Major League Lacrosse testing Twin Cities market, hosting semifinal in Blaine

Major League Lacrosse is testing out the Twin Cities market by hosting one of its two postseason semifinals at the National Sports Center in Blaine on Saturday.

The top-seeded Ohio Machine will face off against the Charlotte Hounds at 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at $20 and gates open at 4 p.m. with the Fan Zone opening at 3 p.m.

Youth and high school lacrosse throughout Minnesota have grown in popularity over the last several years. St. Paul's Concordia University announced it would add varsity women's lacrosse in 2016-2017. Trends like these have led the MLL to consider this market as a potential site for an expansion team.

The 16-year-old MLL has nine teams based mostly on the East Coast.

The second semifinal neutral site is in Fairfield, Conn., featuring the New York Lizards and Denver Outlaws Saturday at 3 p.m. Both games can be seen on CBS Sports Network.

The winners advance to the Aug. 20 championship game at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

For tickets and more on the teams check out the MLL website.

St. Paul and Xcel Energy Center were home to the Minnesota Swarm, a member of the National Lacrosse League, for 12 years from 2004 to 2015. In May 2015 it was announced that Xcel Energy Center did not renew their contract with the team and the Swarm began looking for a new home. They eventually relocated to Georgia.

Fans of the team launched a campaign to bring back the NLL to Minnesota, but now the MLL could help fill that void. The leagues vary in the style of lacrosse played. The NLL plays box lacrosse, which is indoors with six players on the field for each team. The MLL is played outside with 10 players on the field for each team.