Minnesota Boys Scholastic Lacrosse Association state tournament semifinalists St. Louis Park, St. Paul and Orono each were well-represented on the league's 12-member all-state team.
State champion St. Louis Park placed junior attackman Max Bergeron, junior midfielder Art Elmer and sophmore long-stick midfielder on Sean Berens on the squad selected by state coaches.
St. Paul, which finished fourth in the state tournament, is represented by senior attackman Kieran Gallagher, senior defenseman Elliot Trejo and senior goaltender Keenan Lillyquist.
Senior attackman Bo Maki and junior defenseman Joe Graphenteen were the selections from state runner-up Orono.
Buffalo also had two all-state selections in junior midfielder Louie Clifton and junior face-off specialist Garrison Elsenpeter.
MontiQuois junior midfielder Evan Hesse and Trinity School senior defenseman Eddie Hitchcock also were named to the squad.
Ben Mooney, who led St. Paul to an undefeated regular season, was named the MBSLA's Coach of the Year.
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| Player | Team | Pos | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Max Bergeron
|
St. Louis Park | A | Jr. | Bergeron had scored 54 goals in 19 games for the Orioles, the second-highest total in the state. In St. Louis Park's loss to Shattuck-St. Mary's (one of just three losses for the Orioles this season), Bergeron -- not coincidentally -- missed the game to attend his sister's graduation. |
Kieran Gallagher
|
St. Paul | A | Sr. | Gallagher scored 40 goals during the regular season to rank fourth in the state. His 59 points tied for third. Gallagher plans to play for Finger Lakes (N.Y.) Community College next season. |
Bo Maki
|
Orono | A | Sr. | Maki scored a state-best 58 goals in 15 games, including back-to-back five-goal performances in the playoffs. He plans to play at St. Thomas University next season. |
Louie Clifton
|
Buffalo | M | Jr. | The versatile Clifton was Buffalo's do-it-all option, as he scored 20 goals during the regular season while racking up 98 ground balls and winning 40 of 53 face-offs. |
Art Elmer
|
St. Louis Park | M | Jr. | Elmer ranked sixth in the state in scoring during the regular season when he had 49 points, including 30 goals. He also had 88 ground balls -- second most in the state -- and was a force on face-offs, winning 115 of 159. |
Evan Hesse
|
MontiQuois | M | Jr. | A jet-fueled dragster in cleats, Hesse motored his way to 27 goals and 19 assists in the regular season, when he also ranked third in ground balls with 87. |
Joe Graphenteen
|
Orono | D | Jr. | The very definition of a defensive stopper, the athletic Graphenteen (he's also a standout hockey player) relished the opportunity to go one-on-one with the opposition's top scorer. |
Eddie Hitchcock
|
Trinity School | D | Sr. | Hitchcock was instrumental in Trinity allowing just 69 goals during the regular season -- tied for the fifth-lowest total among teams that played nine or more games. |
 Elliot Trejo
|
St. Paul | D | Sr. | St. Paul allowed a state-low 46 goals during the regular season, thanks in large part to the work of the athletic Trejo. He plans to play for NCAA Division III Aurora (Ill.) next season. |
Keenan Lillyquist
|
St. Paul | G | Sr. | Lillyquist's 4.23 goals-against average during the regular season was the second best in the state. He also posted a .626 save percentage. |
Garrison Elsenpeter
|
Buffalo | FOGO | Jr. | Elsenpeter had 94 face-off wins (compared to 30 losses) during the regular season, second most in the state. |
Sean Berens
|
St. Louis Park | LSM | So. | A leader of the Orioles' underrated defense, Berens typically drew the toughest assignments. |
Honorable Mention: Nick Vetrano, Sr., Buffalo, Attack; Noah Emanuel, Sr., MontiQuois, Defense; Weslee Kavanagh, Jr., Orono, Goaltender; Merek Regan, Jr., St. Cloud South, Long-Stick Midfielder.
Coach of the Year: Ben Mooney, St. Paul
Assistant Coach of the Year: Andrew Peschong, St. Louis Park
Official of the Year: Trevor Busby
