Minnesota Lightning looking to strike in 2008


The Minnesota Lightning finished the 2007 season first in the Midwest Division with an impressive 9 - 0 -1 record going into the Central Conference Finals. They beat Richmond Kickers Destiny 4 - 2 in the first round of playoffs , and then fell to Atlanta 5 - 2 the next day. It was the farthest the team had made it in it's history , and for that they were proud , but not satisfied.

We want to go a step farther than last year " said General Manager Djorn Buchholz.

The 2008 Lightning is shaping up to be a promising team. Caroline Smith at forward and Megan Almanzo at defense are strong veterans that will lead the team. Emily Redberg who played for the Lightning the first year of the franchise before leaving to play for the Tennessee Volunteers , will don a Lightning uniform again this year. Redberg , a Minnesota native , " was an impact player . We're glad to have her back ", said Buchholz.

The Lightning is also happy to invite back defender Krystal Kallman and goalkeeper Ann Gleason. Gleason stepped up after veteran keeper Jo Haig was injured early in the season. She earned 37 saves in her freshman season and earned herself a spot for the 2008.

The release of the 2008 schedule caught the Lightning off guard. " It's more difficult , we have two road trips , three games each to finish our season " said Buchholz.

The Lightning is anxious to play league newcomer , FC Indiana. " They are always a good team. It'll be good competition to have them in the league , along with brand new franchise , the Kalamazoo Outrage " , said Buchholz.

With the new league coming , I feel like they are going to be taking some solid players from our league. But our players have a local connection. 90% of our team is from Minnesota and I think people can relate to that and like that ", said Buchholz. The Lightning has the second highest attendance in the W-League , drawing a young crowd to many games.

" I'm incredibly excited ", said President of Soccer Operations Manny Lagos. " After two great years of growth coinciding with new ownership I fully expect on and off the field growth from this team ",

The Lightning kick off their season on May 30th against the Michigan Hawks.

You can follow their progress at www.mnthunder.com