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The Final Four: 2 Surprises, 2 Not
(May 31, 2009)
The field for the 2009 Minnesota State High School Girls Lacrosse
Tournament is set with an expected Eden Prairie and Blake, but
crashing the party are first time participants, Centennial and South
Washington County.
For all intents and purposes, EP and Blake steamrolled through their
sections in convincing fashion, each dismantling a quality opponent
in the finals. Centennial and South Washington County each had to
wade through and persevere in their sections, climaxing with two
very close and hard won final games.
This sets the stage for the new kids on the block vs. the veterans;
each getting an opportunity to play David vs. Goliath, if the seeds
go as I expect. My scenario is #1 Eden Prairie, #2 Blake, #3 Centennial
and #4 South Washington County.
If this goes as anticipated, the semi-finals will be a mere formality as
EP and Blake should win convincingly and play each other, again, in
the finals. No offense to the Cougars or the RoyalPack, but it has been
the Eagles and Bears all year and no one has been close. Nonetheless,
good luck to all the teams and congratulations on making State.
Let The Playoffs Begin
(May 17, 2009)
The regular season dust has settled and it's time for the second or real
to begin: Playoffs. No major upsets occurring in the final two weeks of
play, unless you call Eden Prairie destroying Blake an upset. Some may,
but EP is still smarting from their Championship OT loss to the Bears last
year, but this game, in the grand scheme of things means very little. Yes,
it would give a head-to-head tiebreak to the Eagles, comes the State
Tournament seeding process, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
The top seeds are as follows: Section 3 Bloomington Kennedy; Section 4
Mahtomedi; Section 5 Blake; Section 6 Eden Prairie. In my opinion, you
can pen in Blake and EP, no stretch here, as they are clearly that much
better than everyone else. Sections 3 and 4 will be very competitive and
I see no clear cut favorite. Regardless, it should be a fun two weeks of
section playoffs with the winners heading to the State Tournament.
Crystal Ball is Getting Clearer; No Helmets Necessary
(May 3, 2009)
Having watched parts of over 30 games this season, I am pleased
to see the continual advancement of girls' skills and the overall
improved lacrosse level of play. However, one area that needs
to be addressed by everyone, coaches, players and referees is
the increased illegal stickwork and number of injuries from the
lack of rule enforcement. As we all know, girls lacrosse is meant
to be a game of skill and finesse, not 'caged combat' ie, boys.
US Lacrosse has drawn a line in the sand about this type of
aggressive play and does not want the next evolutionary step
to be helmets. Neither do I. It is what separates the girls from
the boys, literally. Coaches and Players, there is nothing wrong
by playing aggressive. But, you must accept the responsibility
of teaching the game and respecting the game. They go hand
in hand and no coach should be disgusted and no player should
throw their stick when a Yellow Card is issued. In fact, it is a
teaching and learning moment for both.
However, the duplicity also rests with the referees. Rules are
written to be enforced objectively, not subjectively. I witnessed
a game on a Saturday afternoon where a girl received a stick to
the head. Play went on. In fact, she needed to use her hand to
push away her opponents stick, which was literally, in her face.
Play went on. I thought a stick 'in the sphere' was a foul, let
alone contact to the head, a yellow card. Regardless of how
"new" the referees may or may not be, I will not cut any slack
when were talking about someoone's head. Blow the whistle,
have the courage of your convictions and make the call. If
not, the injuries will mount and helmets will be a fait accompli.
Off my soapbox, the regular season is now two weeks from
completion and it's still The Big 2 and everyone else. Mahtomedi
has surged, along with Minnehaha Academy, while Wayzata is
humming along. Great lacrosse is in store as seeds are determined
and the playoffs begin on May 18th.
Two Weeks Complete; Few Surprises
(April 19, 2009)
The season is underway and all teams are shaking the rust off from
our seemingly, never ending winter. (I thought the calendar says
Spring..?) As expected, Blake and Eden Prairie are averaging double
digits on offense, single digits on defense, an excellent recipe for
success.
A few teams are raising early sesdon eyebrows namely Burnsville,
Minnehaha Academy and St. Louis Park. But it is early and the next
four weeks will determine playoff seedings, so the fun is just beginning
and the lacrosse is heating up. Hopefully, so is the weather.
Can The Bears Repeat ?
(April 2 ,2009)
April has sprung and so too does another season of MSHSL Girls Lacrosse.
Hopefully our endless winter will begin it's long, overdue hibernation and
spring will bestow excellent, lacrosse playing conditions, unlike last year.
Speaking of last year, the 2008 season ended on May 24th with a thrilling
sudden death, overtime victory by the Blake Bears, resulting in their first
State Championship. The initial question this season is, as the Bears come
out of hibernation, can they repeat ?
The simple answer is: Yes. Several key players return as seniors, firmly
placing the Bears as the team to beat come June. Their first test comes
early on April 14th as they host Centennial. But unless the lacrosse world
has had a tectonic shift within Minnesota, (highly improbable) a determined
group of Eagles, namely Eden Prairie, is waiting to claw their way back to
the top of the podium. My instincts tell me motivation will not be a problem
for EP, especially on May 15th, (EP @ Blake) let alone a potential date in
the State Tournament. Until proven otherwise, it's the Big 2 and everybody
else.
In the interim, an exciting season of girls lacrosse is at hand. As a new
web site dedicated to Minnesota-lacrosse, I encourage everyone, players,
coaches, parents, fans of lacrosse in general, to contribute. In this digital
world, content is king, thus if you have an item of interest, score, statistic,
any information valuable to the Minnesota Lacrosse community, please send
it our way.
greg@mnlaxonline.com paul@mnlaxonline.com
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