Anne Slussler scored five first-half goals to lead top-ranked Blake to a 16-7 victory over No. 4 Armstrong on Tuesday at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Plymouth. 

Slussler’s constant pressure at the net drew the double teams as well as the fouls. In a span of two minutes she scored three goals, two off of a free position after drawing a penalty. Slusser has committed to playing lacrosse at Duke.

“Anne has great stick skills, great protection skills, and a really good game sense,” Blake head coach Laura Mark said. “She knows when she might get those calls.”

2013 Player of the Year and Southern Cal commit Lydia Sutton matched Slussler’s five points scoring four goals and adding an assist. The two seniors combined for over half of the Bears’ production against the Falcons. 

“It’s bittersweet," said Sutton about her final year of high school lacrosse. "It’s my senior year, and I want to end strong, but I am definitely looking forward to my future lacrosse career.”

Slussler was the main factor in Sutton’s decision to start playing lacrosse when they were in fourth grade. They both played for youth lacrosse league in Minnetonka growing up and over the years have developed a chemistry on and off the field.

“It’s so amazing. We’ve worked all these years since elementary school to get to this point,” said Slusser. “I feel like we know how each other work and are always looking to make plays off each other.”

Sutton passed to Slusser coming around the edge of the crease, and Slusser circled to the front of the net to score her fifth of the night -- just one display of their sixth sense for each other on the field.

Sutton and Slusser are joined by yet another Division I recruit in Louisville commit Lauren Kelly, who transferred from Hill-Murray her sophomore year. She has led Blake's defensive corps ever since.

“She’s absolutely been a leader on our defense for the past three years she’s been on the team,” said Mark. “She’s a vocal leader and she leads by example. If we need someone in the backfield to go end to end she can do that for us.”

The three seniors know there is still the chance of playing against each other at the next level.

“It’s weird to see the level that we started at and seeing each other now going off to D1 schools," Sutton said. "It adds to the bittersweetness that we aren’t going to play with each other, but it makes this season so much more special.”

Those who think Blake’s dynasty will fall after the departure of Sutton and her fellow seniors have not been introduced to juniors Olivia Nolan or Adelaide Winton.

Nolan was second in points last year behind Sutton, posting 47 as a sophomore. Winton found the net three times Tuesday night for her third career hat trick, while Nolan added two goals and an assist.

“When Anne or Lydia are coming down the field they’re always looking to pass off, and Oliva and Adelaide both did a good job at being at the right place at the right time and finishing,” Mark said.

“The overall theme for us this year is you start from square one, and we’re going to be the best Blake team we can be,” Mark said. “I really want us to focus on what is the best version of us we can put out there and not worry about what else is going on.”

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