New uniforms, new coach, new outlook.
The Becker Bulldog girls lacrosse team will be sporting new duds this spring as they get set to participate in their 10th year of playing lacrosse in Becker.
The uniform change was due to the fact last year’s ensemble did not comply with the lacrosse rules of dress on the field. So, to make compliance, the team is in the process of raising $4,000 to help pay for the unexpected expenditure.
“We are a sanctioned MSHSL sport, but we are still self-funded,” said returning Head Coach Hugh Hovde. “So we will have to organize and do some fundraising to somehow afford this unforseen expense.”
Hovde, who for the first seven years of the team’s existence was the head coach until he stepped aside in 2012 while Travis Opgenorth took over — returns to the helm and says he’s certainly excited and comfortable to be steering the ship.
“Yeah, I love this sport and I missed being away from the coaching part,” he said. “This seems like such a good group of girls and I just hope this year can be fun, productive and successful.
Hovde says he considers himself a coach “mostly at practices” where he can pull a player aside and instruct and guide them to be at the right place at the right time and make great plays.
“These girls are experienced and they know a lot of what they need to do come game time,” Hovde said. “They know the sport, they know their skills and abilities and they are looking for a new and fresh results from this year’s team.”
“And so am I,” Hovde said.
Hovde has five seniors on the squad including Captains Olivia Hultgren and Kaylene Kruse. Other senior members are Chloe Madsen, Bailey Gilchrist and Andrea Molus.
“I like this sport because it is a little bit of everything,” said Hultgren, who is on the team for the sixth straight year and fourth on varsity. “It’s a combination of basketball, hockey and soccer all-in-one. It’s a great team sport.”
Hultgren likes the fact that since there are 12 players from each team on the field at once, it makes for a unique team experience where athletes use their speed, their coordination and their wits to win each and every match.
“You definitely do a lot of running around, so we all have to be in shape and have endurance,” she says. “In practice we do a lot of up-and-down the field running and outside of practices, we do a lot of exercising to stay strong.”
Hultgren played for Hovde one year while he was coach and she was part of the team and has fond memories of playing for him while he was here.
“It’s really exciting to have Mr. Hovde back,” she said. “Hugh is a great guy, a great coach and I’m excited for this season.
The team has just begun “captain’s practices” this week, with the full squad expected to start practicing next week in preparation for their first match April 15 at Orono. Last year, Orono thumped the Bulldogs by a score of 22-6 and finished with an impressive, 12-3 record.
The Bulldogs’ first home match is April 21 against Coon Rapids at 6:30 p.m.
“I’m really excited to get back to coaching,” said Hovde. “Watching them last year from the stands, I can see the girls have a lot of strong fundamentals and the senior class is a great group of girls that will provide leadership on the field.”
Aiding Hovde at practices and games will be assistants John Lange and Kelsie Bursch (third year JV coach and former player under Hovde). Hugh’s daughter, Becca — who helped start the program back in the first years of existence — will be assisting Bursch with the JV team while Hovde and Lange concentrate on the varsity crew.
“We are going to be stressing a lot more of ‘team stuff’,” said Hovde. “Last year it was like 12 individuals running around on the field and this year I want to make them play as a team more.”
The Bulldogs have the athletes to be a powerhouse on the field, and the coaches and players realize they just have to learn to play together better to become more successful.
The girls finished with a record of 6-7 after starting the 2015 campaign winning six of their first nine games. They will participate in the Section 8 playoffs at the end of May with quarterfinals starting June 1, semifinals June 3 and finals June 8.
The state tournament will be held June 14-18.
The Bulldogs consist of Hultgren, Madsen, Kruse, Gilchrist, Molus, Kelsi Halverson, Brookelyn Beutz, Allie Zimmer, Reilly Cencer and Sara Garding.
