Saint John's Lacrosse Blog

At It Again in 2010

2010-01-21T18:28:00.006-06:00

Happy New Year Johnnie Lax Nation!!!

My apologies for not updating the site more often. When last season ended, so did the blogging. And for a while there was not a lot of news to keep you faithful readers caught up on, but now is the time to get all of you caught up on all of the events of Johnnie Lax!

Denver, Colo. - May 2009

First off to recap where the last blog left off (last May in 2009), the Johnnies won their game against Northern Colorado and moved on to the MCLA Division II National Championship Final Four. They were scheduled to face off against the top ranked Dayton Flyers at the MLS Stadium at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

The Johnnies arrived to the stadium that day and watched their archrivals, the University of Saint Thomas beat Davenport University (MI) in the first semifinal matchup.

The Johnnies were excited about the potential for an all-UMLL/all-Minnesota National Championship as they took the field. The Johnnies, who had been self proclaimed a "second-half team" came out firing in the first half and at halftime the score was tied 5-5.

Goalie Stu Van Ess (then Jr., now Sr.) played a great game stopping a majority of Dayton's attempts to take the game under control. However the game seemed to be controlled by the Johnnies. Dayton was not ready to give up and rallied back to tie the game and send it into overtime.

In overtime, shots rang off the post for the Johnnies and several opportunities were missed. About halfway into overtime, Dayton regained possession of the ball and brought it into the Johnnie zone. Midfielder Sam Gondeck (then So., now Jr.) was called for what seemed to be a questionable 30 sec. holding penalty. Although angered by the call, head coach Derek Daehn and the rest of the Johnnies focused on killing the penalty, determined to play smart defense and potentially set up a game winning play.

Unfortunately, their focus was to no avail. Play resumed, Dayton passed the ball up top and midfield Ryan Arling found the top corner to send Dayton to the finals.

Overall a great season for the Johnnies. Tough way to end it, but a great season nonetheless. A special thank you goes out to everyone who came out to Denver to cheer on the Johnnies and those who followed from Minnesota.

Also in Denver, the captains for the 2010 season were announced. They are:

Ryan Bailey (Sr., Midfield)
Brandon Brinkman (Sr., Midfield/FOGO)
Brennan Harrington (Sr., Defense/LSM)
Brian Kubovec (Sr., Defense)

These captains are eager to lead the Johnnies and return them to Denver for another shot at the National Championship.

Collegeville, Minn. - September 2009

The Johnnies hosted their first ever fall tournament. Among the teams that played were St. Cloud State, Minnesota State University - Moorhead, Minnesota State University - Mankato, Bethel, St. Olaf and Bethel. The Saint John's team was split up into two squads - SJU Red and SJU White. The SJU White team struggled with the early morning game and was unable to advance to the championship bracket. The SJU Red team was able to defeat Iowa State and moved on to play St. Olaf the next day. After a win against St. Olaf, SJU Red advanced to play MSU-Mankato for the championship. A strong showing by MSU-Mankato led to a victory for the Maverick's.

A special thanks to all the teams (players and coaches) that traveled to play in Collegeville, the officials, parents and fans that came to watch, parents and fans that helped volunteer with the concession stand and the other parts of the tournament and Saint John's University for their support and letting us use the IM Fields and Clemens Stadium.

Collegeville, Minn. - January 2010

After a semi-disappointing fall season, Practices have been high intense so far this year. The Johnnies have been conditioning and keeping the intensity up during practices. The team has been impressed with the attendance along with the talent that new and returning players are bringing to the 2010 team.

The team is also in the process of introducing a new website. You can see the new website here:

http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/?u=SJULACROSSE&t=c&s=lacrosse&p=home

Once our free trial is over, we will be changing it to www.sjulacrosse.com. Stay tuned for the release of the official website!

Also, the team has joined the "Twitter Revolution" and will be tweeting quite often throughout the year. This will include score updates during games, any news updates and also random updates too. Check the team out on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/sjulax

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The Road to Denver starts now...

The Johnnies are getting set to faceoff against Minnesota State University - Mankato for a scrimmage on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Augsburg Dome on the campus of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minn.

Check out the game details here:

http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/default.asp?u=SJULACROSSE&t=c&s=lacrosse&p=preview&gameID=30377

We hope to see some Johnnie Red fans there!!

Our first official game of the season will be on Friday, Feb. 12 at 9:30 p.m. against Wheaton College (IL). The game will be played at the Shattuck St. Mary's Dome in Faribault, Minn.

Check out the game details for that game here:

http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/default.asp?u=SJULACROSSE&t=c&s=lacrosse&p=preview&gameID=30378

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I will attempt to post on here as much as possible. Please continue to check the Twitter page as well!

I hope to see all you faithful Johnnie Red fans at as many games as possible and help cheer the Johnnies towards their fifth UMLL Division II Championship Title in seven years, their fifth straight MCLA Division II National Championship Tournament appearance and their pursuit of their first MCLA Division II National Championship!

Johnnie Red You Know!

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster and Communications Officer

If Not Us Then Who...

2009-05-12T22:44:00.004-05:00

If not now then when?

Tuesday

The Johnnies had a team meeting this morning after breakfast in the hotel. After going over some sets, the team boarded the bus for the fields for practice. We practiced for around two hours and ran to grab some lunch before watching the (#12) Stonehill vs. (#5) Northern Colorado game to see who we would play. After a fairly close game, Northern Colorado won and so we are looking forward to a great match-up against a hometown team.

The Johnnies then went back to the hotel to relax and shower. Several players and Coach Daehn participated in an epic game of water polo in the pool before heading back to the fields to cheer on our fellow Minnesotan team in the Division I tournament, Duluth. Duluth took on Boston College and won 9-8.

The team then went to Old Chicago for a phenomenal and very filling meal and headed back to the hotel. The team is planning on heading to bed early tonight to be prepared for the game tomorrow!

Please check back here tomorrow for an update on how the Johnnies did!

Johnnie Red You Know!

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

How Far We've Come

2009-05-12T10:42:00.002-05:00

Good Morning Denver!

The Johnnies lost 11-8 to St. Thomas in the 2009 UMLL Championship game, but earned the 4th seed at the 2009 MCLA National Championship Tournament in Denver, Colo.

And so I will do my best to keep everyone posted on our trip!

SUNDAY-MONDAY

On Mother's Day, the Johnnies boarded a bus for Rocky Mountains of Denver. After a long bus ride, the Johnnies arrived to a beautiful day in Colorado. We stopped at a Super Target out here and received our room assignments. As roommates we went and bought some food (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, etc.) for the room.

We still had time to kill so we drove to Dick's Sporting Goods Park, where our games will be played this week. Coach Daehn ran the team through a conditioning practice which included a lot of running and calisthenics.

We checked into our hotel, the Drury Inn in Denver, where we had some down time until our next practice at 5 p.m. back at the fields. After a solid practice the team had some downtime back at the hotel to swim and eat. Lights went out fairly early as the entire team was exhausted after a long bus ride and a couple practices.

TODAY

The team enjoyed a free breakfast at the hotel and everyone is getting ready to leave for our 11 a.m. practice at the fields. The team does not play a game today since we have a first round bye so we plan on getting a couple practices in and also watching the 1 p.m. MT (#12) Stonehill vs. (#5) Northern Colorado game as we play the winner of that game.

I will try and update everyone on the day's activities later tonight!

Johnnie Red You Know!

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

Results Yesterday

2009-05-03T08:19:00.002-05:00

Both St. John's and St. Thomas won their respective playoff games yesterday and will play each other today for the 2009 UMLL DII Championship and a trip to the 2009 MCLA National Tournament in Denver, Colo.

Please come to the game today!

(#1) Saint John's vs. (#2) Saint Thomas
10:45 a.m.
Clemens Stadium

Live scoring updates here!

Yesterday's Results and Today's Games

2009-05-02T09:14:00.002-05:00

Results are in!

Game B1: (#4) North Dakota State snuck past (#5) MSU-Moorhead 6-5 (unofficial score). (#4) NDSU advances to play (#1) Saint John's.

Game B2: (#6) Carleton College upset (#3) St. Olaf 8-7 (official score). (#6) Carleton advances to play (#2) Saint Thomas.

TODAY!!

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

THE QUARTERFINALS

Game B3: (#1) Saint John's vs. (#4) North Dakota State, noon, at Clemens Stadium

Game B3: (#2) Saint Thomas vs. (#6) Carleton College, 3 p.m., at Clemens Stadium

Please come see some phenomenal lacrosse!!!

Your Opinion!

2009-05-01T09:17:00.002-05:00

To the right of these posts there is a poll (shouldn't be too hard to find). We would like your feedback on the new websites like this blog and the new Home Teams Online webpage.

Please take a quick second to vote and let us know what you think! Thanks!

5/1 - 5/3 Weekend Preview

2009-04-29T18:30:00.004-05:00

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - They say "April showers bring May flowers". Whether that's true or not, Wednesday's rain will bring history during the first week in May up at Saint John's University.

For the first time, Saint John's will play host to the 2009 Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (UMLL) Division II Playoff Final Four.

Saint John's also has the chance to capture their fifth UMLL Division II Championship in the past six years.

The UMLL DII playoff seedings are as follows:

#1 Saint John's University
#2 University of Saint Thomas
#3 Saint Olaf College
#4 North Dakota State University
#5 Minnesota State University - Moorhead
#6 Carleton College

The Johnnies and the Tommies have first round byes and automatically advance to the semifinals.

On Friday, May 1st the quarterfinal games will be played at Husky Stadium on the campus of St. Cloud State University

North Dakota State (#4) will play MSU-Moorhead (#5) at 5:15 p.m (Game B1). The winner of that game will advance to play Saint John's. The other quarterfinal game, Saint Olaf (#3) vs. Carleton (#6) at 7:30 p.m. (Game B2), will determine who plays Saint Thomas.

On Saturday, May 2nd the UMLL Division II Final Four will be held at Clemens Stadium on the campus of Saint John's University.

At noon, #1 Saint John's will play the Game B1 winner (Game B3).
At 3 p.m., #2 Saint Thomas will play the Game B2 winner (Game B4).

On Sunday, May 3rd the UMLL Division II Championship game will take place at 10:45 a.m.

The game will feature the Game B3 winner against the Game B4 winner.

In recent years, Saint John's and Saint Thomas have advanced to play each other in the championship game and it looks like 2009 will be no different.

Saint John's is the defending champion and has won the UMLL Division II Championship in 2004, 2005, 2007 and, most recently, in 2008.

Updates will be posted on this website and if there is another Johnnie/Tommie match-up, be sure you're there to see who takes home the 2009 UMLL Division II Championship and punches their ticket to Denver, Colo. for the 2009 MCLA National Championship Tournament.

PICTURES

2009-04-29T11:12:00.008-05:00

Thank you to everyone who has sent me pictures so far this year. I have not been able to post them up on the website until now. Please keep snapping away and send me those pictures! Thank you!

Without further ado, I present to you...

Fall Ball Pictures by Mark Zallek

Saint John's vs. Grand Valley State University Pictures by Lynn Freeman

Saint John's vs. Grand Valley State University Pictures by Steve Sanner

Saint John's vs. Grand Valley State University Pictures by Mark Zallek *

Saint John's vs. University of Saint Thomas Pictures by Steve Sanner

Saint John's vs. St. Olaf College Pictures by Steve Sanner

Saint John's vs. Davenport University Pictures by Steve Sanner

Saint John's vs. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Pictures by Steve Sanner

Saint John's vs. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Pictures by Mark Zallek*

* - Requires...
USERNAME: sjulacrosse
PASSWORD: gojohnnies

Again thank you to everyone for the pictures so far. Be sure to join us this weekend up at Saint John's and keep those cameras in action!

The Start of Something Good

2009-04-29T11:12:00.004-05:00

For the longest time, we have been talking about the need for a new website. Actions are already in place to give the Johnnies a new, better looking and organized webpage for the 2009-2010 season and beyond.

Home Teams Online is a website that creates homepages for sports teams and leagues of all sports, ages, levels, conferences, etc. The University of St. Thomas revamped its own homepage by switching to a Home Teams Online webpage a few years ago. The College of St. Benedict Girls Lacrosse team also switched to a Home Teams Online webpage and their league, the North Central Women's Lacrosse League, also used Home Teams Online for their homepage.

Although the previous website was free to use and maintain it was also difficult to manage and edit. Saint John's University has since gotten rid of the program that was originally used to create the website, Front Page 2003, on all campus computers. This makes it, again, very hard to edit since I am the only one with a copy of the program on my computer.

Having a Home Teams Online account will greatly benefit the program and give the Saint John's website the extra boost it has needed over previous years.

Unfortunately it does not come cheap. The site will require $95 a year to maintain. However we will get what we pay for. To see all the features we will get click here (we are pursuing the All-Star package).

Currently, the website is running under the basic package (schedule, scores and roster) which will work for now.

To see the current website and get a little preview of what the website will look like click here.

PLEASE let me know if you have any suggestions, comments or concerns regarding the new website!

Thank you! I will post more later!

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

4/24 - 4/26 Weekend Recap

2009-04-29T11:09:00.005-05:00

The April 24-26 weekend saw the Johnnies first loss of the regular season.

The Johnnies faced off against Davenport University (Michigan) on Saturday, April 25th at Hopkins High School. Depending on which poll you looked at, the Johnnies were ranked either #1 or #3 in the nation and the Panthers of Davenport were ranked #5 or #6.

The Johnnies won the opening face-off and brought the ball into the Davenport zone. Some crisp passing and a great possession ended when the Johnnies' Brandon Brinkman (Junior, Midfield) sniped a top corner, thanks to some fancy footwork, to put the Johnnies up 1-0.

Davenport answered back in a hurry and pumped in three goals in the first quarter to take a 3-2 lead into the second quarter.

The Johnnies would most likely want to forget the second quarter. The Panthers have been outstanding in the second quarter or their games this year and this game was no exception. The Panthers out shot the Johnnies 9-5 and put six of those shots in the net. The Panthers went confidently into halftime with a 9-3 lead and out shooting the Johnnies 15-8. Davenport goalie Zach Higgins (Freshman) looked very good in net for the Panthers.

A disappointing sight to see was a second quarter injury to the Johnnies' Stu Van Ess (Junior, Goalie). While bring the ball up field on a clear, Van Ess was slashed violently on the right arm and immediately fell to the turf. Van Ess would leave the field under his own power and was taken to a hospital for X-rays. The X-rays were negative and he was diagnossed with a severe deep bone contusion. No penalty was called on the play.

After a halftime speech that refocused the Johnnies, the second half seemed to favor the home team. The Johnnies' would also need a big game from another one of their goalies and they got just that from Joe Nelson (Junior, Goalie).

The Johnnies out shot the Panthers 20-8 in the second half. The Johnnies got offense from Ryan Bailey (Junior, Midfield) and captain Brian Strauss (Senior, Attack) who had two goals each. Goals from captain Michael Freeman (Senior, Defense), Lance Wheeler (Senior, Midfield), Mike Burgeson (Junior, Attack), Sam Gondeck (Sophomore, Midfield) and an absolute snipe from Alex Fulton (Freshman, Attack) provided the drama as the Johnnies, who had been down by six at half, came within two goals of tying the game.

Unfortunately there was not enough time for the Johnnies to tie the game up. Davenport's Shawn Beer (Sophomore, Attack) notched four goals and Oliver Wade (Sophomore, Midfield) and Jordan Richtsmeier (Freshman, Attack) had two goals each. The Panthers also got scoring from Galvin Morris (Sophomore, Attack), Jordy Sayers (Sophomore, Midfield), Jordan Costa (Freshman, Midfield), and Jeff Samuels (Freshman, Midfield).

The final score of the game was 12-10 in favor of the Panthers.

The Johnnies would like to thank Davenport for coming to Minnesota and for a great game!

The Johnnies day was not over after that game however.

Ainsworth Park in St. Louis Park was the venue for the last game of the regular season for the Johnnies. A special thanks to the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire who made the trip up to the Twins Cities for the game!

With Van Ess being checked out at the hospital and Nelson resting after the last game, James Darcy (Sophomore, Goalie) got the start in net for the Johnnies.

The Johnnie seniors were announced as game captains and started the game, giving the starters from the Davenport game a rest.

The Blugolds caught the Johnnies off-guard and possibly played off a fatigued Johnnie team to jump out to a quick lead after the first quarter. Out playing a tired Johnnie team, the Blugolds added to the lead in the second and third quarters. They held the lead until the final quarter when the rested Johnnies' starters were put back into the game. The Johnnies pumped in 11 unanswered goals in the fourth quarter and won the game 18-11.

Thank you to everyone who attended the two games this weekend! A very special thank you to the two teams who crossed state borders to play the Johnnies! Another special thank you to all the photographers who have sent in their photos for the weekend!

Johnnie Red You Know!

2009-04-18T18:33:00.004-05:00

The #3 Saint John's University Johnnies upset the #1 University of Saint Thomas Tommies 6-2 today at O'Shaughnessy Field on the campus of St. Thomas.

The Tommies drew first blood in the game. Andrew Larson (Jr., Midfield) scored off a fast break that beat Johnnie goalie Stu Van Ess (Jr.). The Johnnies quickly responded with a strong shot from ten yards out by Brandon Brinkman (Jr., Midfield) that snuck by Tommie goalie Jaime Hoffman (Sr.).

Former Johnnie Nic Michaelson added another tally for the Tommies but that would be the last goal they would score.

Another former Johnnie Tony Sadder (Jr., Midfield) put one past Van Ess but the goal would not stand. Sadder was called and penalized for having a stick with a pocket that was too deep. The goal was wiped off the scoreboard and the Johnnies took momentum.

Goals by Alex Fulton (Fr., Attack), John Burke (Fr., Midfield), captains Brian Strauss (Sr., Attack) and Justin Gervais (Sr., Midfield) and Jake Mellem (So., Midfield) added to the Johnnies' lead.

The game saw its fair share of penalties for both teams which led to time spent 'man up' and 'man down'.

Van Ess played absolutely brilliant for the Johnnies making 32 saves and when the final seconds ran off the clock, Saint John's rushed the field to celebrate with their goalie.

Defenseman Brennan Harrington (Jr.) was injured with 43 seconds left in the fourth quarter. He has helped off the field and was taken to Tria for assessment. Fortunately he was diagnosed with a contusion to his knee with no ligament damage. He is expected to sit out for tomorrow's game against St. Olaf but should return for next weekend's games.

Thank you to all the family, students and fans that came out to support the Johnnies today! It was great to see a lot of red in the St. Thomas stadium and hear some cheers! Thank you again!

Tommie/Johnnie Game

2009-04-18T09:25:00.002-05:00

The Johnnies and Tommies will faceoff today; April 18, 2009.

The game will take place at noon at O'Shaughnessy Stadium on the University of St. Thomas campus.

The Tommies are currently ranked as the number one team in the nation according to the April 15th poll by Prodigy. The Tommies are led by outstanding midfielders Cooper Mazon (11 g, 7 a - 18 pts), Joe Costello (11 g, 6 a - 17 pts), Andrew Larson (10 g, 4 a - 14 pts) and Tony Sadder (8 g, 3 a - 11 pts). Attackman Jason King leads the team in points with 19 (12 g, 7 a).

The Johnnies are currently ranked as the number three team in the nation according to the same poll. The attackman for the Johnnies are leading the team offensively. Alex Fulton is the point leader with 15 (11 g, 4 a), captain Brian Strauss is not far behind with 12 (4 g, 8 a) and tied with Strauss is Matt Williamson (8 g, 4 a).

The Johnnies will play underdogs today attempt the upset of the number one team in the nation. This is sure to be a phenomenal game, one that Minnesota rarely has. Please show up and support the Johnnie lacrosse team!!!

WEAR RED FOR THE JOHNNIES!!!!

JOHNNIE RED YOU KNOW!!!

Johnnie Lacrosse Summer Camp!

2009-04-14T14:34:00.004-05:00

Boy’s Johnnie Lax Camp ‘09
St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn.
June 17‐21

The Johnnie Lacrosse Camp is designed not only to improve individual camper’s lacrosse skills and knowledge of the game, but also to provide a truly unique learning experience. This one of a kind experience focuses on creating an environment that fosters new relationships while being immersed in all that the largest campus in the nation has to offer. The camp price is extremely competitive for a four day and four night residential camp, especially if one takes advantage of discounts. The camp is also offered at a day camp rate for those that are able to make the commute to and from St. John’s daily.

The Johnnie Lacrosse camp staff has been carefully chosen based on their love and ability to play the game, as well as their ability to instruct and relate to each individual camper.

Campers will be divided by age, size and skill level. This will ensure proper instruction during individual position training, group/team concepts, and live game situations. Groups will consist of 7th‐8th graders and 9th‐12th graders.

Camper‐counselor ratios are guaranteed to be 9:1, or lower.

Special guests such as Harrow’s regional representative Brock Simon will also be on site displaying the latest and greatest lacrosse gear.

Day Camp: $295. Campers must arrive at 9 a.m. and be picked up at 8 p.m. each day.

Overnight Camp: $395. Campers must arrive between 6‐8 p.m. in front of Mary Hall on June
17th and picked up at 3 p.m. on June 21.

Goalies Day/Overnight Camp: $195.

For more information or to register go to:
http://www.minnesotalacrosseskillsclinics.com/index/Camps.html

Or contact Justin Gervais - 651.492.5412
justin@minnesotalacrosseskillsclinics.com

Please Pray for Missing UST Student!!

2009-04-06T17:02:00.002-05:00

The Saint John's lacrosse team will be keeping Dan Zamlen in their thoughts and prayers this week.

Zamlen, 18, is a student at the University of St. Thomas who went missing Saturday night when he was walking home from a party.

For details on the story, please read the StarTribune's article here:

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/42498757.html?elr=KArks:DCiUoaW_eEO7UiacyKUnciaec8O7EyUr

Events such as this break down all barriers of our fierce rivalry. We are all hoping Dan will be found, safe and sound.

I am imploring the Johnnie Lax nation to please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

Weekend Results

2009-04-06T10:37:00.002-05:00

What a big weekend for the Johnnies!

The Johnnnies took on the Lakers from Grand Valley State University on Saturday, April 4th at the University of St. Thomas. Depending on what poll you looked at GVSU was either ranked 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the country. St. John's was ranked around 5th.

The game started with both teams very excited and ready to play. Both sides could be heard yelling and getting pumped up for the game.

The Johnnies took control of the game and after an almost scoreless 1st quarter, captain Brian Strauss (Sr., Attack) ripped a shot past the GVSU goaltender. Saint John's contained and used the momentum throughout the second half and took a 4-1 lead into halftime.

Grand Valley came out firing in the second half and pumped in three unanswered goals to tie the game 4-4.

The Johnnies would not go away easily and after an action packed third quarter Saint John's held a 6-4.

GVSU kept fighting but could not withstand the Johnnies. They found themselves down two with less than a minute to go.

Superb defense and goaltending proved too much for the Lakers and the Johnnies rushed the field to celebrate a 9-7 victory.

On Sunday the Johnnies played the Dragons from Minnesota State University - Moorhead. On the snowy football field in Minnetonka the Johnnies won 13-3.

A special thanks to Grand Valley State University for traveling out to play! The Lakers were a very classy team and we enjoyed playing them! We look forward to seeing you and hanging out in Denver, Colo. for Nationals. A special thanks to MSU-Moorhead for traveling down to play! You are in our thoughts and prayers and hope that the levees will hold up there! Also a special thanks to the University of St. Thomas for hosting the game on Saturday and Minnetonka High School for hosting the game on Sunday.

And, of course, a VERY special thank you to OUR FANS who came to the games this weekend! It means a lot to the boys to look up in the stands and see Johnnie Red! Thank you very much!

GAME ON SUNDAY!!!!

2009-04-03T22:42:00.005-05:00

BREAKING NEWS...

The Johnnies will be playing the Minnesota State University - Moorhead Dragons on Sunday at Minnetonka.

The game on Sunday against MSUM will be played at Minnetonka High School on the football field at 10:30 a.m.

Minnesota State Univeristy - Moorhead

Saint John's University

Sunday, April 5th, 2009

10:30 a.m.

Minnetonka High School

Please keep the Dragons in your thoughts and prayers as they travel down for the game as they have had a rough few weeks!

GAMES THIS WEEK

2009-04-03T17:34:00.002-05:00

Thank you Mother Nature!

After a series of around 60 degree weather, the campus of Saint John's University and the surrounding area was blanketed with several inches of snow earlier this week.

What does this mean? Good news and bad news.

Bad news...

Unfortunately it means we need to cancel the games at Saint John's this weekend.

Good news...

WE ARE STILL PLAYING AGAINST GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY TOMORROW (SATURDAY, APRIL 4th)

With thanks to our honorable rivals, the St. Thomas Tommies, we were able to lock up O'Shaughnessy stadium and will be playing GVSU at 1 p.m.

Please come out and wear RED to support the Johnnies!

So...

#3 Grand Valley State University

#6 Saint John's University

Saturday, April 4th 2009

1 p.m.

O'Shaughnessy Stadium on the campus of the University of St. Thomas

Hope to see you all there!

Update! And an overdue one at that...

2009-03-31T13:23:00.004-05:00

I must apologize! It has been a fairly busy semester for me and I'm sorry for not updating this blog more often!

I'm sure you are all wondering the updates for the season so far. After all, the Johnnies have played three games since my last post from a quaint little hotel room in Barrington, Ill.

The three things you need to know about the team so far:

Upperclassmen leadership, underclassmen dramatic improvement and a strong desire to win fueled by positive influence from Coach Daehn and captains.

Let's touch on those three things quickly...

Upperclassmen Leadership

Oh yes. Upperclassmen are outnumbered by the underclassmen this year for the Johnnies. However each of these seniors and juniors have stepped up into a leadership role and done it well. Regardless if they hold a title like "captain" or "officer", the upperclassmen are showing up to practice each night with a strong desire to make it to Denver and helping the underclassmen get better.

Underclassmen Dramatic Improvement

Speaking of the underclassmen getting better...wow. The difference between last year and this year is as clear as night and day. Even the difference between fall ball and the spring season is a testament to the team listening and applying the lessons taught by Coach Daehn and the captains. Some underclassmen came in slightly nervous and shy. Now their confidence is seen and quite obvious on and off the field. Not over-confidence, but the confidence that they are an important member on this team and they mean to win every game they suit up for the Johnnies.

A Strong Desire to Win

Is this team focused! Losing is not an option for this team. Giving up is not an option for this team. An at-large bid is not an option for this team. They are obsessed and extremely driven to win their fifth UMLL Division II title in six years and earn a trip to the MCLA National Tournament in Denver in May. The Johnnies were down by three goals with two minutes left in the fourth quarter against Carthage College (NCAA DIII). A speech by Coach Daehn and the captains, three quick goals, strong man-down defense and a heroic overtime goal by midfielder Brandon Brinkman (Jr.) sent the Johnnies storming the field to celebrate an 11-10 overtime victory of an NCAA DIII lacrosse team.

If you have yet to see this team play this year, you will be surprised. The Johnnies have gotten offense from everywhere with many scorers. Looking at a score sheet at the end of the game it would be hard to pick a "game MVP" with everyone on the team contributing. It is hard to single out one specific stand out for the Johnnies this year because of the depth that has been developed throughtout fall ball and these few games at the beginning of the year.

Now to catch up on the games...

SJU (MCLA DII) @ Carthage (NCAA DIII)

The Johnnies played a tough game and got their first true test of the season when they played Carthage College in Barrington, Ill. Carthage, a NCAA DIII team, was certainly going to bring their best and they were well prepared for the Johnnies. SJU was missing several upperclassmen and starters for the game including: Michael Freeman (Sr., Defense) due to illness; Ryan Bailey (Jr., Midfield) due to a family wedding; Sam Farrington (Jr., Attack) due to injury; Michael Burgeson (Jr., Attack); Matt Draxler (So., Attack); and Tony Donna (So., Defense). However the remaining upperclassmen along with the help from a lot of underclassmen stepped up and took care of business.

The game was very close with many lead changes and ties. The Johnnies hit a rough patch and with two minutes remaining they trailed Carthage by three goals. Coach Daehn emphatically told the team that it "could win this game" and the Johnnies took the field with a fiery determination. They netted three goals and killed off a few penalties in the last three minutes to send the game to overtime.

In overtime the Johnnies were forced to kill off another penalty. The man-down defense and the excellent performance in net by Joe Nelson (Jr.) proved too much for Carthage as they could not find a way to score. After a possession and timeout by the Johnnies, captain Brian Strauss (Sr., Attack) found Brandon Brinkman (Jr., Midfield) who fired a shot past the Carthage netminder to win the game for Saint John's. The Johnnies stormed the field and celebrated an exciting win in front of a great crowd in Barrington, Ill.

A special thanks goes out to the Burgesons who hosted the Johnnie laxers for a delicious lasagna dinner on gameday. Thank you very much for the dinner and the hospitality! It was very appreciated and a great reminder that this is one giant Johnnie Lax family!

SJU @ Bethel and Augsburg @ SJU

The Johnnies traveled down to Ames, Iowa. for a weekend to play two conference games against Bethel and Augsburg. The starters were able to sit out after the first or second quarter which gave a lot of lower lines including underclassmen a chance to get some playing time. Goaltenders Stu Van Ess (Jr.) and James Darcy (So.) split time in net and combined to only allowed nine goals the entire weekend. The Johnnie offense received help all around and got scoring from everyone as Saint John's were able to pump in 16 goals in both games.

A special thanks goes out to Iowa State University for hosted the UMLL teams for the weekend and the UMLL for putting on a great weekend packed with lacrosse!!!

IF YOU HAVE ANY PICTURES OF THESE GAMES PLEASE EMAIL ME!!!
mamurakami@csbsju.edu

As this post is getting fairly long, I will post other blog entries with a recap of the season so far including some statistics and also a preview for the season to come!

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

Windy City

2009-02-21T14:13:00.002-06:00

The Johnnies arrived late last night safe and sound in Barrington, Ill. Thank you to Steve our bus driver for getting us there safely!

We watched movies and also partook in mandatory "quiet / study-time" on the bus.

"This is something you should get used to," Coach Derek Daehn said to the team.

This morning was spent in meetings The Johnnies are currently spending sometime bonding. They are at a local movie theater getting familiar with the Oscar nominated film, Slumdog Millionaire or watching the 2009 thriller, Taken. Both movies come highly recommended so ask your favorite Johnnie for their movie review.

The team will be stopping by the Burgeson residence who are graciously hosting us for dinner tonight, then it will be off to the Lake Barrington field house to play Carthage College at 8 p.m.

I will try to post the results later tonight! Wish the Johnnies good luck!

Mike Murakami

GAME DAY!!!!

2009-02-13T16:01:00.002-06:00

TONIGHT @ 10:30 p.m.

At the Shattuck St. Mary's Dome (directions here)

Saint John's University
at
Carleton College

Player rosters will be available for parents and fans although they may not be 100% accurate due to a ordering/shipping problem with the new jerseys...

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!

Bring cameras!

GAME CHANGE FOR FRIDAY!!!

2009-02-10T16:21:00.003-06:00

******SORRY FOR THE MISTAKE. THE GAME IS FRIDAY NOT SATURDAY!!******

There has been a change to the game time this Friday against Carleton College.

The game had to be moved back from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday night at the Shattuck St. Mary's Dome in Faribault, Minn.

Sorry for the inconvenience! Hope to see you all there!

New Poll on the Blog

2009-02-09T16:47:00.003-06:00

Ok. First game is done which means it is time for a new poll. Although last game was not what most people were excited for, it was a very good game.

I am not including the Tommie/Johnnie game in this poll because like I said, if you are not excited for this game, turn in your lacrosse fanhood.

So the choices are:

2/21/09 - Saint John's at Carthage College (NCAA DIII), 8 p.m. in Barrington, Ill.

4/4/09 - Grand Valley State University (MI) (#2) at Saint John's (#5), 7 p.m. in Minnesota (exact location not set yet)
The Johnnies will take on the nationally second-ranked team in the preseason poll and the runners up of last year's national championship.

4/19/09 - Saint John's at Saint Olaf, 9 a.m. in St. Paul, Minn. (at University of St. Thomas)
The Johnnies will play the formally MCLA Division I St. Olaf Oles.

4/26/09 - Davenport University (MI) at Saint John's, 1 p.m. in Minnesota (exact location not set yet)
Both teams ranked!

There are your choices. Take your pick. Choose wisely!

First Game. First Win.

2009-02-07T13:32:00.003-06:00

Very close past victories, tasting defeat in fall ball and a short amount of time with a brand new head coach.

Although the Johnnies are currently ranked 5th in the nation (MCLA Magazine) one could argue that they were slight underdogs in the first game of the season against the North Dakota State University Bison.

The team was constantly reminded throughout the week that this was going to be a big game.

North Dakota State brought some momentum and a strong desire to the 10:30 p.m. game on Friday, February 6th at the Shattuck St. Mary's dome in Faribault, Minn.

And the Johnnies were more than equal to the task.

The Bison scored the first goal, but after that it was all Johnnie Lax.

The Johnnies won 9-2.

**I will edit this article and add statistics when they are posted online.

Thank you to all the parents, alumni and fans that stayed up late with the Johnnies!

Next game:

St. John's @ Carleton College
7 p.m.
Shattuck St. Mary's Dome in Faribault, Minn.

Full schedule can be found on the Schedule page at the team's webpage

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

Finally, Saint John’s Lacrosse Has Its Coach

2009-01-30T00:26:00.002-06:00

Article by: Mike Murakami
Junior, Attackman
mamurakami@csbsju.edu

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Without further ado ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the new coach of the Saint John’s University Men’s Lacrosse team…Derek Daehn.

“I believe an outside perspective and change is healthy for a team from time to time to shake things up,” said Daehn.

And you better believe he has the ability to do that at Saint John’s.

When Saint John’s was looking for a new coach, he jumped at the opportunity of coaching at the collegiate level. “After coaching in high school for 2 years I wanted to coach at the collegiate level,” said Daehn, “I enjoyed high school, but I wanted to move into an advanced coaching level.”

As far as coming to Saint John’s, it was an easy choice.

“When looking for a program to join I wanted an established team with talent and a strong drive to be successful. One of my assistants at Cooper was a SJU graduate and he mentioned his St. John's experience,” said Daehn, “It is not your average state school and the school has some great history and traditions. I found myself drawn to the school because of its unique characteristics.”

Daehn has jumped right into his role, and there has been no easing into it. Ask any of the Johnnies, seniors or freshmen. He has ran fun, yet challenging practices this year, and wants to see the team mature into a championship caliber team.

His goals are simple.

“I want to see the program grow in terms of participation, graduates, and community involvement,” said Daehn.

Coach Daehn began playing lacrosse when he was a freshman in high school, and played for the Robbinsdale Cooper High School as a defenseman from 1998-2001. While at Cooper, he was selected to be the team captain in 2000 and 2001. With the help of Daehn, Cooper won the Minnesota State High School Championship in 1999.

Daehn also went to Vail with Team Minnesota in 2000 and 2001.

After high school, Daehn attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and played lacrosse there. The team won the Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (UMLL) Championship in 2002, 2003 and 2004. During his time there, he was selected to be a captain in 2004 and 2005.

Also during college, he played for the USA West team in 2003 and played lacrosse in Prague, Munich and Berlin.

While at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, he received a minor in coaching hockey and coached hockey for the Duluth East End Bantams where he was the Assistant Coach in 2005 and the Head Coach in 2006. Although he enjoys hockey, he would have liked to have minored in coaching lacrosse.

“At the time, lacrosse was not a sanctioned varsity sport and therefore I could not minor in it,” said Daehn

That has not stopped him from coaching lacrosse, though.

Daehn has been coaching lacrosse since he was a senior in high school. He been has coaching grades 7th through 12th from summer leagues to the high school level in Brooklyn Park, Duluth East and Robbinsdale Cooper. He was also the University of Minnesota-Moorhead Assistant Coach/Defensive Coordinator in 2008.

He can now add “Saint John’s University – Head Coach” to his resume, and he is eager to get down to business.

“I am excited to meet everyone who is and has been apart of this great program. I have met a great group of young men who have led this team through a tough period,” said Daehn, “I am available by email if any alumni or parents have any questions.”

The Saint John’s Lacrosse team is very proud and extremely excited to welcome Coach Derek Daehn to the Johnnie Lax family. We are looking forward to what we hope to be many successful years both on and off the lacrosse field.

Saint John’s will take on the North Dakota State University Bison on February 6th, 2009 at the Shattuck St. Mary’s Dome in Faribault, MN at 10:00 p.m. It will be the first game of the year for the Johnnies and their first game under Coach Daehn.

Coach Daehn can be reached at ddaehn@csbsju.edu

2009 Schedule Update

2009-01-16T00:34:00.002-06:00

I will be posting the 2009 Schedule with as much information as I can later today (Friday, January 16th, 2009). And, like I said, I will post an article about the Johnnies' new coach, Derek Daehn.

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

New Coach Announced!

2009-01-15T23:05:00.003-06:00

The new coach for the Saint John's University lacrosse team is Mr. Derek Daehn. Coach Daehn met with the captains, introduced himself to the team, and ran a good, fun, yet tough practice tonight (Thursday, January 15th, 2009). More information will come on Coach Daehn soon! Stay tuned!

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

And so it begins!

2009-01-13T15:11:00.003-06:00

First of all, I have received a lot of positive feedback from the blog. Thank you very much! Keep it coming! Also, if you have any requests of what you would like to see on here, please let me know.

Quick update!

Practice officially begins tonight for the 2009 season. The Johnnies are starting conditioning early to get back into shape after a nice break from lacrosse since fall ball (and since last spring for our study abroad returners!).

Also, I would have updated the poll to include another game: SJU vs. Carthage College, but it won't let me since we have had people vote already. However, the Johnnies will face-off against the varsity Carthage College lacrosse team on February 21st, 2009 in Lake Barrington, Illinois (looking forward to seeing you Burgesons!). Please vote for a game if you haven't done so already!

And finally one more update regarding...THE NEW COACH!

We have pretty much locked up our coach for the upcoming season and are very pleased with our choice. I will write an article that will be posted on this blog, the website, and possibly Collegelax.us when we make everything official. I promise that I will post it here first so keep checking the blog! Please stay tuned!

From cold Collegeville, Minnesota, warm wishes!

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

Check out the new poll!

2009-01-02T14:52:00.005-06:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday and rang in 2009 with style!

Please check out the poll towards the bottom of the page to vote for the game you are most excited for! The choices are:

February 6, 2009 @ 10:00 p.m.
(Game played at Shattuck-St. Mary's dome)
North Dakota State University @ Saint John's
First game of the 2009 season! Rematch of a very close game during the 2008 regular season (which the Johnnies won 11-10) and the 2008 UMLL Championship semifinal game (which the Johnnies also won 10-6). The Bison have established themselves as a powerhouse in the UMLL Division II and have given Saint John's some very close games. Mark this one on your calendars and be sure to take a nap so the Johnnies have some wide awake fans on February 6th!

April 4, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m.
Grand Valley State University @ Saint John's
While in Texas, Saint John's got to know the members of the GVSU lacrosse team. There was a lot of talk about getting together to play a game in 2009. Well here it is. GVSU finished 2nd in the nation in 2008, losing to Westminster 17-10 in the MCLA Championship game. However, with impressive wins over Southwestern (23-13) and St. Thomas (13-11), do not underestimate them. Keep this date circled and be ready for a great game.

April 18, 2009 @ 7:30 p.m.
Saint John's @ Saint Thomas
This really needs no explanation. If you aren't looking forward to the Tommie/Johnnie game...you must not like lacrosse that much. Whenever these two teams get together, they generally draw out hundreds and hundreds of lacrosse fans from around the Twin Cities. This is a rematch of the 2008 UMLL Championship game which the Johnnies hung on to win 8-7. With former Johnnie, Tony Sadder (Junior, Midfield) now in the Tommie purple and white, along with standout Joe Costello (Sophomore, Midfield), the Tommies will give it their all to defeat the Johnnies. However, the Johnnies have a commanding lead on the all-time series, and do not plan on surrendering the game. Be there, or turn in your lacrosse fanhood.

Let's hear which game you're most excited for in the 2009 season!

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

Sad News

2008-12-29T14:55:00.006-06:00

The Saint John's Lacrosse team is sadden to inform the Johnnie faithful of the passing of Saint John's Univeristy President Emeritus Br. Dietrich Reinhart, OSB.

For everyone who knew him, Br. Dietrich was a kind and welcoming person. Every student at Saint John's and therefore every member of the Saint John's Lacrosse team shook Br. Dietrich's hand at least once while walking into Guild Hall for the annual freshman dinner. Although grade classes at Saint John's can contain of hundreds and hundreds of students, Br. Dietrich made sure to shake each student's hand. He went out of his way to make sure everyone felt welcomed at Saint John's. Whether it was the heartfelt speech he gave each year during the freshman dinner which sometimes brought him to tears, to saying "hi" while passing a student walking to class, or administering the Eucharist at the Saint John's Student Mass, Br. Dietrich didn't seem like the President of the University, but rather a friend.

The lacrosse team has a special connection with Br. Dietrich. When the team was founded in 1986, Br. Dietrich was the first ever faculty advisor for the club. His faith that the lacrosse team could grow into a strong and successful program has helped make the club what it is now. Without Br. Dietrich, who knows if this program would even been in existence today.

The Johnnies will keep Br. Dietrich in their thoughts and prayers as they prepare for and play the 2009 lacrosse season. Please do the same.

For the news release from the College of Saint Bennedict and Saint John's University please go to:

http://www.csbsju.edu/news/2008/12/sju/dietrich.htm

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2008-12-29T12:23:00.001-06:00

From everyone in association with Saint John's Lacrosse, we would like to wish everyone (even Tommies) a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

See you in 2009!

Starting Out

2008-12-29T12:12:00.003-06:00

This blog is hopefully going to turn into the place where players (both past and present), parents, fans, and visitors to keep up with the Saint John's Lacrosse team from Collegeville, MN. This blog will contain news updates, schedule updates, and game updates.

Please subscribe, and thank you for visiting!

- Mike Murakami
SJU Class of 2010
Webmaster, and Communications Officer