BIDDEFORD — Certain situations in life require an outside-the-box approach to accomplish a goal, but Kyle Baker needed to be inside of one to achieve his. 

The Maine Northmen, the state’s first professional box lacrosse team, clinched the New England Division in the Regional Box Lacrosse League and a No. 1 seed heading into the postseason. Those who had a hand in constructing the 38-man roster that plays its home games at the Biddeford Ice Arena aren’t surprised at the early results. 

“I expected to be successful because of the group I brought in – I knew I was going to put a good team on the floor,” said Baker, the Northmen’s owner, general manager and forward. “We’ve definitely exceeded expectations for year one.”

Baker, a Kennebunk native, leads the Northmen in goals (26) and assists (25), while leading the team to an undefeated record. In the six games they’ve played, Maine has outscored its opponents 142-62. Box lacrosse is played on concrete in gym shoes. Cages are smaller than a lacrosse net, closer in size to a hockey goal, and, like hockey, cross-checking is allowed.  

More than half of the players on the Northmen have ties to Maine. It was Baker’s intention, he said, to recruit players from the Pine Tree State because he felt that if the roster consisted of unfamiliar names, it wouldn’t garner as much interest in the community. 

Without much assistance, Baker recruited each player to join the Northmen. Getting the guys to commit was easier than he thought – much of that due to Baker mentioning his idea to his peers in the Boston Box Lacrosse League during the winter 

“A handful of the guys really didn’t have to be recruited,” he said. “I’ve wanted to (start the team) since December, and I got to see what it was like in the fall, so even before I got this thing going, I was already putting this idea in my friend’s ears. That part … wasn’t hard.”

The first person Baker reached out to was Mark White, who Baker played with at the University of Southern Maine for three years from 2010-13. White grew up in Oakville, Ontario, and he moved to Maine in January. Once settled in Maine, White was itching to play lacrosse at a high level, and when Baker reached out to him, White jumped at the opportunity.

“I was all in,” said White, who is also an assistant coach. “There was really no other options to play as competitive a level in Maine, so I was all in as soon as he mentioned it. I was pretty excited he was taking the bull by the horns and kind of orchestrating everything.”

Being the team’s owner, GM and leading scorer can get hectic at times, Baker admits. On game day, he arrives at least three hours before the first face off to set up the arena.

Some of his responsibilities include printing tickets, preparing the booth and making sure uniforms are clean. Baker and the Northmen are also responsible for breaking down the arena after each game.  

But, despite a heavy schedule, Baker hasn’t had a problem getting focused when he steps onto the court.

“(Trying to manage everything) has been a lot,” he said. “I’ve found myself on game day running around a little more than I’d like, but it’s pretty easy for me to switch into ‘player mode.’”

And, once that’s initiated, there aren’t many players better in the IBLA. Baker leads the association in points (51), goals and assists. In a 26-8 win over the Auburn Aviators on July 14, he tallied five goals and six assists. 

Along with Baker, Brandon Dube, a resident of Auburn, is second in the league in points, with 22 goals and 19 assists to give the Northmen the most potent duo in the association. Maine also holds up on the defensive side. Goaltender Brian Duncan leads the league in save percentage (.885), and ranks second in goals allowed per game (5.16).

“When (Kyle and I) first looked at who we had on the team, we were pretty confident that we would be competitive,” White said. “I wasn’t surprised to see how well we’ve been doing. The commitment level we have from our guys … has been great and it shows.”

Since the season takes place over the summer, Baker said obligations such as family weekends or weddings has forced several players around the league to miss a few games. The Northmen haven’t had that dilemma yet, and Baker thinks most of the team’s perfect attendance record can be attributed to the passionate and competitive culture inside the locker room. 

“These players want to be a part of this,” he said. “These guys want to play, and be a part of the team … It’s all about what (product) you put out there and creating that desire to be a part of a team.”

With the regular season concluding July 21, a 19-11 win over the Aviators, the Northmen head into the RBLL New England tournament as the region’s top seed. They’ll play a best-of-three series. Their opponent, date and time has yet to be determined. 

Baker sees the Northmen’s success as having a positive impact on the growth and popularity of the sport in Maine. In fact, with the immediate success, and outside promotion toward the team, Baker thinks he might have to put a cap on the amount of players who come out next season. 

Only 22 players can suit up for a match. With 38 players on the active roster, Baker hopes to attract a few more athletes to field “A” and “B” squads. 

“I’m hoping that the better we do, and our league does, more programs will come out,” Baker said. “I think that would be huge for the growth of the sport. If the programs do it right, which (the Northmen) plan on doing, eventually we’ll be offering leagues, clinics and teams for all age groups.”