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Red Knights still going strong

By Loren Nelson, Editor, 04/25/11, 10:30PM CDT

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Benilde-St. Margaret's uses second-quarter scoring binge to top Eden Prairie


Taylor Topousis of Benilde-St. Margaret's, right, shoulders his way past Eden Prairie's Patrick McFadden. Photo by Helen Nelson

Better than last year?

The question is fun to ask, but impossible to answer.

It’s way too early to tell if this Benilde-St. Margaret’s team is an upgrade over last season’s version. You know, the one that suffered just one loss – by a single goal at that – en route to the MSHSL state championship.


Peter Schubloom of Benilde-St. Margaret's looks for an opening past Eden Prairie's Bennett Johnson. Photo by Helen Nelson

For sure, this is an altogether different Red Knights team.

When Benilde-St. Margaret’s needed a goal last year, it was a stone cold cinch that either Bailey Dodds or Ryan Butts would score it.

Dodds, last season’s inaugural Mr. Lacrosse award winner, and Butts have graduated. Now, when the Red Knights need a goal, there’s no telling who will score it for them.

“That’s probably our greatest asset is our depth,” senior Taylor Topousis said after the Red Knights’ 10-6 victory over Eden Prairie on Monday, April 25, at Eden Prairie High School. “We don’t just have two guys out there that can take the ball and score. We really spread it around. It’s tough to defend a team that can spread it around like that.”

Seven players scored for the Red Knights against the Eagles. And when Benilde-St. Margaret’s went on its pivotal 4-0 run to start the second quarter, four goal scorers shared in the offensive splurge.

“I don’t know if I could pick one guy out tonight that played above somebody else,” Benilde-St. Margaret’s coach Colin Mulcahy said.

The way Topousis figures it, the Red Knights have at least nine legitimate scorers. That would be their three starting attackmen and top two lines of midfielders.


Christian Horn scored for Benilde-St. Margaret's in its win over Eden Prairie. Photo by Helen Nelson

Junior attackman Will Hoesley, who scored twice against the Eagles, has a team-leading 22 goals. Four other Red Knights have at least seven goals, including junior attackman Christian Horn and Topousis, who also scored twice against Eden Prairie, with 10 each.

“Right now, they are the team to beat,” Eden Prairie coach Ryan Ward said. “They got some goals in transition there where we weren’t quite picking up our guys. They had some good shooters and they capitalized. And that’s the difference, right there.”

In a roundabout way, Thomas Gilligan, the Red Knights’ junior goaltender who was outstanding against the Eagles, plays an instrumental role in honing his teams’ shooting skills.

“It’s good going against him in practice because you have to try to score on him, and that’s really tough,” Topousis said. “That makes you a better shooter. You have to find the net.”

Gilligan was tested in flurries by the Eagles, who had had numerous close-range scoring chances turned aside by the unflappable goaltender.

“He played outstanding,” Mulcahy said. “At the end of the game he had some monster saves that definitely helped secure it for us.”


Taylor Topousis of Benilde-St. Margaret's, right, puts Eden Prairie's Davis Boehm in a headlock as they fight for possession on a face off. Photo by Helen Nelson

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Game Recap

Will Hoesley, Simon Gondeck and Taylor Topousis each scored twice for Benilde-St. Margaret’s, which scored four unanswered goals in the second quarter to ease past Eden Prairie 10-6 on Monday, April 25, in a matchup of unbeaten state boys’ MSHSL powerhouses at Eden Prairie High School.

Hoesley, Jack Naughtin, Gondeck and Topousis scored consecutive goals in a span of 2 minutes, 18 seconds early in the second quarter as the Red Knights (5-0) surged to a 6-2 lead. Gondeck scored again late in the second quarter as Benilde-St. Margaret’s took its biggest lead, 8-3, into the halftime break.

Seven players scored at least one goal for the Red Knights, the defending state champion.

Davis Snyder and Jake Woodring each scored twice for the Eagles (2-1).

Thomas Gilligan of Benilde-St. Margaret’s earned the victory in goal while Jared Klapperich of Eden Prairie, who turned in a standout performance, suffered the loss.

Three Stars

1. Thomas Gilligan, Benilde-St. Margaret’s
Best goaltender in the state? Gilligan, a junior, put his claim on that title in a big way, making numerous point-blank stops – and making them look routine – to repeatedly frustrate Eden Prairie.

2. Taylor Topousis, Benilde-St. Margaret’s
The senior midfielder scored twice. His second goal came with just more than 2 minutes remaining, the result of a long dash down the field and quick release as he approached the net.

3. Jake Woodring, Eden Prairie
Just a sophomore, the midfielder played with the poise of a senior and was a consistent scoring threat. He finished with two goals.


Benilde-St. Margaret's midfielder Taylor Topousis.

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