#4 - GIRLS - Benilde St. Margaret’s

This week we are reviewing LaxNumbers #4 ranked Benilde St. Margaret’s

2023 Record

17-2.  State Champion

Who did they lose (not necessarily everyone, just most notable)?

• Izzy Garzin - D

  • 8 GB, 6 CT in 8 games

  • Committed to Vermont (D1)

• Fayedra Vang - M

  • 14 goals, 10 assists, 24 points

  • Committed to Liberty (D1)

• Brooke Nelson – G

  • 6.7 GAA, 56.6%

  • Committed to LaSalle (D1)

Who is returning?

• 2024 Julia Evens - M

  • 56 goals, 41 assists, 97 points, 131 DC

  • Committed to Marquette (D1)

• 2024 Maggie Graczyk – A

  • 64 goals, 52 assists, 116 points

• 2024 Karsyn Elliott - A

  • 23 goal, 8 assists, 31 points

  • Committed to Mt. Olive (D2)

• 2024 Maddie Kalstas - A

  • 8 goals, 8 assists, 16 points, 26 DC in 7 games

• 2025 Charlize Vang – A

  • 49 goals, 29 assists, 78 points

  • Committed to Lindenwood (D1)

• 2025 Bailey Gray – D

  • 24 GB, 22 CT

• 2025 Lulu Racinski – D

  • 13 GB, 16 CT

Instant Reaction

Is it a good thing when the reigning state champions only lose 3 total players?  Not for the rest of the MSHSL.

Losing Ms. Goalie is going to be the headliner – only because Brooke was THE goalie for BSM for so long.  But BSM has so much coming back that Coach Bowlsby should be able to scheme for anything they need.

The Future

The story turns quickly to who is coming back…and they have TON of 2024s coming back.  Julia Even and Maggie Graczyk have all the stats and the attention is well deserved.  The wild card might be Maddie Kalstas, who only played in 7 games because she was returning from an ACL surgery summer after her sophomore year.  She’ll have the chance to fill all of the production left by Fayedra Vang and take some pressure off their top two.

Sort of feels like State Tournament darling Charlize Vang may chip in a goal or two as well!  78 points as a sophomore and she only gets half a sentence?  Yikes.

Stat Crusade

In our crusade on assist percentage…BSM assisted 176/261 goals scored…67.4%.  Highest so fan and approaching 2X of Edina’s rate.  Interesting. 

For the record, our top 4 teams were 59.1%, 50.1%, 34.8%, and 67.4%.

A bonus stat…Julia Evens accounted for 131/243 draw controls…53.9% of the teams DC.  Seems like that’s something coaches might want to pay attention to.

2024 Schedule?

Tip of the cap to BSM…all 13 games are scheduled!  Notables:  Woodbury (yeah – we see what they did in the Homegrown Fall League – that makes them a notable), Blake, Wayzata, Jefferson (Conference), South, CDH, Chanhassen (Conference), and Maple Grove.  Not too shabby.  This push to get all the games scheduled so soon is REALLY interesting – wonder what its going to look like for the #5 team next week…

Interesting Nugget No One is Talking About

Their state championship starting defense in front of goal is all back.  Garvin tore her ACL mid season, so they had time to figure out how to play together as a unit…that’s going to be a plus for them this year.

In Conclusion

Is the reigning, defending, undisputed state champ better than last year?  Feels like it.

Coming next week:  The Gentry, Co-Op with Mounds Park and St. Croix Prep When We Need More Help…But Not For Girls Lacrosse (as far as you know), Girls Hockey or Boys Hockey, Charter, Definitely Not Private, Academy