2026 Season Preview - Section 1
The moment you’ve all…. well, the moment some of you have been waiting for…. SECTION PREVIEWS. Section preview time means we are 8 weeks away from the start of the high school lacrosse season… 52 days I believe, if I am doing my math correctly. Looking forward to another great year and combing through all 8 sections of the boys and girls MSHSL lacrosse league to figure out which teams are primed for a run, who might be a dark horse and some of the top players to watch in 2026. Happy reading (and listening).
BOYS SECTION 1
2025 Section Seeds
Farmington (Section Runner Up)
Lakeville North (Section Winner)
New Prague
Lakeville South
Owatonna
Northfield
Southwest Christian
Rochester
Mankato
For years, Section 1 carried a label it couldn’t quite shake: top-heavy, maybe even weak. One powerhouse, a lot of catch-up. That narrative didn’t hold water in 2025, it was the deepest this section has ever been and had two top 5 caliber teams (Farmington & Lakeville North) and an arguable top 10 team (New Prague) in the mix.
Yes, Lakeville North has owned the section trophy case recently. But the last few seasons have quietly rewritten the script. Farmington ripped off a 15–1 campaign and pushed North to the brink in the section final. New Prague delivered the best season in program history before bowing out in the semis. Lakeville South hovered around .500 and still made every opponent earn it. Week in and week out, Section 1 stopped being predictable — and started being competitive.
Now comes the twist.
The 2026 season opens with a massive changing of the guard. A 2025 class that was deep, talented, and absolutely foundational, graduated across the entire section. Nearly every contender lost key players from their 2025 lineup. The question isn’t who lost the most. It’s who reloads the fastest.
The Fallout: Graduation Hits Everyone
This wasn’t a normal senior class. This was the engine.
Lakeville North waved goodbye to Blake and Carson Piscatiello, Andy Slattery, Jack Niesen, Mitch Halstead, and Tate Bowman — an entire spine of a championship roster.
Farmington lost its 5 year starter, and Mr. Goalie award winner Hayden Houghton, defensive anchor Dustin Franz, star offensive producer Henry Ulrick and multiple midfield contributors who did the dirty work that never shows up in box scores in Luke Wegwerth, Joe Seyfert and Mason Eby.
New Prague? Lost Nearly everything. Points, poles, faceoffs, goalie — a total reset.
South, Owatonna, and Northfield all felt it too, though not equally. And that imbalance is where things get interesting.
Team-by-Team Outlook
Farmington
There’s a quiet confidence around Farmington. The general consensus is that this is still a top-five caliber team heading into 2026. The Tigers have depth, a JV program that’s been dominant and a lot of returning pieces. The challenge isn’t talent — it’s transition. Can those role players and JV standouts make the jump when the lights are brighter and the minutes matter? If they can, Farmington stays firmly in the title conversation.
Lakeville North
North went all-in on the 2025 class and it paid off in a big way: three section titles, a state championship, a runner-up, and a third-place finish. That’s a run any program would sign up for. But the bill comes due. A near-total roster turnover and a coaching staff overhaul leaves the Panthers staring at a rebuild. Enter Max Mittelstaedt. He brings experience, stability, and deep ties to the youth program — exactly what you want when resetting a powerhouse. The ceiling might not be immediate dominance, but the floor should remain competitive.
New Prague
If this sounds familiar, it should. Like North, the Trojans pushed their chips in on a loaded senior class. Unlike North, they now face a near-clean slate. Nearly all offensive production is gone. The entire defensive unit graduated. This season will be about identity — figuring out who they are now, not who they were last spring. The good news is they have a key star at the Face-Off X to hopefully get them possessions and stay in games.
Lakeville South
Another roster hit hard by graduation, South will rely heavily on younger players stepping into varsity roles. The rumor mill says youth numbers have been skewed towards the “South Side” in the district, and if that’s true, they should have a nice group of younger players coming up. Regardless, one thing never changes at South: athletes. Speed, size, and physicality won’t be in short supply - if they can find a way to get some crossover athletes from the gridiron or ice out to the lacrosse field, they could be an interesting team.
Owatonna
The Huskies bring back some offensive punch but took significant losses on the defensive end. The big unknown is depth. Can they replace that many defensive minutes in one year? Maybe. They’re a football school with tough, physical athletes, and Owatonna teams never give anyone an easy 48 minutes. They’ve hovered just outside the noise for years — a few right pieces could change that.
Northfield
Here’s your dark horse. Northfield returns a ton of their key players and were a competitive group last season. This year, they lose only one key varsity player and return a balanced roster of seniors, juniors, and sophomores. Continuity matters — especially in a year full of turnover. This could be the start of something sustainable, not just a one-year spike. I’d expect Northfield can roll into the season pretty cohesively with so many returning guys and build on a lot of the stuff they did in 2025 vs having to start over with a new group.
The Rest of the Section
Mankato: They get their two leading scorers back: AJ Burns and Carson Daggett, their senior goalie Stensrud and always seem to find some athletic middies and defenseman as cross over athletes. Speaking from experience, they always play hard, tough, 48 minutes and will not back down. I am unsure about depth, but, they have some returning pieces to work with
Southwest Christian: A lot of respect for this program as they used to go full seasons without winning a game and now put a competitive team on the field. Depth is the main issue being a smaller private school but they do have Brett Davis ‘27 who had 45 goals last year and Dylan Trebil who went 81% at the face off X. There are some pieces to work with here.
Rochester: Co-Op’d last year on the boys side and there is talent there. I really feel like this team has enough talent and resources to be solid in the Big 9 and competitive in the section 1 playoffs. See Mayo ‘23 squad. They have absolute superstar Max Erickson ‘27, Deacon Langsdale ‘26, and a couple solid poles in Aaron Olson and Cooper Sheeran. They have some guys - and can draw from 3 pretty large high schools - is just hasn’t translated yet. They did lose a very good 2027 to prep school and that will be a big loss for them.
Players to Watch
Farmington: Parker Nivala (A), Caden Hennes (A), Will Harris (FO/M), Aiden Zimmerman (D), Jack Aarness (LSM)
Lakeville North: Jackson Whalen (A), Tyler Ruff (D)
New Prague: Cooper Dias (FO/M)
Lakeville South: JT Cimnieki (D), Trevor Jex (M), Carter Wilkinson (G)
Northfield: Garrett Hoernke (D), George Peterson (A), Grant Selchow (M), Oliver Waters (G)
Owatonna: Wyatt Macy (A), Ryan Lewis (A), Liam Lewis (G)
Southwest Christian: Brett Davis (M), Dylan Trebil (FO/M)
Rochester: Max Erickson (A), Deacon Langsdale (M)
Mankato: AJ Burns (A), Jackson Stensrud (G)
Final Whistle
Section 1 may be reshuffling. The old hierarchy seems to be more up in the air than ever before. 2026 might be its most compelling year yet for section 1 boys
GIRLS SECTION 1
The Power Still Runs Through Lakeville
If you’re looking for chaos at the top of Section 1, you’re probably going to be disappointed. Graduation took its pound of flesh across the board, but the power structure remains mostly intact. The names may change, the jerseys might be a little younger, but the road to June still runs through familiar territory.
Let’s break it down.
Lakeville South
2025: 14–5, Section 1 Champs, 4th at State
South did what South does. They won the section, went to state, and reminded everyone why they’re the standard.
They graduated 10 seniors, including program-defining players:
Charlotte Fannin (Ms. Lacrosse, 135 points), Ella Mills (135 points, 103 DCs), Addie Hammes (injured all year but elite defender), and Kate Bael in goal. That’s a ridiculous amount of production and leadership walking out the door.
And yet… this still feels like South’s section.
Key Returners
Reloading starts immediately. Younger siblings Georgia Hammes and Harper Fannin step into the spotlight, supported by proven producers Mackenzie Stroemer (’26), Molly Oehlerts (’26, Butler commit), and Addy Hayes (’27). That’s not rebuilding — that’s succession planning.
Outlook
Calling this a “reloading year” almost feels irresponsible, because South should still be the favorite. Yes, they lost stars. Yes, there will be growing pains. But opportunity breeds hunger and South has never lacked athletes or expectations. Until someone knocks them off, the road to state still goes through them.
Farmington
2025: 11–5, Section Finalist
Farmington once again proved they belong in the top tier, but graduation hit hard.
They lost 11 seniors, including key offensive pieces, multi-year starters, and their goalie. That’s not a patch job — that’s a reset.
Key Returner
Everything starts with Jaida Steffes (’26). Liberty commit. 93 points. 130 draw controls. She’s the engine, the matchup problem, and my preseason Player of the Section.
Outlook
This one’s best summed up by Coach Brooke herself: big class out, lots of young talent in. The ceiling depends on how fast those pieces grow up. If the supporting cast comes along quickly, Farmington can absolutely be back in the section title conversation. If not, it may be a year of flashes instead of consistency.
Southwest Christian
2025: 8–7, Section Semifinalist
Southwest Christian quietly finished third in the section last year, but the margin for error is thin.
They graduated just five seniors, but two of them accounted for real offense. Gisella Harder’s season-ending injury last year already tested this roster’s depth.
Key Returner
Elyse Toews (’26) is the headline. 69 goals, 24 assists, 43 draw controls — and yes, a strong contender for “Player of the Section.” Also, elite lacrosse name.
Outlook
Roster size is the concern. The talent at the top is undeniable, but can they find enough bodies to compete through the midfield grind of section play? If they do, they’re right back in the mix. If not, depth will decide their fate.
Owatonna
2025: 11–4, Lost in Section Quarterfinals
Owatonna had a strong regular season but ran into South early in the postseason buzzsaw.
They lost six seniors, including their second- and third-leading scorers, but the core is still intact.
Key Returners
Addy Schroht (’26), their top scorer, and Nora Marshall (’26), a multi-year starter in goal.
Outlook
Nine seniors. Experience matters. There’s no reason Owatonna can’t solidify itself as a playoff team and compete for that fourth spot in the section hierarchy. They’re steady, physical, and hard to play — traits that always translate.
Lakeville North
2025: 5–10, Section Semifinalist
The record doesn’t tell the whole story here. North was young — very young — and still found its way into the semifinals.
They graduated just three seniors, including their third- and fourth-leading scorers.
Key Returners
The future arrived early.
Reese Lockman (’28): 50 points and 68 DCs as a freshman, plus D1 camp buzz.
Lucy Brobak (’27): 36 points and growing.
Oh, and the goalies are back. Always a good place to start.
Outlook
This is the team you want to buy stock in early. I’d rather be a year too soon than a year too late — and North feels like a program on the upswing. They took their lumps last year. That usually pays off.
The Rest of the Section
Mankato: Lost their goalie to graduation but return nearly everyone else. Six ’26s and eight ’27s from a 6–9 squad — interesting developmental year ahead.
New Prague: No grad years listed. No preview. Harsh but fair.
Northfield: 1–13 last season and lost eight seniors. Tough climb ahead.
Rochester Century: 11–3 in 2025. Would love to hype you — need grad years.
Rochester JM/Lourdes: 1–10, top returning scorer is a 2030. Youth movement underway.
Rochester Mayo: Brings back their top scorer, fourth scorer, and goalie after a 6–8 season. Sneaky competitive.
Final Take
South sits on the throne. Farmington and Southwest Christian are the most likely challengers. Owatonna is steady. North is coming — fast.
Section 1 isn’t deep with title contenders, but it’s packed with storylines. And by the time June rolls around, don’t be surprised if one of these “reloading” teams reminds us just how thin the gap really is.