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MontiQuois wins MBSLA title

By Loren Nelson, Editor, 06/11/11, 10:20PM CDT

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Monticello-based program upends defending champion St. Louis Park


MontiQuois goaltender Aaron Job eludes St. Louis Park's Brookes Patterson during the MBSLA championship game. Photo by Helen Nelson

Having just won the Minnesota Boys Scholastic Lacrosse Association state championship, MontiQuois players were a picture of restraint as they went through the customary postgame handshake.

With that obligation fulfilled, things started to get a little wild.

The jubilant players started bouncing and hugging and shouting. Jerseys and elbow pads and other assorted pieces of gear were tugged off and flung aside.


MontiQuois senior midfielder Evan Hesse celebrates after scoring a first-half goal against St. Louis Park. Photo by Helen Nelson

Then, just as MontiQuois’ players were on the verge of making a mad rush toward their jubilant fans in the bleachers after beating defending state champion St. Louis Park 13-7 on Saturday, June 11, at Orono High School, they were stopped in their tracks.

“They wanted to run and celebrate with their fans, and I’m like, ‘You’re supposed to bring the trophy to your fans,’ ” St. Louis Park coach and MBSLA president Kevin Reed said. “That was kind of cute.”

Once Reed presented the MBSLA’s ultimate prize, explaining it was the state’s “oldest championship lacrosse trophy,” the obligatory team photo was taken.

Finally, time to celebrate.

“It feels great,” said MontQuois senior Evan Hesse, who scored four goals. “We’ve waited for this for so long. Everything was worth it, though.”

The state title was the first for MontiQuois, a Monticello-based program that pays homage to lacrosse’s Native American origination with the Quois portion of its name.

MontiQuois won its first state title in its first championship-game appearance. MontiQuois won it with a first-year coach in Gene Emanuel, who refused to claim responsibility for any portion of championship.

“It was all those guys right there,” Emanuel said as his team was sprinting, trophy raised high, toward the MontiQuois cheering section. “We also have some great coaches.”

Emanuel’s humble approach to the championship carried through to his players.

While midfielders Hesse and Thomas Bales are the scoring and motivational leaders for MontiQuois, they gushed over the performance of the team’s attackmen. Junior Cody Lamm, in particular, had a career night with four goals (Lamm scored 10 goals during the entire regular season).


MontiQuois senior Thomas Bales takes a hit from St. Louis Park's Sean Berens. Photo by Helen Nelson

“He played unbelievable tonight,” Hesse said. “His confidence was up. “All our attackment stepped up big for us. This is the playoffs. When they had to, they came up big for us.”

Hesse and Bales also praised the work of MontiQuois' goaltender, junior Aaron Job. After the first quarter ended in a 3-3 tie, Job held St. Louis Park scoreless for 28 minutes, 29 seconds during a stretch that spanned parts of the first and fourth quarters and all of the second and third.

“We’ve got Jobe, the best goalie in the state,” Hesse said. “I’ve never seen a goalie like him.”

Added Bales about Jobe, “All season he’s been performing. Without him, I don’t think we would be able to do it.”

That’s how it went after the game. Nobody taking ownership for the victory. Everyone sharing in the glow.

“I was just running and cutting, getting all the good passes,” Lamm said. “We have a great group of seniors.”

Dave Maurer, MontiQuois’ club president, served as the team’s coach for the previous four years and was a varsity assistant coach for two seasons before that.

“It feels great, this is awesome,” Maurer said, who then continued with the championship’s team theme. “They are team players, and this year the coach just brought out the team play in them.”


MontiQuois, a club program since 2003, won its first MBSLA state championship with a victory over defending champion St. Louis Park. Photo by Helen Nelson

Statistics, Summary

MBSLA Champions

2011 -- MontiQuois
2010 -- St. Louis Park
2009 -- Orono
2008 -- St. Louis Park
2007 -- White Bear Lake
2006 -- Blake
2005 -- Blake
2004 -- Eden Prairie
2003 -- Bloomington Jefferson
2002 -- Roseville
2001 -- Roseville
2000 -- Bloomington Jefferson
1999 -- Robbinsdale Cooper
1998 -- Hopkins
1997 -- Hopkins

1. Cody Lamm, MontiQuois
A junior attackman who scored all of 10 goals during the regular season, Lamm erupted for four goals in the biggest game of his career. Not bad for a guy who normally toils deep in the shadows cast by MontiQuois scoring wizards Thomas Bales and Evan Hesse.

2. Evan Hesse, MontiQuois
A senior midfielder blessed with so much speed he is seemingly equipped with turbo-chargers for feet, Hesse rocketed his way to four goals. Hesse scored twice during a game-turning nine-goal MontiQuois run that spanned the second and third quarters and a portion of the fourth.

3. Connor Shandley, St. Louis Park
A senior midfielder, Shandley scored four goals, with three coming in the fourth quarter – and two in the final two minutes – as the defending state champion Orioles refused to relinquish their title without a final flurry of goals.


MontiQuois junior Cody Lamb hurdles St. Louis Park goaltender Erick Buckley in a race for the ball. Photo by Helen Nelson

Game Recap

Junior attackman Cody Lamm and senior midfielder Evan Hesse each scored four goals for MontiQuois, which erupted for nine unanswered goals on its way to a 13-6 triumph over St. Louis Park on Saturday, June 11, in the Minnesota Boys Scholastic Lacrosse Association state championship game at Orono High School.

The state championship was the first for MontiQuois, the Monticello-based team that started its boys lacrosse program in 2003. MontiQuois’ previous best finish was fourth.

The first quarter ended in a 3-3 tie, but the rest of the game – aside from the closing few minutes – belonged to MontiQuois.

Senior midfielder Evan Hesse scored with 5 minutes, 11 seconds left in the second quarter to put MontiQuois ahead 4-3, and the scoring outburst ended when Lamm scored with 9:23 left in the fourth quarter. Lamm’s goal put MontiQuois ahead 12-3 and all but put the game out of reach.

St. Louis Park, the defending state champion playing in its fourth straight title game, scored five of the final six goals, starting with the first of four Connor Shandley goals with 7:35 remaining.

Thomas Bales scored three goals for MontiQuois and Art Elmer had two for St. Louis Park.

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