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| First winning season in school history (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
The Tigers roared through their third season of existence, finishing 9-5 overall and playing competitively in all but one of their games, a season-opening loss to Lakeville North. In its first two seasons, coach Dan Pickens' team won three games and lost 20.
"This was an unbelievable season," Pickens said. "We had a great time and also were able to experience some success on the field...We had a great group of senior leaders that we are going to miss, but they sure went out with a bang."
As a team the Tigers re-wrote their regular season record book, recording new highs in wins (8), goals scored (152), won-lost record (8-4), goals per game (12.7) and goals allowed per game (9.4).
Pickens and his staff handed out 17 varsity letters at the team's post-season banquet with eight of them going to members of an outstanding senior class: Adrienne Jolicoeur, Ally Midboe, Jess Erchul, Haley Bradshaw, Betsy Anderson, Tia Jacoby, Kelli Harstad and Ashley Ganrud.
The underclassmen earning letters included junior Brittany Olson; sophomores Lindsay Benson, Haley Doll, Kylee Glenn, Kaeli Halverson, Maddie Kohlbeck and Rachael Welzin and freshmen Shelby Klotz and Michaela Tonsager.
The Missota Conference still doesn't have enough participants in lacrosse to be recognized as an official league sport and Pickens doesn't give out individual post-season awards, but Bradshaw landed a big one when she was named the the all-state team.
The Tiger JV team, paced by goalie Dani Wright (2.67 goals-against average), also had a stellar year, finishing with a 12-0-1 mark.
Pickens began to rattle off a long list of season highlights, including his team's 15th place state-ranking, but then paused and summed up the season in just a few words.
"Really, the whole season was a highlight," he said. "A great group of hard workers and good leaders...It was a season that produced memories that will last all of us for a long time."
Pickens said the only disappointment in the season just completed was the way it ended.
"We lost to Jefferson by a goal and Apple Valley beat them by a goal to win the section and go to state," he said. "That could have been us."
The senior class scored 127 of the team's record 152 goals this season but Pickens said next year's cupboard will hardly be bare.
"Our JV was unbeaten and our seventh and eighth grade team made it to the state semifinals," he said.
"We have some replacing to do and we'll have to find some scoring but we should pump out another successful season next year. Our future looks bright."
Goals
Bradshaw 42
Jolicoer 32
Erchul 23
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| Adrienne Jolicoeur 37 points (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
Assists
Midboe 11
Bradshaw 10
Points
Bradshaw 52
Jolicoeur 37
Midboe 28
Erchul 27
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| Maddie Kohlbeck (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
Goaltending
Kohlbeck 9.4 goals per game/53.0 save percentage
