Raithel is back on the Kennedy sideline

Multiple state champion coach leading Blazing Eagles

After two seasons away from the Kennedy girls lacrosse coach Sheryl Raithel is back as the lone coach for the cooperative Kennedy/Burnsville program this spring.

As the team, dressed in bright golden yellow uniforms with black Blazing Eagles above the numbers, prepared to face Minneapolis for the second time this season, Raithel described her latest efforts to keep the program she helped take to multiple state tournaments competitive.

“Life is different than it was 20-some years ago, kids are different and the situation is different,” she said. “I just love the kids, I just want to be a part of it [points to the players warming up, working on passes], that part is exciting.”

Raithel, who still teaches physical education at the school, said this time around has been a challenge for many reasons but introducing a new group to the sport motivates her to keep going.

The Blazing Eagles happened to win that game 8-2 and followed up by avenging a loss one week earlier against Columbia Heights with a 7-2 win. It was the first winning streak of the season as the team improved to 3-5 with one more week left in the regular season.

The Highlanders won 6-5 on May 2.

Val Carrillo led Kennedy with a hat trick against Minneapolis. Saham Belel added two goals while Kamala Scott, Sohee Such and Hailey Kauffman each added a goal. Goalie Dylon Karjalahti made eight saves for the win.

Karjalahti made 12 saves in the win over Columbia Heights while leading scorer Nora LaBlanc was back pacing the attack with five goals with Carrillo adding two goals.

“They have come a long way this year. I believe this team is moving the ball well and playing solid defense,” Raithel said. “Even with a few of our starting defenders missing against Columbia Heights the defense really stepped up and held them to a low score.”

Raithel pointed out the senior leadership by senior captain Stephanie Duran and Karjalahti combined with captain Sohee Such leading in the midfield and LaBlanc back scoring in bunches like she did against Columbia Heights.

“Nora was a big lift against Columbia Heights,” Raithel said.

Duran and Such are captains this spring, bringing in their knowledge and athleticism from the wrestling mat, swimming pool and soccer field. Combine that with the scoring touch by LaBlanc who missed several games while recovering from a head injury recently.

She didn’t miss standing on the sideline in the rain like they did against Visitation on April 30.

“The whole night down at Burnsville the rain is just coming down all game but the moment I get back to my car it clears up,” she said.

Getting to know the Kennedy players has been relatively easy since she sees most of them during the school day between health or physical education classes. Recruiting players at Burnsville was much more difficult without knowing who was who.

“But we have to establish something,” Raithel said of the effort which yielded one player to this point from Burnsville High School. “It’s exciting to have a co-op but we are in the beginning process with that. The boys have a fantastic situation with a lot of kids from each school.”

As for the play on the field, Raithel anticipates more success as they approach sections with more like-sized and experienced programs.

The Blazing Eagles were outscored in the opening three games of the season 41-3 by Hutchinson, St. Croix Prep, and Holy Angels before the first victory of the spring by way of a 3-1 win over Minneapolis.

“I expect better things these next few games with our schedule easing up a bit,” Raithel said. “For us being so new and then some injuries like Nora LaBlanc our best scoring being out the challenges are just numerous.

“Coaching is like that, putting a fire out here, another pops up there, there is always something going on to make it challenging.”

Raithel’s longtime assistant coach Margaret Monson is busy following her daughter Susie Monson’s college career at Concordia St. Paul. Susie started all 18 games for the Golden Bears picking up 41 goals and 19 assists.

The squad returns to action Thursday at Burnsville for the second time as they host St. Louis Park at 7 p.m. The regular season wraps up one week later back at Kennedy against Duluth Marshall starting at 4:30 p.m.