GIRLS Top 20 Preview: #1 Lakeville South
Reminder: our list is based off of the laxnumbers ranking list…here. Don’t hate the journalists…hate the algorithm or your shooting percentage.
SSC bias part 2, here we go.
Ssssshhhhhhhh…do you hear that? What is that?
Its getting louder…why is it so cold here…its like all the happiness has been sucked out of the room…
…why is the imperial march playing…and they’re carrying…the Soviet Union flag?!?!?!
Why are they raising a wand….
DONG. My god…is that who we think it is?
Yes, yes, its Lakeville South!!!
Ok, ok, ok…so MAYBE they aren’t a roving band of dementors, a Darth Vader led galactic empire, the Soviet Union hockey team, Lord Voldemort, and The Undertaker all rolled into one…it just seemed like that. Shout out to Queen KT with the double Harry Potter reference.
What They Were
19-0, 88.89 Lax Number Rating against a 79.78 strength of schedule.
#1 seed in Section 1.
They beat #2 Lakeville North 14-4 in section final
In state, they:
Beat UR CDH 17-4
Beat #4 Stillwater 17-8
Beat to #2 Prior Lake 12-8
Hold on a second…Lax Number rating…kinda meaningless by itself…but 88.89…thats 4.34 points higher then #2 Prior Lake…its the same gap that PL had to #4 Stillwater…and then what Stillwater had to…#14 Park. Speaks to how good the top 4 were…and how much better #1 was over #2.
What They Lost
(9) 2024s graduated.
Tori Tschida - M: 45g/34a/79 points, 36 GB/33 FT/72 DC
Sivanna O’Brien - M: 48g/28a/76 points, 22 GB/22 FT/120 DC
Katie Grubbs - M: 39g/19a/58 points, 50 BG/47 FT/72 DC
2025 Addie Hammes - D: 29 GB/30 FT…maybe technically…not out, but if what we’ve heard is true (and what she’s posted on her social media), she’s recovering from a major injury and likely not playing.
What They Have Coming Back
2025 Charlotte Fannin- M: 36g/41a/77 points
2025 Ella Mills - A: 58g/5a/63 points
2026 Molly Oehlerts - D: 17 GB/16 FT
2025 Grace Buesgens - D: 24 GB/9 FT
2025 Kate Bael - GK: 3.99 GAA, 56.8%
What They Have Looking Forward
13 games on the schedule.
South Suburban Conference Featured Matchups:
#2 Prior Lake
#15 Rosemount
Non Conference:
#4 Stillwater
#16 Chanhassen
#12 Edina
#3 BSM
Our Take
We heard the podcast. We are proud of the girls for standing up for their former teammates. And we disagree with the opinion we’ve heard around the lax fields this fall (Lakeville South lost everything)…its simply not true.
But the girls from the pod aren’t giving themselves the credit they deserve for last year and their careers. Last year, those 3 accounted for 264 out of the team 314 DCs. They scored 132 of the 303 goals. Wild. The most dominant draw taker from the past 2 and maybe 3 years. Basically their middie line for the past 2-3 years.
Thats A LOT of…opportunity…for some new blood to get.
So…who’s taking the opportunity?
Feels like Ella Mills might have played a little middie back in her 4 leaf clover days…so that’s something to keep in mind. Ella, along with 8 others make up the returning 2025 class. The cupboard was not left bare.
2027 Addy Hayes seems like another piece that’s going to get a lot of run at middie. There also seems to be a string of younger sisters (shout out Fannin and Hammes) coming down the lane for the Cougars.
We are really concerned for them about losing Addie Hammes. She’s been a highly decorated defender for two straight years. Thats a HUGE loss in front of Bael (a Ms. Goalie candidate). Yes, Molly Oehlerts, Ella Davis, and Grace Buesgens will expect to play and contribute big time, but that’s a rock thats going to be missed.
South is not going to be the same team as last year…to think so would honestly be stupid. Thats a take on how good the 2024 team was, and not what the 2025 team will be.
So, are they dead? No…not at all dead.
They have another big class in their 2025s, they have pieces coming up, Coach Tornell will coach up more youngsters to fill the spots.
They have an added advantage of playing in a less difficult section, but if North, Farmington, and SW Christian aren’t at least paying attention to things…they need to get their heads in the game. Breaking news…we are picking South to win Section 1 and to get a chance to defend their crown at state, but its not going to be the formality it has been in years past and those can make South work for it.
Or they’ll reincarnate themselves like The Undertaker did as The American Badass and roll through Section1 and the MSHSL again.