Brainerd Warriors Lacrosse Falls in Tight Season Opener

Brainerd drops 9-8 decision to St. Cloud Crush in close boys lacrosse matchup

Apr. 15, 2026 at 3:57am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a boys lacrosse game broken down into overlapping planes of deep green, navy, and bright orange, conceptually representing the intense competition and back-and-forth nature of the Brainerd-St. Cloud matchup.Brainerd's narrow season-opening loss to St. Cloud highlights the intense competition in Minnesota high school lacrosse.Brainerd Today

The Brainerd Warriors boys lacrosse team opened their season with a narrow 9-8 loss to the St. Cloud Crush on Tuesday, April 14. Tommy Gruye, Max Neptune, and Jack Liebel each scored two goals for Brainerd in the close defeat.

Why it matters

As a perennial powerhouse in Minnesota high school lacrosse, Brainerd's season opener against a tough St. Cloud squad sets the tone for the rest of their campaign. This early loss will put pressure on the Warriors to bounce back and compete for a conference title and potential state tournament berth.

The details

In the back-and-forth contest, Brainerd's top scorers were unable to overcome St. Cloud's balanced attack. The Crush built a slim lead throughout the game and held on for the 9-8 victory over the Warriors.

  • The game took place on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
  • It was the season opener for both the Brainerd Warriors and St. Cloud Crush boys lacrosse teams.

The players

Tommy Gruye

A key offensive player for the Brainerd Warriors, scoring two goals in the loss.

Max Neptune

Another top scorer for Brainerd, also netting two goals in the close defeat.

Jack Liebel

The third Brainerd player to record two goals in the 9-8 loss to St. Cloud.

St. Cloud Crush

The opposing team, a strong boys lacrosse program in central Minnesota, who edged out Brainerd in the season opener.

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What’s next

Brainerd will look to rebound in their next game against a conference rival, while St. Cloud will try to build on their season-opening victory.

The takeaway

This close loss shows that the Brainerd Warriors will face stiff competition in their quest to defend their conference title and make a deep run in the state tournament. The team's top scorers performed well, but they'll need to find a way to win these tight matchups against quality opponents.