4/25/11                St Paul 5:30 pm @ ORE
5/1/11                  Grand Rapids 11:00 am @ ORE
                             Duluth 3:00 pm @ ORE
5/2/11                  Brainerd 5:30 pm @ Brainerd
5/7 and 5/8          Grand Rapids Tournament
5/12/11                Brainerd 5:30 pm @ ORE
5/19/11                Monticello 5:30 pm @ ORE
5/22/11                Fargo 4:00 pm @ ORE

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHEDULE

APRIL 23  at St Cloud (Apollo H.S.)
APRIL 30  at St Cloud (Apollo H.S.)
MAY 7  at St Michael
MAY 14  at Duluth
MAY 21  at White Bear Lake
May 22  at White Bear Lake

 

Duluth-Superior Chargers Begin Practice March 14

Duluth-Superior Chargers early season practice schedule:

Monday March 14 6pm-7:45pm  UWS
Tuesday March 15 6pm-7:45pm  UWSThursday March 17 6pm-8pm UWS (updated 2/28/11)
 
Sunday March 20 2pm-4pm UWS (updated 2/28 - was Monday)
Tuesday March 22 6pm-8pm UWS
Wednesday March 23 6pm-8pm UWS

Monday March 28 7pm-9pm HRTG
Tuesday March 29 7pm-9pm HRTG
Wednesday March 30 7pm-9pm HRTG
Thursday March 31 7pm-9pm HRTG

Monday April 4 7pm-9pm HRTG
Tuesday April 5 7pm-9pm HRTG
Wednesday April 6 7pm-9pm HRTG
Thursday April 7 7pm-9pm HRTG

UWS = UWS Fieldhouse - Marcovitch Wellness Center
HRTG = Duluth Heritage Sports Center - Pavillion

Bulldogs Win Season Opener 13-6 Over Marquette

The UMD Bulldogs opened the season with a solid 13-6 win over Marquette University at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN.  The Bulldogs were never really threatened against Marquette, a team moving to NCAA Division I play for the 2012 season, jumping out to a quick 5-1 first quarter lead.  The Bulldogs were held scoreless in the second quarter with Marquette tallying one goal, however they dominated play for the remainder of the game scoring 2 in the third and 6 in the final quarter.  The Bulldogs were led by senior midfielder Brandon Nispel who tallied 4 goals and 1 assist.  Attackman Bobby Moore and Freshman Matt Murphy each added two goals with Spencer Balfanz, Sean Folley, Kevin Gaydos, Drake Peterson, and Mathew Sanocki each adding one goal.  Goalie Joseph Slattery stopped 9 shots while Nick Sigurdson made 2 saves.  The Bulldogs outshot Marquette 30-17.  The Bulldogs face Minnesota State-Mankato next Sunday February 13 at Concordia University.

Bulldogs Open Play this Weekend Versus Marquette University

Upper Midwest Lacrosse League finally gets underway this weekend 

 by Michael Murakami Collegelax.us

UMLL Week 1

Action in the Upper Midwest Lacrosse League finally gets underway this weekend – Saturday, Feb. 5 – and the first game of the season could not come sooner for the University of Minnesota-Duluth and coach Frank Clark.
“I think finally is the right word,” Clark said. “We’re excited to get going. I think the guys and staff are really excited to get into a competitive setting. We’re excited to see another team other than us.”
The Bulldogs will travel down to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and will host Marquette University at Augsburg College in a UMLL conference Division I matchup.
“A goal for us is to win the UMLL Championship,” Clark said. “It’s a conference game and they’re always tough. It’s important to get in there and get after it. Our number one goal is to be successful against conference opponents and this is the first opportunity.”
This opportunity comes after late night practices, inter-team scrimmages and conditioning training.
“Excited would be an understatement,” Clark said. “Every time you put on a game jersey is a privilege. You’re playing for the school and your teammates which excites you. They’re ready to go and to put the pieces together that we’ve been working on.”

Read the full article on Collegelax.us here

UMD Bulldogs Expected to Lead UMLL Again in 2011

In-depth look at UMLL DI and Q&A with Duluth Bulldogs’ new head coach
by Michael Murakami of Collegelax.us

Division I of the Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (UMLL) will feature four first-year head coaches at the University of Minnesota-Duluth (Frank Clark), the University of Minnesota (Joe Cinosky), Marquette University (David Malcolm) and Iowa State University (Brendan Gross).

Perhaps none of these coaches will feel more pressure to succeed than Frank Clark who has big shoes to fill after Rob Graff, former Duluth head coach of 17 years, stepped down last summer.

Although the off-field coaching change will be noticed, Clark is hoping the transition on the field is non-existent.

CollegeLAX recently spoke with Clark about his exciting new position at Duluth, our top-ranked team in Division I of the UMLL.

CollegeLAX: I’m sure you’ve been asked this a million times…What is it like being the head coach at Duluth after the legendary Coach Rob Graff?
Frank Clark: We’re very good friends – even outside of lacrosse. I see him twice a week and we talk a lot. Being the assistant head coach for the past three years and then running my own offense for the last five years, we split a lot of the coaching duties. Rob had that ultimate responsibility to oversee all the assistants but he gave us a lot of responsibility too. (Duluth) has played fall ball games already and we still have our typical demeanor. Quite honestly, this is the fun part of the season.

CL: What game have you already circled this year as the game you’re most excited to see your team play?
FC: There are a lot of different games I’m excited for, for different reasons. Going to Provo (Utah) is always exciting – playing BYU on Friday night. They’re always tough and we like playing them. We also play Utah, Oregon and Colorado. It’s our first road games, first road opponents and it’s our first travel game.

CL: Duluth has captured the UMLL DI title for several years. Playing at the MCLA National Championship Tournament has also been successful but hasn’t led to a championship for the Bulldogs. What are you going to do differently to make sure the Bulldogs have a different fate this year?
FC: We’re going to try to stay healthy. We had one player who played with a seperated shoulder and one who played with a pulled hamstring. We’ve been focusing on off-season training and conditioning. We’re always tweaking things – nothing too complex. We want to put our players in the best situation to succeed.

CL: Give us some predicitions! Who wins the UMLL DII title this year?
FC: St. Thomas. We had a chance to see them this fall. They’re good. Joey (Costello) is good. Their coaches are great. St. John’s is always a team that can surprise though. I like cheering for them too with Derek Daehn there (Daehn is head coach at SJU and a 2005 alum of Duluth). North Dakota looks like they’ll be tough too. With St. Thomas’ past and their talent, I think they’ll take it this year.

CL: Ok, now the tough question/prediction. Who wins the UMLL DI title this year?
FC: The team that wants it the most and works the hardest. We’d love to be that team but there will be a lot of competition.

CL: So based on your predicitions, St. Thomas and Duluth will be in Denver in May for the 2011 MCLA Championships. Will the state of Minnesota sweep the competition this year in Denver bringing home both championship trophies?
FC: (laughs) I would love the scenario to happen. That’s the goal. St. Thomas is a proven factor and we have some work to do to make that a reality. We have a very deep midfield, we have second team All-American goaltender and our attack line is great. We have freshman Matt Murphy from Eden Prairie who I think is the most under-rated high school player in the state and Ryan Butts who transferred from Sacred Heart.

Read the UMLL Division I Preview here 

Instructional Video of the Week: Wing Play on Face Offs

UMD Bulldogs Lacrosse 2011 Schedule

from UMD Lacrosse Media Relations - 
After finishing the 2010 regular season with a 12-3 record, which included one of the toughest out of conference schedules in the country, where they outscored their opponents 239 to 80, winning their 13th UMLL title and making their 9th appearance in the MCLA tournament, the University of Minnesota - Duluth men's lacrosse team will be taking it to the road to face yet another very competitive schedule.

The 2011 Bulldog schedule includes 7 UMLL Conference matchups and 7 contests against out of conference teams. The out of conference games matches the bulldogs against 5 teams who were at nationals in 2010.  Read the rest of the article here

Team Previews and Player Spotlights Coming in March!

Look for previews of Northern Minnesota lacrosse teams at the end of March just before the season starts and weekly player spotlights during the lacrosse season.

Northern Lacrosse Nuts and Bolts

The facts about Northern Minnesota lacrosse:

High School teams in Northern Minnesota:

MBSLA teams:  MBSLA high school teams listed below participate in the North Division

Brainerd Warriors - location:  Brainerd, MN

Duluth-Superior Chargers - location: Duluth, MN.  Comprised of kids from Duluth area schools.

Fargo High School - location:  Fargo, ND

Grand Rapids Thunderhawks - location:  Grand Rapids, MN

St. Cloud North Knights - location:  St. Cloud, MN.  Comprised of kids from Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Apollo and other surrounding area high schools

MSHSL teams: 

St. Cloud South Tigers - location:  St. Cloud, MN.  The only MSHSL team presently located in the north.

Girls Lacrosse in the North:

Two active girls teams participate in lacrosse in Northern Minnesota.  In Duluth, the Knighthawks girls lacrosse team has been active in Duluth for several years.  The Knighthawks include players ages 13 and up, from all area high schools and middle schools.  In 2010, the team finished fourth place in the Northcentral Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association with a 4-3 record.  Girls lacrosse is also being played in Grand Rapids.  The Grand Rapids team also participates in the Northcentral Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association.  Here's a video of the Grand Rapids Girls Lacrosse team in action.  For more information about either team, go to the team contact page on the NSLA website.

Youth Programs and Lacrosse Associations:

Duluth YMCA Youth Lacrosse League - In 2011, this league will be expanding to include 4 teams at the 3/4 and 5/6 grade levels.  Practices will be held on Tuesdays throughout the summer (first week in June until last week in July) with games every Thursday.  The Y league is hoping to recruit more kids at the 3rd through 6th grade levels to allow for the formation of teams at both age levels and a more competitive and fun league.  In addition, a travel team will be formed at both the 3/4 and 5/6 grade levels to participate in a couple of tournaments later in the summer.  UMD Bulldog lacrosse players and coaches provide the coaching and instruction for this league, making it a very attractive league for kids just getting started.


Grand Rapids Lacrosse Association - Will have a 5/6 grade team play in the MBSLA spring league in 2011


Fargo Lacrosse Club - Fargo offers a youth spring lacrosse league for kids ages 9-14.


College Lacrosse Teams:

University of Minnesota - Duluth Bulldogs - MCLA Division I:  The UMD Bulldogs lacrosse team is one of the most successful college lacrosse teams in the Midwest.  Currently ranked #9 in the nation (MCLA pre-season top 10 - 1. Michigan, 2. Arizona State, 3. Chapman, 4. Colorado State, 5. Florida State, 6. Brigham Young, 7. Colorado, 8. Oregon, 9. Minnesota-Duluth, 10. Simon Fraser), this team plays, and quite often beats, the big boys.  Last year, the Bulldogs were one game away from the MCLA Final Four, finishing the season #5 in the nation.  The Michigan Wolverines were last seasons MCLA National Champion.  Though competing as a club team, UMD operates as a "virtual varsity" squad with top-notch coaches and players.  On an equal playing field, UMD would give most NCAA teams a run for their money.

St. Cloud State - MCLA Division I


Minnesota State Moorhead - MCLA Division II


Events:


Fargo Tournament - 2011 Fargo Ambush Tournament, May 14 & 15, 2011.  Each team is guaranteed 3 games.  Age divisions for boys are high school varsity, high school JV, high school 9/10, 7/8, 5/6 and 3/4.  There is a single division for girls high school varsity.  Contact Tournament Director, Matt Noah, matt@fargolacrosse.org if you have any questions.   

Grand Rapids Tournament - Grand Rapids Lax Shootout is scheduled for May 7 & 8, 2011.  This tournament will include varsity, JV, middle school and girls teams.  For more information about this tournament contact lacrosse@mchsi.com


Future of Lacrosse in Northern Minnesota:


At the present time, there are only 5 MBSLA teams in Northern Minnesota and one MSHSL team.  Where and how could lacrosse grow at the high school level in Northern Minnesota?  Here are some possibilities:

Duluth-Superior Chargers - This team will most likely eventually be composed of students from the two Duluth high schools - Duluth East and Duluth Denfeld.

A team on the Iron Range is a distinct possibility in the near future.  This team could be composed of Virginia-Eveleth-Mt. Iron and other Iron Range schools

Other possible northern teams could include a North Shore team composed of a combination of Two Harbors/Silver Bay/Grand Marais.  Some other combination teams similar to some of the hockey combinations could include - Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, Hermantown/Proctor/Marshall, and Mora/Hinckley/Finlayson.  Other teams located in the larger communities of Bemidji, International Falls, Thief River Falls, Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area, Moorhead, Fergus Falls/Alexandria, and a Northern Wisconsin team composed of Superior/Ashland are also possibilities.

Of the most likely teams, two solid Northern Divisions could be formed:

Northeast Division, composed of - Duluth, Grand Rapids, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, Hermantown/Proctor/Marshall, Iron Range, International Falls and Superior.

Northwest Division, composed of Brainerd, St. Cloud North, Fargo, Bemidji, Grand Forks/East Grand Forks, Thief River Falls and Moorhead.

The North Shore, Mora/Hinckley,  and Fergus Falls/Alexandria may be a little further out based on their respective school sizes, proximity to other schools and distance between schools.

WDIO News Report on Northern Minnesota Lacrosse

This old clip from WDIO TV news profiles the Grand Rapids and Duluth-Superior lacrosse teams.  Nice to see some pub for lacrosse in Northern Minnesota

High School Club Lacrosse Teams Paying for Field Time

Why should high school club lacrosse teams have to pay to use their own schools' fields?  Utah is doing something about it!

The Utah House of Representatives passed a bill that will allow High School Club teams to use high school fields for their practices and games for free.   Some lacrosse club teams were paying as much as $1,000 per game to use their own schools' fields for games.

Check out the article here: House passes bill to allow club teams to use high school fields

Lacrosse Season is Just Around the Corner!

The 2011 lacrosse season is just around the corner! Get ready!

Comprehensive List of Lacrosse Links

To the right, our blog features a fairly comprehensive list of lacrosse links.  For Northern Minnesota lacrosse, we've tried to provide a link for just about everything lacrosse in the north.  We also have a good number of general lacrosse links.  Check them out!

Welcome to Northern Lights Lacrosse!

Northern Lights Lacrosse is the information source for lacrosse in Northern Minnesota.  Here we'll discuss teams, events, games, and the people and players of Northern Minnesota lacrosse.  We'll also discuss lacrosse gear and provide updates and news about lacrosse from around the world.  We encourage visitors to take part in the conversation and post comments about our blog posts regularly.  This blog is intended to be interactive.  Our hope is that this clearinghouse for Northern Minnesota lacrosse information will help to grow the game in the North and truly put Minnesota lacrosse on the map.