The transformation is complete for a group of 12 Armstrong seniors.
They are officially lacrosse players.
Four years ago, when the dozen first decided to try this lacrosse thing out, that seemed inconceivable.
Now, in the twilight of what's been a memorable high school run for an excitable collection of girls, it is anything but unimaginable.
"When I started as a freshmen and I had no clue what lacrosse was," said senior defender Kara Ryan. "Someone said you want to try out for lacrosse, I said what is lacrosse. I guess you could say it worked out."
You think.
Ryan, for one, has been an All-State player since she was a sophomore. The Kvidera twins - Ally and Abby - have both earned Division II lacrosse scholarships to Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo.
Three other girls have been named Academic All-State, and as a team, the 12 have had Armstrong in back-to-back section finals, with a third section championship game appearance likely on the horizon.
Other than a friendship that had bonded most of the girls as kids playing other sports, none had any clue what it felt like to pick up a lacrosse stick four years ago.
Now, few do it better.
"It shows the dedication of these athletes," said Armstrong head coach Bill Moir. "The seniors have been playing together in multiple sports since they were little kids, but most of them really have fallen in love with lacrosse, and it's kind of their main sport and they are really good."
If anything else, the quality of their play is what has taken the group by surprise.
"It is pretty shocking that we can transform over four years and get to the level of ability we can have," said Morgan Kocon. "But I think a lot of it has to do with everyone's natural, athletic ability. There are some pretty good athletes on this team."
That prowess has paid off since their lacrosse inception as ninth-graders. Over time, the lacrosse skills would come, but at the start, the Falcons could pretty much out-run everybody they faced.
This year, that's still the case, though they are doing it with a schedule unlike any Armstrong has played.
The Falcons are ranked fifth in the current
laxpower.com poll, but they've played three of the four teams ahead of them.
No. 1 Edina handed Armstrong a 10-7 defeat, No. 2 Eden Prairie beat the Falcons 11-5 and No. 3 Blake came out with a 13-7 victory.
Every other time out this spring, Armstrong has won.
"We are right there with all of those teams," said midfielder Bridgit Bergquist. "We just have to do it."
Armstrong was scheduled to get a second crack at Edina Wednesday, May 19, and the Falcons close out their regular season at home against Cooper Friday, May 21.
A rematch with Eden Prairie could come as well.
The gold-standard in girls lacrosse, the Eagles have knocked Armstrong out in each of the past two section finals, and are all but a lock to be in that game again this year.
The Falcons' two victories over Wayzata will likely land them a No. 2 seed in the section, meaning a third straight Armstrong/Eden Prairie final is a strong possibility.
If that match-up comes to be, Armstrong believes it can win. That's an entirely different perspective than the Falcons held the past two years, but then again, those were athletes facing Eden Prairie.
It will be lacrosse players this time around.
"If there is a year we can do it, it is this year," said Ryan. "We have the team, we have the talent - we have everything. We just need to put it all together."
