State: Quarterfinals
I think the most fun day of lacrosse in MN is the final night of Sections when we have 8-10 section final games between the boys and girls. A close second, if not tied for first, is the first round of state. Aside from it being on a Tuesday which maybe limits the amount of physical attendance, it’s awesome to get to watch a full day of lacrosse!
Unfortunately for me, I was not able to watch the games as closely as I had hoped. Just some life things that needed to be prioritized yesterday kept me away from what I was hoping to be 8 hours straight of great lacrosse. I apologize for maybe the less than stellar review here but I’ll try to recap from what I saw.
Shakopee 12 v Chisago Lakes 3: This was one of the games I didn’t see much of, but, from what I did it looked like Chisago Lakes was caught off guard by the speed, physicality and depth of Shakopee from the get go. I talked about it in the preview the other day, but, Shakopee is just a grinder team. I use that in 100% complimentary fashion. I think on the last podcast, to relate this to the way most Minnesotan’s think (hockey), hey reminded me of the LA Kings Stanley Cup teams from the early 2010s, or even the Blues cup team of 2019. They just wear on you on all game when you play them. As a coach who has personally coached against the Sabres this season, even if you get out on them or play well… just surviving 48 minutes against their physicality and athleticism is difficult and Chisago, despite having a couple good players, did not have close to the depth or athleticism to hang with them for 4 quarters.
Lakeville North 7 v Cretin-Derham Hall 5: This game I got to see a bit more of. The best way to beat a high powered offensive team is great goaltending and ball control. Lakeville North plays a finesse game and Cretin was okay with letting them pass it around the perimeter. Outside shots were gobbled up by CDH goalie Eddie Kielkopf and Cretin tried to have long possessions and get goals where they could. CDH had some nice looks in the middle of the game finding guys inside for high percentage goals. Lakeville North looked frustrated but would not deviate from their offensive gameplan. Eventually, I think CDH just ran out of gas and Lakeville North made the big plays at the end of the game that they needed to make. I think the biggest key in this game was when LVN made that game 5-3 in the middle of the fourth, the face-off dominance of Quinn Power showed. Having a nearly automatic face-off win to be able to ride the wave of momentum is such a huge asset, and unfortunately for CDH, despite the absolute brilliant effort, there was no answer at the X (like most of LVN opponents this season), and they were able to go on the run to win the game.
Prior Lake 10 v Mahtomedi 6: I felt like the Lakers were in complete control from the get go. Jumping out to an early lead, they just sort of looked a lot more comfortable than the Zephyrs did. Maybe this due to more state tourney experience and having been through the pomp and circumstance of it all or maybe PL is finally that final 4 caliber team everyone expected early on. Mahtomedi had a nice 10 man ride that they got a couple turnovers on, but, even with the extra offensive possessions, to me, they looked a little lost on offense. They did not seem to be on the same page or run any specific team offensive set. It was just give the ball to a guy and go. This worked at times because they have some really skilled players but I think PL caught on to this and became extremely aggressive defensively knowing they weren’t going to move the ball to a an open shot. The Lakers had some sloppy turnovers in the clearing game (uncharacteristic of them) but I think this was due to Mahtomedi’s pressure on the ride. Prior Lake LSM, CJ Sheffield, was unbelievable in this game. Even my in-and-out viewing, he had at least 5 caused turnovers. Probably more that I didn't see. What a beast.
BSM 16 v Moorhead 4: Unfortunately, didn’t see much of this game either, but, from the reports I got of the game, Moorhead came in ready to go, knowing the tall task at hand. They were able to come out with speed/effort/intensity and keep things interesting for a half. However, like the first game, the depth just begins to wear on you when BSM has 3 lines of guys they can throw out there at any time and Moorhead is running a couple do-it-all middies. There just is only so much in the gas tank. I think the Spuds earned a ton of respect (even though they already had a lot) for their effort and I could see them winning the consolation title.
