BOYS Top 20 Preview: #12 Woodbury

Every year since we’ve started following MN high school lacrosse, there is no team I am wrong about more often than Woodbury. I don’t have a ton of connection into the program, but this is a team that continues to find new ways to win and contend for section titles every year. They are one of the strongest programs from consistency perspective each year and I have a lot of respect for this team.

“Tale of the Tape”

*according to LaxNumbers

**according to MN Lax Hub

• 2024 Record: 11-4

• Strength of Schedule: 74.20 (17th in MSHSL)*

• Team Offense: Averaged 10.53 Goals For per game (26th in MSHSL)**

  • Graduated Senior Production: 28.5%

• Team Defense: Averaged 5.47 Goals Against per game (5th in MSHSL)**

  • Graduated Defensive Personnel: Quinlan Toelke (Defense), Andrew Sorensen (Defense), Ben Hanson (SSDM), Lorenzo Salas (SSDM), Levi Johnson (LSM/D), Sumner Becker (LSM), Joey Lucius (Defense)

Offense Returning

Max Henry (30/22)

Quinn Olson (41/8)

Cater Nelson (16/20)

Sam Sanchez (21/11)

Brecken Worwa (13/15)

Defense Returning

Evan Hermann (goalie) - .543 SV%

Jack Vasterling (goalie) - .594 SV%

MJ Pietruszewski (defense)

2025 Schedule

Within the Suburban East conference they will have tough ranked matchups agains: Stillwater (#4), East Ridge (#7), Cretin - Derham Hall (#20) & White Bear Lake (#13). In addition to those ranked games, Mounds View, Irondale and Roseville have all been up and coming teams as well.

OOC they have Eagan (#5) and St. Thomas Academy (who is just outside the top 20) listed with two open game slots setting up a pretty strong schedule overall for the Royals.

Final Thoughts

Like I said in the opening, Woodbury is a team I feel I am constantly wrong about. At face value, it looks to me like their identity will change this upcoming season. They were a team built on defense last year but looks like they lost nearly their entire starting group of defensive personnel. Good news is they have two very good goalies and can build in front of those guys with new defensive personnel.

Despite losing a lot on the defensive end, they get their top 5 scorers back from a year ago. This team will have the athletes/players to score in 2025 and maybe their identity will change to be more of an offensive/up-tempo team. We will see. The royals have been defense/ball control first in the past few seasons but looks like they will be more experienced on the offensive end. From what I know of their midfield, those guys will be able to play two-ways if need be - there are some phenomenal athletes there.

Woodbury has a strong youth program and should be able to produce some up and coming players to fill roles on the defensive end, but, they do have to split the youth with East Ridge, which, will always factor in the strength of the pipeline. Both Woodbury and ER have been strong together over the years so, at this point, it seems like it hasn’t swung too far to one school or the other.