Roman Rohrbach, a scoring phenom who at times has carried Lakeville North’s offense this season, said he’s been savoring the idea of playing one of the state’s most formidable defenses.

“We play in the South Suburban Conference, one of the hardest conferences in the state,” said Rohrbach, who had scored 42 goals entering Tuesday’s quarterfinal round of the boys’ state lacrosse tournament at Chaska High School. “I felt like I was prepared.”

Sure enough, he was. Rohrbach scored three goals, including a backbreaker late in the fourth quarter, as the No. 5-seeded Panthers upended No. 4 seed Blake 11-9.

“All season long we’ve been a very good defensive team, but the offense really did gell tonight,” Lakeville North coach Jeff Wright said. “Rohrbach is drawing two or three guys, and that’s helpful for us.”

Rohrbach was defended primarily by All-Metro selection Crey Bankes, a Michigan recruit, in the first half. He drew the attention of Thomas Blease, a Hobart commit, in the second half.

Rohrbach, like Bankes a first-team coaches’ association all-state selection, loved the attention.

“I had the most fun in a game than I’ve ever had before,” he said. “First state tournament game for Lakeville North, and we came out with a bang.”

The No. 7-ranked Panthers (14-3) playing without 32-goal scorer Luke Anderson (he choose to play in an all-star event instead of the state tournament), desperately needed other scoring options. They found one in junior attackman Ryan Bissonett. He broke a 7-7 tie late in the second quarter and scored again early in the fourth to put the Panthers ahead 9-7.

“We knew their D-poles were really skilled,” said Bissonett, the Panthers’ third-leading goal scorer with 28 entering the tournament. “So, to get around them, we had to move a lot and be quick with little cuts. Two times in a row our middies would dodge and draw a slide, and I would just pop out as fast as I can and get a shot off as soon as I touched the ball.”

No. 5-ranked Blake (13-4) pulled to within 9-8 early in the fourth quarter, but Rohrbach completed his hat trick by rocketing out from behind the net and firing a laser into the upper corner of the goal to put the Panthers in front 10-8.

First Report

Junior Roman Rohrbach scored three goals, and junior Ryan Bissonett scored crucial goals to end the third quarter and start the fourth as No. 5 seed Lakeville North beat No. 4 Blake 11-9 on Tuesday in a state boys’ lacrosse tournament quarterfinal at Chaska High School.

Bissonett, who entered the tournament with 28 goals, scored with 1 minute, 31 seconds left in the third quarter to put the Panthers (14-3) ahead 8-7. He scored again 38 seconds into the fourth as No. 7-ranked Lakeville North expanded its lead.

Johnny Curran scored for No. 5-ranked Blake (13-4) as the Bears pulled to within 9-8. But the Panthers regained their two-goal lead just more than a minute later on leading scorer Roman Rohrbach’s third goal.

Blake led by as much as 5-3 in the second quarter and pulled ahead 6-5 early in the third on a Tom Bauer goal. Quinn Ellis scored three goals to lead the Bears, who had their nine-game win streak snapped.