This week's taste of spring is a preview for the 2019 lacrosse season, with boys' and girls' competition beginning on April 11.
The sport's popularity in Minnesota has largely been tied to the metro area, where nearly all of the 15 games on opening day are scheduled, but one boys' outstate matchup holds plenty of allure.
Grand Rapids and Hermantown/Proctor face each other after splitting close games a season ago. The Thunderhawks took the first game 6-4, while Hermantown/Proctor has held offseason bragging rights after earning a 6-5 win in the second meeting.
Finding form and establishing chemistry is on every program’s itinerary early in the season, but for some, exacting a little revenge on a nearby rival is also on the mind.
North Suburban Conference rivals Anoka and Andover met early last season and the Huskies fought for a 10-9 victory over the Tornadoes, prompting the Huskies to a 9-3 regular-season record, good for a third-place finish in conference play. Anoka, meanwhile, stumbled to just one league win. The Tornadoes will be looking for some revenge and an improved league record this season, beginning with the rematch on April 12.
A state title game rematch is slated for May 4 when Benilde-St. Margaret’s visits defending champion Prior Lake. The Red Knights, who lost the championship game to Eagan in 2017, fell to the Lakers 10-8 in last season's finale, and are looking to get over the hump and hoist the tourney hardware.
Prior Lake’s girls look poised for their own run towards a state crown, as the Lakers have assembled a challenging schedule to prepare them. They'll face South Suburban Conference rival and defending state champion Apple Valley on May 9.
Apple Valley became the first girls' team to win a state title other than Eden Prairie and Blake in the Minnesota State High School League’s 12-year stewardship of the sport.
And while the reign may be over for two of Minnesota’s most dominant girls' programs, the Eagles versus Bears annual regular-season finale on May 23 will still be a display of some of the highest level of girls’ lacrosse Minnesota has to offer.
Click here for the full boys' schedule and here for the complete girls' schedule. Or go to the "Search" box at the top right corner of the page and type the name of your favorite squad into "Team Finder" for that team's specific schedule.
If your team’s schedule isn’t posted or needs updating, send the necessary information to scores@sportsengine.com.
Tag(s): Boys Boys MSHSL Conferences Big 9 Mankato Northfield Owatonna Rochester Rochester JM/Lourdes Rochester Mayo Greater West Metro Becker Buffalo Chisago Lakes Delano/Rockford Hutchinson Monticello Rogers Sartell/Sauk Rapids St. Cloud St. Michael-Albertville Holy Family IMAC Blake Breck Providence Academy TrIMAC Independent Duluth Grand Rapids/Greenway Hermantown/Proctor Holy Angels Minneapolis Orono Rocori St. Paul/Two Rivers Brainerd Southwest Christian Shattuck-St. Mary's Lake Eden Prairie Edina Hopkins/St. Louis Park Minnetonka Wayzata Metro East Hastings Hill-Murray Mahtomedi North St. Paul Simley St. Thomas Academy Tartan Metro West Benilde-St. Margaret's Bloomington Jefferson Bloomington Kennedy/Burnsville Chanhassen Chaska Robbinsdale Cooper St. Louis Park Northwest Suburban Andover Anoka Blaine Centennial Champlin Park Coon Rapids Elk River/Zimmerman Irondale Maple Grove Osseo/Park Center Robbinsdale Armstrong Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids Totino-Grace South Suburban Apple Valley Burnsville Eagan Eastview/Apple Valley Farmington Lakeville North Lakeville South Prior Lake Rosemount Shakopee Suburban East Cretin-Derham Hall East Ridge Forest Lake Mounds View Park of Cottage Grove Roseville Stillwater White Bear Lake Woodbury Two Rivers Girls MSHSL Conference Big 9 Mankato Northfield Owatonna Rochester JM/Lourdes Rochester Mayo Rochester Century Greater West Metro Becker Buffalo Delano/Rockford Hutchinson Monticello Mound Westonka Orono Sartell/Sauk Rapids St. Cloud St. Michael-Albertville Chisago Lakes IMAC Blake Breck Minnehaha Academy Duluth Hermantown/Proctor Holy Family Minneapolis Shattuck-St. Mary's St. Croix Prep St. Paul/Two Rivers Grand Rapids/Greenway Rocori Brainerd Southwest Christian Lake Eden Prairie Edina Hopkins Minnetonka Wayzata Metro East Hastings Hill-Murray Mahtomedi North St. Paul Tartan Metro West Benilde-St. Margaret's Bloomington Jefferson Bloomington Kennedy/Burnsville Chanhassen Chaska Robbinsdale Cooper St. Louis Park Northwest Suburban Andover Anoka Blaine Centennial Champlin Park Coon Rapids Elk River/Zimmerman Irondale Maple Grove Osseo/Park Center Robbinsdale Armstrong/Cooper Spring Lake Park Totino-Grace/St. Anthony South Suburban Apple Valley Burnsville Eagan Eastview Farmington Lakeville North Lakeville South Prior Lake Rosemount Shakopee Suburban East Cretin-Derham Hall East Ridge Forest Lake Mounds View Park of Cottage Grove Roseville Stillwater White Bear Lake Woodbury Tri-Metro Columbia Heights Holy Angels Visitation Rogers Moorhead Moorhead Waconia Waconia Big Lake/Princeton