Park should be loaded for bear this season in girls lacrosse as almost every key players returns from last season’s 12-4 team.
The Wolfpack graduated just two frontline seniors off last …
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Park should be loaded for bear this season in girls lacrosse as almost every key players returns from last season’s 12-4 team.
The Wolfpack graduated just two frontline seniors off last year’s team, Megan Maloney and Kyleigh Mullen.
Back for Park are veteran standouts Shelby Hansen, Molly Villas, Madi Brinkman, Ava Reckinger, Kyra Stofer, Megan Husaby, Sam Miller, Josie Leonard and Morgan Leick and starting goalie Aubree Laska. Leick, Miller, Reckinger, Husaby, Brinkman, Leonard and Hansen all played in every game last season.
Park’s three leading scorers are all back this season in Hansen, Leonard and Brinkman.
“Our biggest strength is our experience and our depth,” said Park head coach Scott Leonard, now in his 17th season directing the Wolfpack. “Going into last year we were really nervous. This year, a lot more confident in what we know we have coming back. We’re looking at probably six girls to kind of fill in a few spots off of last year’s team.”
A three-year letter winner, Hansen signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at Concordia University in St. Paul. She’s earned two all-conference honors and was named to the all-section team. Hansen led the team in goals scored the last two seasons and is currently sixth on the all-time goals scored list.
“She’s just a fierce competitor,” said Leonard. “We’re two days into training and we’re like, Shelby relax, settle down a little bit. She just wants to compete, hates to lose.”
Hansen also led the Wolfpack in scoring last season with 44 goals. Leonard had 32 and Brinkman 24. Other veterans such as Stofer and Lilly Newhouse give the Wolfpack offensive depth.
“Josie and Madi, our two midfielders, they put a lot in their offseason,” Leonard said. “They do a lot of things outside of season and they’re working on their skills to get better.”
With almost the entire team returning, Park may still do some juggling with the lineup, said Leonard.
“We may jockey our lineup a little bit around,” said Leonard. “May turn some infielders into attackers, defenders into midfielders. That’s something we’re considering doing right now.
Most of the Park defense is back, led by Morgan Leick, Sam Miller and Ava Reckinger “who were rock stars,” Leonard noted. These three, combined with retuning goalie Laska should make for a formidable defense. Laska was a part-time starter in net as an eighth grader, then full time last season. Basketball standout Sydney Nelson adds another top athlete to the team.
Leonard pauses a bit when asked to name a team weakness, but then notes he’d like to see some players step up when teams focus on stopping Hansen offensively, as well as improving the team’s transition game.
Park had a successful season a year ago, going 12-4 overall and 6-3 in the Suburban East Conference, finishing fourth.
The Wolfpack had an excellent scoring last season, scoring wins of 9-1 over East Ridge, 15-1 over Rochester Mayo, 18-2 over Hastings and 10-0 over Irondale. Park edged Cretin-Derham Hall 11-9 in the Section 3 semifinals before running into a buzzsaw and losing 15-5 to Two Rivers/Gentry Academy in the Section 3 Championship.
“I think the conference is wide open, Leonard said. “Last year we kind of shocked ourselves by taking Stillwater to overtime. They’ve always kind of been the untouchables and last year we were 2-2 with them at halftime when the lightning strikes and the game gets postponed. We ended up taking them to overtime and we had four good shots in overtime and if one of them goes in we best Stillwater for the first time since 2009.
“I think the section is going to be wide open,” Leonard added. “I see five teams which can legitimately win the section – Park, Simley, East Ridge, Woodbury and Cretin. I think they’re all going to be one-goal, two-goal games come the final four.”
Park opens 2023 season play at Wolfpack Stadium Tuesday, April 18, against visiting Mounds View, starting at 7 p.m.
