BOYS: Quarterly Section Check-In

Well, believe it or not, we are a quarter of the way through the MN high school lacrosse season. And even more surprising some teams have only played one game. Prior Lake, still hasn’t played! As I alluded to on the latest podcast episode, the scheduling has been really weird this year. I am not sure if it is just coincidence or if it’s due to lack of officials or what, but, seems like some teams have played a lot and others have not played at all. Nonetheless, this season has already been full of surprises and storylines we are excited to follow. Let’s take a dip into each section to see where the chips have landed from our section previews:

Section 1

Front Runner - Lakeville North

Challenger - Farmington

Dark Horse - Rochester Mayo

As expected back in March, Lakeville North is seeking redemption from last year’s “down” season (according to their standards). Quinn Power is an absolute game changer and looks to be fully healthy. Their offense has a ton of weapons and they are not afraid to push the pace. They played an awesome game against Minnetonka and crushed Hastings. The eye test is telling me they are a top 5 caliber team. I do worry a bit about their defense, but, right now, getting the ball on offense to start every possession and being efficient scoring, you don’t really need your defense to be elite.

Farmington has started the season answering a lot of the what-if questions about their losses of Tyler at FO and a few of the leading goal scoring attackmen from a year ago. The face-off stats certainly have dropped off from Tyler’s 70+% last year but they are doing enough. The defense looks much improved and has been able to get stops and take back some of the possessions they lost at Face Off. Their offense has looked balanced with strong shooters. Getting Tate Rusnacko back from injury, 4 returning midfielders and Jack Rose at attack from last year’s has given the team a strong foundation to build on. They returned 9 starters from last year’s team and are hoping the new blood can add the final touch.

Rochester Mayo has gone all-in on this 2023 group and they are certainly much better this year than last. They have a couple really good poles in Cade Snider and Blake Olson with a strong goalie in Owen Brock. A strong Face-off guy, Tore Pappenfuss that also is able to stay on and play offense. Lucas Cramer, Reese Ackerman and Liam Smith all have been putting the ball in the back of the net. They have enough talent in all areas to be a good team and be a tough out in sections. I am not sure if the depth is there to make a run, but, if they stay healthy, there is certainly a chance. They gave Farmington all they could handle last week. The game against Wayzata on May 13th has become extremely intriguing between two teams that look a LOT better this year

Section 2

Front-Runner/Challenger: Chanhassen

Challenger/Front-Runner: Shakopee

Dark Horse(s): Minnetonka, Eden Prairie

Wow. This section is wild. We knew it would be stacked. But there is already some fluctuation in how things are looking. It’s hard to even pick some the front runner/challenger/dark horse because all the teams have played a lot of games.

Chanhassen stays as the front-runner simply because that is where they started and they only recently played their first game last night. A solid 12-6 win over a good CDH team. Daxton Bush had 6 goals and looks poised for a huge year. Joey Schmidt won 16 of 17 face-offs which answers a big question mark I had about them replacing Dylan Kendrick from last year. This team has strength pretty much everywhere - Jaden Theile, Henry Pinamonti, Tyler Burton, Cade Reding and goalie Grant Pentinnen all returned from an elite defense a year ago. They took care of business with no issue in their first game. A larger sample size will be telling for the Storm, but, I expect them to pick up where the left off last year.

Shakopee has played 4 games already and has only given up 11 total goals. That is unbelievable work on the defensive end. Tanner Bachelor seems to be able to erase any team’s top attackman forcing their opponents depth players to create offense. They don’t look to be as explosive offensively this year, but, that won’t really matter if their defense is looking like that. Toward looks slick as ever and will most likely break the career goals record of 185 set by Sam Lindahl in 2017 and it seems like some new guys are stepping into supporting roles - so, the offense may come with time. We know they are athletic, well coached and a strong youth program. I expect them to be right there with Chanhassen, but, since Chan has only played one game, it’s hard to draw as much of a conclusion right now on if Shakopee jumps them as the favorite the section.

Minnetonka has talent all over their roster. They didn’t have the greatest game against Orono in the opener, but, as we have seen since, Orono isn’t actually a pushover team. They went in to Lakeville and lost a back and forth game 10-13 to Lakeville North, who looks to be great this year so, a respectable loss to a top team. Then got back to the drawing board and crushed STMA 17-5 this past weekend. Minnetonka looks to have all the pieces to be a section contender. Ben Schuester is an elite player and can create for himself despite the matchup. I also really like their freshman d-pole Quinton Restrepo - he seems to be a high IQ guy that causes havoc on the defensive end and adds a spark of energy - I am excited to see how he develops. Unfortunately, it’s a tough section and they will have to go on a magical run to get through to state, but, honestly they talent is there for it to happen. If they clean up a few of the details and get a bit more organized they could be a top 5 team IMO.

Eden Prairie was a dark horse pick this year for me and has a great 2025 class. Only sophomores, they may be a year away from a state tourney run, but I expect them to be much better this year than last. They have only played one game and beat Hopkins 12-4. I don’t know if I expected more of a margin of victory but it’s hard to gauge things just based on scores alone. This team has every chance in the world to prove it this year and I expect that they will. They have a good leader and goal scorer in Danny Burke and two great young poles in Max Kukla and James Anderson. Well coached and always seem to be a tough out in playoffs - just adding to this section.

Section 3

Front-Runner: Woodbury

Challenger: STA

Dark Horse(s): Eagan, Eastridge, CDH

This section felt wide open when we did our deep dive back in March and it seems even more wide open now after the first couple weeks of the season. Already a lot of section competitions played, which will make seeding a mess come end of May

Woodbury, a team I thought would take a big step back has actually looked just fine to start the year. They are locking it down on the defensive end and have some new goal scorers stepping up. They kicked off the year with a massive win over STA, were up at halftime to Irondale before the game was postponed due to weather, and then came back from a 4-1 halftime deficit to beat Eastridge 8-4 in a dominant second half performance. This team looks like they are finding a new identity without Hooley and Olson and are maybe more balanced despite being less explosive. Quinn Olson, Bracken Worwa and Sam Sanchez have all got involved in the scoring and goalie Evan Hermann sporting a 60% save pct and giving up less than 5 goals per game. This team may be the type of team that wins ugly, low scoring games this year, but, they don’t ask you how, they only ask how many.

STA, the team I felt was the front runner of the section dropped their first game to Woodbury only scoring 5 goals. Not sure if it was an off night, if Woodbury’s defense is actually elite, or if I over valued STA’s returning offense. Nonetheless, that hurts section seeding implications as they head into the year, especially if they have similar records. However, the win vs Eagan was a nice bounce back for them. That game was 4-4 at halftime and ended 7-4 STA. Again, not sure if that is speaking more about the defense of these teams or if the offense is sputtering. STA, I expect will start to click on offense, there is too much talent there with Hudson, Youtt and Husaby to not, but, they don’t have an easy schedule. Will be interested to see where they land in the section

As mentioned above, Section 3 is cloudy and I think this has the most legitimate dark horse teams of any section. Eagan lost their first game to STA but the game was fairly close. Sounds like they got into penalty trouble but the game was pretty competitive otherwise. It was 4-4 at halftime before STA took over in the second half. They have another good test with Farmington this Thursday in their first SSC game. Eastridge passes the eye test but just hasn’t quite put it all together yet. They have a young team so maybe they are a year away. Freshman Attackmen Kadon Baron and Austin Griffith are electric and will only get better as they grow and get older. Their goalie, Ryan Shanley is solid and only an 8th Grader. This team could be a state contender in a few years as they grow together. Cretin is 1-2 but the losses came in a close one to WBL and to #2 in state, Chanhassen. They are playing good teams so that could help them be battle tested come playoffs.

Section 4

Front-Runner: Mahtomedi

Challenger: Stillwater

Dark Horse(s): Irondale, WBL

Mahtomedi played their first game this past Friday in the snow vs Centennial. Game reports are telling me that they looked dominant, but, were a bit careless with the ball allowing Centennial to stay in the game. Mahtomedi escaped with an 8-7 victory. They have the pieces to be a great team led by Senior face-off guy Owen Tacheny. Having someone dominant at the X allows a team the ability to play a little faster and be less worried about a mistake - as they know they will continue to get possessions. Mahtomedi needs to clean up the turnovers, but, it was the first game and in the snow. I still believe they are the front-runner in the section but not by a huge margin

Stillwater looked really rough against BSM. Thats fair. BSM is the best team in the state and will make it hard on any team. However, it looked like they could barely catch and throw. I was really ready to write them off as a re-build year, but, they have since turned it around pretty quickly. They are athletic and have a really good freshman goalie so, I think defensively they will be able to stay in games against good teams. They don’t have stats in Lax Hub but Tomas Anderson (?) seems to be the go-to guy on offense with some young pieces around him. I was expecting more from them when I saw the opening game vs BSM, but, a big win over Roseville and a win over Irondale tells me they probably will be in the mix as the season wears on.

Irondale had a lot of pomp and circumstance to begin the season and I felt like maybe this was their year to make the section run. They crushed Breck in their first game. Their second game against Woodbury was postponed at halftime where the Knights were facing a 4-3 halftime deficit. Long ways to go in that game, but, certainly have some work to do against a solid Woodbury team. Then, a 10-7 loss to Stillwater in their latest game. I expected them to beat Stillwater, so, tip of the cap to the Ponies for responding to the challenge. Irondale is in the mix and I think very capable of winning the section, but, they will need to tie some loose ends up and be able to win the big game when it matters. Still not a team I would want to draw in playoffs - I think the talent is there.

White Bear Lake, a team that never gets any love, but always seems to be right there. A nice win over CDH to start the year and then a dominant win against Park makes it seem like offensively they can score with the best of them. WBL has traditionally had a lot of athletes and a great face off guy. This year, it looks like they may be splitting the workload at FO which may benefit them down the line. I don’t know a ton about this program but some of their top guys I have run into in the club scene and they are as good as any. They are a sneaky team and may just find their way through the section. I am excited to see how they fair against more top teams this season.

Section 5

Front-Runner: BSM

Challenger: Maple Grove

Dark Horse(s): Armstrong, Wayzata

A section that I believed was BSM and a race for second place has turned into all but that. This section has completely surprised me, in a good way, and I think could shape up to be one of the better section playoffs in the state.

BSM is obvious. Loaded with talent. Perennial success. The only question mark was the coaching change, but, that was a big maybe. They have been working through injuries to some of their starters which, maybe made them seem a bit more mortal through the first couple games, but, as soon as Brandt came back, they looked as explosive as they have ever been. The defense is locked in. They are athletic and smart. New starting goalie Axel Esco is having no issue filling Dalum’s shoes between the pipes. They are still the team to beat and it will probably take a near perfect game to do it

Maple Grove looks to have taken another step forward from last year’s up-trend. Despite a coaching change, they sneaked out a one goal win against conference rival, Centennial, in the first game of the year. That is a big win for them. I am looking forward to their next game against Blaine (who looks to be much improved) as well as their matchups with Chanhassen (May 5), Armstrong (May 10) and Eden Prairie (May 16). They did a nice job getting some good OOC games on their schedule despite the limited amount available to them. Talent seems to be there to challenge BSM for the section.

Armstrong is a team that has always been decent and has slowly been trending up the past few seasons. They had a low scoring 8-6 win against Blaine but in their other two games have scored 20 & 17 respectively. They don’t seem to have any issue scoring goals and I look forward to their upcoming games against Centennial (May 2), Eagan (May 5) and Maple Grove (May 10). That 3 game stretch will tell us a lot about Armstrong, but, I don’t expect Albrecht, Essen, Olson and company to stop scoring goals any time soon.

Wayzata was a team that won 5 of their last 7 games last year only losing to Shakopee and BSM in that stretch. They had a lot of low scoring close games in 2022 telling me they had the defense but maybe were young on offense and struggled to win matchups. Despite their leading goal scorer from a year ago not playing, they have found a way to start the year 3-0 with a big conference win against Buffalo last week. They have a tough schedule and will be tested, but, even if they lose all the games they are “supposed to” in my book, they will still be 9-5 which is two games better than they finished last year. However, I expect them to steal a game at some point this season.

Section 6

Front - Runner: Prior Lake

Challenger: Rosemount

Dark Horse(s): The Valley, Edina

Section 6 is on par with section 2 when it comes to depth/toughness in the section. Section 6 people will tell you it’s the hardest. Maybe. I don’t know. It’s certainly in the top 2.

Prior Lake, until proven otherwise is the front runner. A team that every year seems to sit atop the standings, it is hard to bet against them. Unfortunately, we have no idea where PL is at this point, because, they have not played a game yet! Weird schedule for them this year where they don’t play their first game until 22 days into the season. They do return their entire defense from a year ago and offensive starters Ben Mickett, Jack Tocko, and Max Anderson. I don’t forsee them having any issues being a top team again this year despite graduation. They are well coached, organized and have a tradition of excellence and are the team to beat. Maybe not as deep this year as last, but, the top end is still there.

Rosemount has been a top 10 team for years but have not been able to get through to state since their State Runner up in 2014. A team that always seems to reload with talent is leaning on a great 2023 class to hopefully help them break through Prior Lake’s dominance in the section. Dobrowski and Gullickson are bringing a lot of offensive firepower back from last year and they have a brick wall in goal with Aiden Sorsoliel. There is enough there to be a contender and they will have plenty of opportunity to be battle tested heading into playoffs. The 9-11 loss this past weekend to Edina, I think, says less about Rosemount and more about Edina (see below).

Edina, a team that lost an OT heartbreaker in the section final in 2021 had what some would consider a “down year” last year. Word on the street is they rolled out a great group of freshman/sophomores last year in an effort to re-build and go all-in on a great group of 2024s/2025s. Well, they started the year off with a bang beating Rosemount in a huge section win and certainly all eyes are on Edina this week against bordering foe, Eden Prairie. No stats for Edina on lax hub so I don’t know exactly who their go-to guys are at this point, but, we will be keeping an eye on them.

The Valley (EV/AV), a team that has some top end talent seems to be hot and cold. They have some superstars in their 2023 class in Sam Arendt (A) and Jake Rossman (D). There are also some solid underclassmen on the team in Carter Harris (‘25 Attack) and Alex Gilbertson (‘24 Midfield). They play an untraditional run and gun style and are certainly fun to watch, but, really struggled against BSM. They bounced back and won a low scoring game, 5-3, against Jefferson. I am not really sure what to make of them. I personally think they are good, but, time will tell if they can compete against the top teams. Even still, not a team I’d want to face in playoffs with the talent they have, I can almost guarantee they will steal one come sections.

Section 7

Front-Runner: Centennial

Challenger: Chisago Lakes

Dark Horse: Blaine

This section is a bit shallow in that I think after the top 3 there is a large drop off.

Centennial is probably the favorite at this point, but, they are 2-2 with losses to Maple Grove and Mahtomedi. There is talent there but definitely adjusting to losing three D1 lacrosse commits from last year. Brol Scherman and Logan Adams have been putting up points and they have had a nice surprise with Trent Kramar looking extremely good in goal. They are working through some things on the defensive end with a bunch of new poles. There was a leadership change as well, and while I don’t think it has been a factor, there are always new things to adjust to. I expect Centennial to figure it out and be a strong team, but, I am not ready to call them a lock for Section 7 quite yet.

Chisago Lakes, despite my thoughts on their graduation losses, looks dominant again. They are most likely the biggest threat to Centennial in the section. The hard part for CL is that their schedule is extremely weak and they have hard time really showcasing their team. Hard for us as media people, but, might actually be a competitive advantage for them as they are hard to scout. They notoriously dominate their conference games winning by 17, 18, goals. They have Hill-Murray and Champlin Park back to back here which may prove to be their toughest competition all season. Depending on how those games go, we may be able to draw some conclusions. I think they are a good team, just don’t know how battle tested they will be come playoffs. They did break through in 2021 so, we know they can do it, just hard to tell how good they actually are.

Blaine played a close game with Armstrong and held them to 8 goals. I think this says a lot about their defense and they should be able to stay in any game they play. They have a great face off guy in Michael Aber (currently going 85%) and a solid goalie, Rylan Dickenson. I think having strength in those two areas gives them a chance in any game. Caden Bunes is a proven scorer but someone else will need to step up and produce for them to get through the section. However, if they can keep games low scoring and close, I wouldn’t be surprised if they “upset” someone in playoffs.

Section 8

Front-Runner: Moorhead

Challenger: Elk River/Zimmerman

Dark Horse: STMA?

Another section that isn’t quite as deep as others there is a hard drop off after the top 2-3 teams.

Moodhead looks to retain their dominance in the section, but, unfortunately, their first two games have been postponed as the northern part of the state is still dealing with snow and poor weather. I think they finally get a game in this week against Monticello. They returned a handful of guys from their State Tourney team a year ago and tip off the cap to the Spuds for doing everything they can to get tougher games. That is a huge commitment to travel expenses but they will get a shot at Shakopee, BSM and Minnetonka this season. I think those games will be extremely important for the Spuds to give them a chance to avoid the “8 seed” at state if they do win the section.

Elk River has taken care of business, convincingly, with a 2-0 start and looks to be a better team this year than last. Probably Moorhead’s toughest competition in Section 8, the next few games for the Elks will be telling. They have Maple Grove, Blaine, Moorhead, Centennial and Armstrong on the upcoming schedule. Plenty of opportunity to prove they are absolutely contenders or, dare I say, front-runners for the section. The Moorhead v ERZ game will be a must-watch game, I hope it is streamed.

STMA is here because I don’t really know who else to put there. They have traditionally been a contender in section 8, but got beat handedly by Minnetonka on Saturday. STMA will be battle tested as they run through the Lake conference schedule, so, maybe we see a much different Knights team come June?

Overall, a lot needs to be settled still, but a good amount of fun surprises early in the season. The shakeup in the mid-season check-in should be a lot of fun

Game on!

-Ted