Annica Lundeen returns for her second year leading the Becker Bulldog girls lacrosse team in 2021. She will be assisted by Mike Lundeen and Football Head Coach, Dwight Lundeen will also be an assistant as well as goalie coach.

The student managers for the team are Cassie Hinrichs (who will play after she gets medical clearance after a surgury) and Imogen Mohler who is also a player but has to sit out this season due to injury.

The Lundeens have 38 players in the system and hope to have a clearer definition of who plays varsity and who plays JV over the next few weeks.

“When we do, (set the teams) players can move between the two as the season continues,’ she says.

Annica has been teaching in Becker for over 21 years and when the opportunity to coach the girls lacrosse team rose up, she decided it was time to challenge herself.

“When this opportunity came I felt like it was a natural step,” Lundeen said. “A way to connect with kids in a completely different way, outside of the classroom. “ 

Annica said a former student of hers was in Becker visiting and she was concerned that there wasn’t going to be a Lacrosse coach that would take over the program when Hugh Hovde left.  

“I was worried that my daughter wouldn’t have a program when she got to high school (she was in seventh grade at the time),” Annica said. “So I went home and disussed it with Mike and we decided that we needed to do this for the girls and Gabby”

Annica hasn’t singled out any one or two players to be captains of the team. She says all her seniors are captains.

“Katie Krisko is our goalie and was named team MVP in 2019,” she said. “Faith Madsen is a hard worker who dedicates much of her time in the off season working in the gym to improve her physical ability.”

“Skylar Kipka is our first-ever player to sign with a NCAA school to play Lacrosse next year.  She plays in several leagues throughout the year and has become  extremely knowledgeable in the sport,” Lundeen said.

After losing twice to Monticello in 2019, Annica feels the rivalry between the Bulldogs and Magic is ripe with competitiveness.

“They were my first game and we only lost by two points,” Annica said. “ I was told by veteran players that they are our Kryptonite - we never can beat them.  We want to break the spell!”

COVID-19 cancelled the 2020 season and along with it came challeneges for the coaches and the players in 2021.

“The biggest challenge is that we lost a year,” Annica said. “We lost the chance to get better as coaches.  The players lost playing time and experience.  Our seniors were sophomores last time they played.  Our freshmen played seventh grade youth club and sophomores last played eighth grade youth club.”  

“We also know that everyday we get to play/practice is a gift,” she continued.  “We have to remember that a quarantine or exposure situation could shut us down.”

Annica’s background in the sport of lacrosse is that of watching her daughter participate in youth lacrosse.

“I graduated from Becker a long time ago and we definitely didn’t have a LAX team,” she said. “Mike and I have spent a ton of time studying, going to college practices, attending webinars and Lacrosse conventions trying to learn as much as we possibly can because we don’t have the knowledge from playing ourselves.”

And the future of high school lacrosse? Annica feels it is here to stay.

“I think that this sport is one of the fastest growing, if not THE fastest growing sport in the state,” she said.  “Our ninth and 10th grade numbers are higher than the other two grades, so there is a nice sized group that we can develop over the next few years.”

“My hope is that we can create a good youth program that will result in our high school program being a place where girls will want to be. Our goal is to create an atmosphere of team unity, comradery and success.  If we can make that goal a reality, I see a bright future for Bulldog Lacrosse!”