Will Reichard has long been known for his accuracy as a kicker. Not necessarily his power. Yet, when Alabama absolutely needed Reichard to come through from distance this year against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, he converted from 50 yards, then from 52 yards.

He always seems to be at his best when the lights are bright.

“It’s super important to be able to kick well in big-time pressure situations,” Reichard said. “That’s something that I take a lot of pride in.”

That should serve Reichard well as he steps into the pressure cooker that is being a kicker in Minnesota. He was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday largely because they believe he can handle it. That much was apparent to special teams coordinator Matt Daniels throughout the pre-draft process.

“All this guy has done is have success,” Daniels said. “He’s shown how consistent he can truly be.”

The numbers spoke for themselves. Reichard set an NCAA record at Alabama with career 547 points — 84 field goals and 295 extra points. He most recently went 22 for 25 on field goal attempts and 55 for 55 on extra point attempts.

As the Vikings studied tape on Reichard, it often felt like they were watching replays. Most of kicks looked the same, especially as they sailed through the uprights.

“In my personal evaluations, something I borrowed, is called net pattern,” college scout Steve Sabo said. “Where’s the ball hitting the net? You watch a lot of his kicks, and it’s center net, center net, center net.”

That’s a testament to Reichard and his attention to detail.

“The biggest thing that I appreciate within his game is how well he consistently strikes the ball,” Daniels said. “Never really does he have any miss hits. His balls always have good trajectory. He’s never had a field goal blocked, so that says a lot about the operation.”

Though the Vikings had a lot of interest in Reichard, they opted not to bring him for a private workout. Instead, they met with him on Zoom for a couple of hours, putting him on he spot with a bunch of different questions. How does he respond to certain situations? How does he like to be coached? How does he handle himself with his teammates?

“Those were the things that we wanted to dive into,” Daniels said. “Just truly kind of get to know the individual.”

Maybe the biggest thing the Vikings learned about Reichard throughout the draft process was his passion for his craft. He’s literally been preparing for this moment since he was about 8 years old.

“I grew up playing soccer,” Reichard said. “My dad decided that I needed to be a little bit tougher on the soccer field. So, I signed up for football, and when it came for kicking trials, I was the only soccer player on the team. I won the job and found out that I really loved it. Just kind of stuck with it and been training ever since.”

Now he’s here.

“It’s my lifelong dream to play in the NFL, and the Vikings have given me an opportunity to come in and compete,” Reichard said. “I’m super grateful for that.”

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Minnesota United has become famous for its post-win singalongs of Oasis ballad “Wonderwall,” but that’s not the only fun-loving tradition after final whistles wrap up Loons’ victories at Allianz Field.

For years, some United players will bring their young children onto the field to shoot on the south goal in St. Paul. When the tykes score, supporters shower them with “awws” and applause.

It’s hard to find a cuter scene across Minnesota sports.

Former Loons captain Ozzie Alonso often brought his curly haired daughters onto the grass field during the Cuban’s tenure in Minnesota from 2019-21. When the Alonso young ladies would score, the legendarily steely defensive midfielder would reveal a rarely seen softer side, wrapping them in hugs and planting kisses.

Current MNUFC captain Michael Boxall’s two children have been regulars on this scene for years, and they again took the field after the 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.

But there’s a new boy in town, 2-year-old Jack Ramsay, son of new head coach Eric Ramsay. The 32-year-old father plopped Jack down inches from goal and set a ball between him and the net.

Jack’s path was veering off course, so like any good coach, Ramsay put his son in a position to be successful and moved the ball into his waddling path.

Wearing Minnesota black and blue, Jack’s gentle shot trickled over the goal line and fans roared in a similar decibel level to when Boxall and Tani Oluwaseyi scored in the MLS match.

“I thought (Jack) was going to miss at one point; he was on the line,” Ramsay shared in his post-match press conference. “But he loved it. It was a moment he has probably been waiting for. It was a nice moment for me and the family.”

Lil’ Ramsay scores, then hits the Lion King celly pic.twitter.com/U1O06IREpr

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) April 28, 2024

Ramsay, a Welshman, made a massive career leap in February, going from assistant coach at Manchester United in the English Premier League to head coach of MNUFC. The leap of faith included moving his young family, wife Sioned, Jack and 9-month-old Lillie, from England to the U.S.

Besides the primary task of adjusting to a new league and club, Ramsay shared he was going to spend his bye weekend in mid-March assembling furniture and kids toys in their new home.

On the field, Ramsay improved to 3-2-1 through his opening six games. When he won his debut match 2-0 over Los Angeles FC on March 16, Ramsay intentionally observed the joyous scene near midfield, well behind the celebrating players. He preferred to soak it in.

Ramsay again wanted to remain behind the players on Saturday, but goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair wouldn’t allow it. When players linked hands for their curtain call reminiscent of a theater production, St. Clair made sure to grab Ramsay’s hand and not let go during their thankful gesture to supporters.

And after all

Coach Ramsay WE SEE YOU pic.twitter.com/0yICti6MSL

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) April 28, 2024

‘Unacceptable’ missed call

While Ramsay was still on the field, Kansas City coach Peter Vermes was already doing his post-match video news conference inside the visitors’ area of the stadium. He held up a tablet paused to to the moment he felt proved Oluwaseyi was offside on the Loons’ second goal.

“That is completely unacceptable,” Vermes was quoted by the Kansas City Star. “… It’s so easy to see it.”

Peter Vermes is adamant that Minnesota’s second goal should’ve been called offside. He even brought visual aid. #SportingKC #MINvSKC pic.twitter.com/o2wPHdGNDe

— Daniel Sperry (@sperrydaniel94) April 28, 2024

The goal, Oluwaseyi’s team-leading fourth of the season, went to video assistant referee Kevin Scott but was upheld.

“You’re always a little bit nervous, especially in the age of VAR, you never really know what’s going to stand and what’s not,” Oluwaseyi said of the contentious review process. “While it’s going on (in the game), you’re not realizing if you’re offside or not in the moment, you’re just kind of playing. So, you kind of just have to wait, put it in the hands of the ref (veteran Ted Unkel) and wait from there and clear it.”

In his short tenure, Ramsay has been reluctant to address potentially controversial calls immediately following matches — regardless of whether it hurts or helps his side. He has been willing to share more on his views once he’s able to rewatch matches.

“I’ve only seen the replay on the stadium screen,” Ramsay said late Saturday night. “It did look very close. I don’t know which way right, which way wrong. But I’m sure over the course of the season, you will get an even balance in some that go for you and some that don’t. We were fortunate (Saturday).”

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Police officers and firefighters are once again facing off in a charity event to raise money for the families of the fallen first responders of Burnsville.

Paul Elmstrand, 27, and Matthew Ruge, 27, and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth, 40, died in the line of duty on Feb. 18, fatally shot while responding to a domestic incident in this suburban community in Dakota County. The gunman, a convicted felon who died by suicide, was barricaded in a home with seven children from his family. His longtime girlfriend has since been indicted for straw purchasing the firearms used in the killings.

In February, all proceeds from the annual Guns-N-Hoses Hockey Charity Classic went to benefit the families of the first responders.

This time, police officers and firefighters from Eagan and Burnsville will compete in an ax-throwing event at Tuesday’s Battle of the Badges.

In addition to the competition, there will be other games for those who come to cheer on the public safety officers. The event is free to attend and donations will be collected during the event. Anyone who donates will receive a free small popcorn from the movie theater.

The Battle of the Badges takes place at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30 at MN Axe Eagan at 2055 Cliff Road.

Minnesota public safety organizations are partnering to collect the financial donations for the Burnsville families. More information about the fund for the first responders’ families and how to donate can be found at lels.org/benevolent-fund.

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OF NOTE

Sean Dols

Knutson Construction, St. Louis Park, announced the promotion of Sean Dols to the newly-created position of vice president of field operations. Dols began his career at Knutson in 1987 as a carpenter apprentice and most recently was general superintendent.

ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS

Collective Measures, a Minneapolis-based media agency, announced Allison McMenimen Bakken as co-president, managing director; and Luke Schlegel as co-president, CFO/COO. Interim CEO Rachael Marret returns to agency’s board of directors. … The Social Lights, a Minneapolis-based agency focused on social media marketing for brands such as General Mills, Massage Envy, Kwik Trip and Cargill, announced the promotion of Stephanie Schafer to president and chief growth officer. The agency also announced the hires of Meagan Kato, vice president of strategy; Brian Slater, senior director of content, and Kelsey Dahlager, senior director of care and engagement.

AIRPORTS

The Metropolitan Airports Commission announced the promotion of Isabella Rhawie to director of concessions and business development within the organization’s Revenue and Business Development division. Rhawie previously held the assistant director role. The Metropolitan Airports Commission owns and operates the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and six suburban reliever airports in the Twin Cities.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

New Market Bank, Elko New Market, announced the hire of Kari Johnson as assistant vice president and branch manager of its Prior Lake location.

HEALTH CARE

Children’s Minnesota, a Twin Cities-based chain of hospitals and clinics focused on pediatric care, announced the appointment of six new members to its Foundation board of directors: Joe Francis, Central McGowan; Chris Harrington, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts; Julie McDonough, Old National Bank; Hao Nguyen, Ramsey County Attorney’s Office; Nawal Noor, Noor Cos., and Emily Reitan, Project Consulting Group. … Ecumen, a Shoreview-based nonprofit provider of housing and services for older adults, announced that Tina Palmer has joined as senior vice president and chief mission advancement officer. Palmer previously was senior development officer at Fairview Foundation/University of Minnesota Foundation.

HONORS

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced it has named Mo Chang of Mo’s Tropical and Mo’s Tropical Wholesale as SBA’s Minnesota Minority Business Champion for 2024. Mo’s Tropical is a tropical fruits retailer located in North St. Paul.

LAW

National law firm Husch Blackwell announced the additions of partners Richard Morgan, Carli Pearson, Douglas Pfeifer, Tina Syring, and senior counsel Matthew Beyer to its Minneapolis office. The group joins the firm’s Technology, Manufacturing, Transportation industry group. … Fredrikson, Minneapolis, announced that attorney Danny Bihrle has joined as a senior associate in its Employment, Labor & Benefits, Employment & Labor Litigation and Class Action/Wage & Hour Litigation groups. Bihrle previously practiced labor and employment law and also served as a judicial clerk for two years at the Kentucky Supreme Court.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

SecondWave Systems, a Minneapolis-based developer and provider of ultrasound technology for medical treatments, announced Dr. Paul Peter Tak as the inaugural member of its advisory board. Tak has experience at the Amsterdam University Medical Center, Leiden University Medical Center and the University of California San Diego. … Nucleus RadioPharma, a Rochester, Minn.-based developer and provider of radiopharmaceutical imaging, announced the appointment of Chris McDonald to its board of directors; McDonald is global head of technical operations at cancer treatment provider Kite, a Gilead company.

NONPROFITS

Catholic Charities Twin Cities, Minneapolis, announced John Marston as chief financial officer. Most recently, Marston served as CFO to several behavioral health organizations, where he focused on revenue growth and sustainability.

SPONSORSHIPS

The Minnesota Twins and Thrivent, a Minneapolis-based diversified financial services organization, announced a multi-year partnership, including a new fund that provides $200,000 annually to select local nonprofits, naming rights to Target Field’s club level and a rebranded annual ticket plan.

TECHNOLOGY

AVI Systems, an Eden Prairie-based audiovisual workplace communications consultant, announced its 50th year of business, established April 1, 1974, by founder Joe Stoebner.

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