By Brett Manney

LaxPower's western region games of the week feature some very important contests. As the middle of May is upon us, many states are concluding their lacrosse season. This week's edition features two regular season games in Minnesota, playoffs in California, and state championships in Arizona and Colorado.

May 15

Bloom Jefferson Jaguars, MN (PR: 94.18, Rank 2) vs. Eagan Wildcats, MN (PR: 92.09, Rank 5)

The last regular season game for both teams will be crucial in potential seeds for the state tournament. The Jaguars have not scored fewer than 11 goals all season and are coming off an impressive 14-9 victory over Benilde St. Margaret. The potent Jaguar offense is led by two seniors: faceoff/midfielder Bjorn Knutson and attackman T.J. Gallus.

The Wildcats are looking to move up in the state rankings and a win against the Jaguars would be the first step. Head coach Bob Felter's squad is young but still is competitive and will be looking to make a statement Friday against one of the state's premier teams.


Foothill-Santa Ana Knights (PR: 94.9, Rank 11) vs. Loyola Los Angeles Cubs (PR: 94.34, Rank 14)

The Southern Section championship game will be the hot ticket at Mira Costa High School on Friday night. The Cubs are the only undefeated team left in the state and will look to avoid a loss this late in the playoffs. The unit to watch for the Cubs is their midfield, which features two playmakers in seniors Nick McCormack and Andy Kurstin.

The Knights have won their last six games and have a lot of momentum after defeating Corona Del Mar, 10-8, Tuesday in the semifinals. The attack lineup for the Knights is their backbone, led by sophomore Cameron Cole and juniors Tucker Rowe and Taylor DeBerry.


May 16

Chaparral Firebirds, AZ (PR: 94.75, Rank 1) vs. Brophy Prep Broncos, AZ (PR: 92.93, Rank 2)

The Arizona state Division I state championship pins LaxPower's top-ranked teams in the state. The Firebirds' only blemish was a 7-5 loss to the Broncos on April 22, and since then they have outscored their last three opponents 44-17. The Chaparral three-headed monster consists of Andreas Haglund, Jeffrey Petznick and Carter Williams, who all have more than 35 points.

The Broncos have the luxury of having stud goalie and Johns Hopkins recruit Pierce Basset between the pipes stopping roughly 77 percent of the shots he faces. Attackman Adam Fishman is one of the most talented players in the state and will need a big performance from fellow Bronco Nick Glielmi to help produce offense in the biggest game of the season.


Horizon Huskies, AZ (PR: 86.3, Rank 6) vs. Salpointe Catholic Lancers, AZ (PR: 87.1, Rank 4)

This matchup will be for all the marbles in the Arizona Division II state championship game. The Huskies will be looking for revenge as one of their two regular season losses came at the hands of the Lancers, 9-7, back on March 14. Fast forward two months later and the Huskies have won five games in a row and have averaged 16 goals per game in that span. The duo of Matt Bolin and Adam Schubert have combined for more than 100 points and will be looking to score every possession.

The Lancers have the best defense in Division II, allowing fewer than four goals per game. Meanwhile, dynamic players Cameron Wilhite and Ben Neilson account for 70 percent of the offense. The stakes are high for the Lancers and they look to end their season without a blemish on their record.

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2009-05-14