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Blaze too hot for Apple Valley

By Loren Nelson, Editor, 05/27/11, 11:15AM CDT

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Bohdi Engum, Jace Childs lead Burnsville's unorthodox but effective attack


Burnsville's Jace Childs gets some hang time as he fires a shot over Apple Valley goaltender Josh Wielenga. Childs had raced around Apple Valley defenseman Kyle Oswald (10) before taking the shot. Photo by Helen Nelson

Burnsville seniors Bohdi Engum and Jace Childs aren’t lacrosse players as much as they are illusionists.

They have the ball, then it is gone, then it appears again, usually on its way toward the back of the goal, always on a most unusual flight path.

Think the Penn and Teller of high school lacrosse, and you get an idea what the Blaze attackmens’ game is all about.


Burnsville's Bohdi Engum celebrates after scoring one of his five goals for the Blaze. Photo by Helen Nelson

Engum scored five goals and Childs added four on Friday, May 27, as the No. 4-seeded Blaze beat No. 5 Apple Valley 15-11 in the Section 3 quarterfinals at Burnsville High School.

From backhand shots to no-look shots to one-handed shots to leaping shots, Engum and Childs approached every foray toward the Apple Valley goal with a certain artistic flair. To say Engum and Childs are unconventional is akin to observing you don’t often see a striped Holstein.

“He has the weirdest shot I’ve ever seen,” Childs said about Engum, who was a standout goaltender for the Blaze hockey team. “He’ll be looking this way, then two seconds later it is in the top corner. I ask him every day, ‘What do you do?’ He’s like, ‘I don’t know.’ He just does it.”

Engum scored 24 goals during the regular season, second on the Blaze to Childs’ 28. In two playoffs games, Engum has eight goals and Childs has six.

Against Apple Valley, a team that beat Burnsville during the regular season, Childs and and Engum combined for three goals in the fourth quarter as the Blaze slowly pulled away from the Eagles.

Childs scored one of his goals while buried deep inside a mass of players near the Apple Valley crease. Somehow, he was able to snare a rebound out of the air and whip it in the net in one motion.


Apple Valley's Mike Mahre looks for an opening past Burnsville's Dylan Delaney. Photo by Helen Nelson

The backbreaking goal also came courtesy of Childs, who used a series of dodges to beat Eagles defenseman Kyle Oswald before leaping high into the air and launching a shot past Apple Valley goaltender Josh Wielenga.

Childs’ YouTube-worthy effort put the Blaze ahead 14-10 with 4:06 remaining.

“It got our bench riled up,” Childs said about the goal. “So, yeah, it was nice.”

Engum also scored on a leaping shot as well as more than a few Houdini-like displays.

“We have a few guys who are really good at doing things you wouldn’t expect,” Burnsville coach Jesse Schelitzche said, “or that any normal defender wouldn’t know to expect. That’s really what gives us an advantage, kind of the chaos of our offense.”

The Blaze take their controlled chaos to Rosemount on Wednesday, June 1, for a semifinal matchup against the Irish.


Burnsville's Alex Rulau, left watches as Blaze teammates Neal Pester (19) and Jace Childs go airborne to celebrate a goal. Photo by Helen Nelson

Statistics, Summary

1. Bodhi Engum, Burnsville
The senior attackman scored five goals and added one assist. That assist –– a 30-yard, high-arcing pass that sent Jake Maxson in for a breakaway goal –– was a thing of beauty.

2. Jace Childs, Burnsville
The senior attackman scored four goals and assisted on two others. His goal on with 4:06 left showcased his speed and array of moves and put the Blaze comfortably ahead at 14-10.

3. Derek Falteisek, Apple Valley
The junior midfielder scored two goals and added two assists. Both his goals came in the fourth quarter as he helped keep the Eagles within sight of the Blaze.
 

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Game Recap

Senior Bohdi Engum scored five goals and senior Jace Childs added four to power No. 4-seeded Burnsville past No. 5 Apple Valley 15-11 in the Section 3 quarterfinals on Friday, May 27, at Burnsville High School.

Burnsville led 5-3 after a slow-paced first half played in steady rain. The precipitation eased in the second half, when there was a downpour of goals.

The teams combined for nine goals in the third quarter, which ended with Burnsville leading 10-7.

Apple Valley’s Derek Falteisek scored just more than a minute into the fourth quarter to pull the Eagles to within 10-8, but they would get no closer.

Apple Valley beat Burnsville 12-9 during the regular season, but the Blaze (9-6) entered the postseason on a four-game winning streak after losing four of their first five games to start the season.

The Eagles (10-5) got two goals each from juniors Connor Uzlik and Derek Falteisek.

Burnsville goaltender Kyle Perisic made 16 saves while Apple Valley's Josh Wielenga made 19.


Burnsville's Bohdi Engum. Photo by Helen Nelson

Statistical Leaders

Regular Season

Section 3 Playoffs

Regular Season

Section 3 Playoffs

How They've Fared

Regular Season

Section 3 Playoffs

Regular Season

Section 3 Playoffs

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