The snow is slowly melting, winter sports are finished, and spring break starts today, signifying the beginning of the spring sports’ seasons. This year, the BSM boys’ lacrosse team will be looking to build off of an impressive record last season to take home the State Championship this season.

The team did very well last season, but they were disappointed that they were unable to make it to State. “The talent was there, [but] we just fell short [at the hands of] a quality Blake team, just missing out on State,” senior Will Hodder said.

While the team does bring back many of their key players, it has lost some key players from last season who graduated. “Of our starting lineup last season, four of the ten players were seniors. All of them were good players. It will be difficult this season especially since three of them played on the defensive end,” junior goalie Jackson Williams said.

The Red Knights, however, have a strong freshmen class, along with returning players that will really help the team to reach its goals this season. “The team has had many new players come into the program this year. The freshman class is going to be something special [this season]. Already a large number of them are showing serious talent for now and in the future. Overall the whole program shows a lot of promise this year,” Williams said.

Hodder agreed with Williams’ assessment of the team, and believes that everyone on the team is capable of stepping up and helping the team to succeed this season. “Everyone who touches the field is a key athlete for us, and we all bring different things to the table. As Mother Teresa once said, ‘I can do things you cannot; you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things,’” Hodder said.

The Red Knights have been practicing during the offseason, and they feel that all this practice will help them when the regular season starts. “We had won almost every single game in this year’s winter league by a commanding [amount of points]. It will not be easy to beat every team this season, but we can definitely have a strong record,” Williams said.  “Blake, Eden Prairie, and Edina are some of the better teams that we want to beat with a passion, and I think that we can.”

With this much talent and dedication, the team has only one goal in mind for this season. “We want [to win] a State Championship. Anything less is a disappointment,” Hodder said. “In order to reach that goal, we must be committed to the process and [we must] play hard to the point where we are willing to die for each other out there.”

The team knows that if they play for one another, work together, and practice with a purpose, this spring could be a special season. “We as a team form a skeleton key, which can open the door of greatness if we work together,” Hodder said.

The team will begin its season with a scrimmage against Eastview on April 15.