Cullen Sowder is more than a leader for the undefeated Prior Lake boys’ lacrosse team. He’s an icon. 

“He’s the symbol of our program,” Lakers coach Chris Fleck said. “He is a role model for all of our kids.”

Sowder, a five-year varsity starter who was a member of the inaugural Prior Lake youth league, has grown into what Fleck considers to be the state’s best midfielder, and the senior’s development has coincided with evolution of Prior Lake’s lacrosse program - with both reaching the pinnacle of success together.

Sowder supported his coach’s claim by scoring two goals to help lead the Lakers to a 10-8 victory over Lakeville North in a South Suburban Conference matchup at Dan Patch Field in Prior Lake on Thursday. 

It was Sowder’s sixth consecutive multi-goal game and eighth of the season. His 22 goals have him sitting just outside the ranks of state’s top-10 goal scorers, where he’s tied with some of Minnesota’s premier offensive threats such as Eden Prairie’s Nic Perkins and J.D. Spielman, Nate Borowick of Robbinsdale Armstrong, Woodbury’s Trey Lervick and Lakers’ teammate Carter Collins.

Sowder’s play is one reason Prior Lake is undefeated and ranked No. 1 by Minnesota State High School Boys' Lacrosse Coaches Association. The Lakers (9-0, 6-0) also sit atop the league standings, a position solidified by the victory over the No. 11 Panthers (6-4,5-1).

Fleck said there is a distinct connection between the growth of the Prior Lake program and  the growth of Sowder, who scored just two goals his first varsity season to finishing with 25 last year.

“He’s working so hard on the field, whether he’s on offense or defense,” Fleck said. “He also works with the younger guys in our program, trying to help them become better players.”

His role as an unofficial assistant coach allows Sowder to constantly impart the knowledge and experience he’s gleaned since joining the varsity as an eighth-grader

“The big thing for being a leader is just giving back to everyone else and making sure everyone feels they’re part of the team,” Sowder said. “I really stress hard work and creating a good environment for each kid.”

Working hard will be key for Sowder if he hopes to secure a place in the lineup next season.

In January of his sophomore year, he verbally committed to play lacrosse at Ohio State. Sowder said he needs to increase his efforts to improve in several areas to see the field his freshman year at college. 

“I know this offseason, I’m going to have to put in an unreal amount of hard work,” he said. “I will have to get my speed up, my weight up, my skills and everything I’ll need to get to the next level.”

Sowder will be joining several players who also invested significant work to make the Buckeyes and beating them out for playing time won’t be easy. 

However, Sowder can call on the same mentality he employs when preparing to face his high school lacrosse opponents.  

“We know (our opponents) are going to train that much harder to get that win against us,” Sowder said. “So that means we have to train even harder than them and push ourselves every week.”

Sowder credits plenty of his success on the lacrosse field to playing another sport: football.

As a 6-foot-1, 170-pound running back for the Lakers last fall, Sowder honed his cutting, his vision and his catching - three attributes that easily translate to lacrosse. 

Yet, he considers none of those tangibles the most valuable trait he took from football, instead highlighting the mindset he developed to succeed on the gridiron.

“I was kind of a passive player before I started really getting into football,” Sowder said. “But when I got into that heavy contact, it made me a much more aggressive player. I played with a lot more speed and a lot more passion.”

His speed and passion have become powerful catalysts for Sowder’s rise to in the Prior Lake program. And even though he is tied for the team lead in goals, Sowder sees no task as too small.

“I don’t always have to be the goal scorer,” he said. “I can be the initiator or the assist man if I need to. I can play some defense, clear the ball or ride hard; I know everyone on the field is a threat and everyone on our team can score goals.”

Fleck said he’ll miss the Lakers’ high-character leader next year. Sowder, who Fleck calls the heart of the Prior Lake Lakers boys’ lacrosse team, won’t be easily replaced. But icons never are.

“He has all the athletic ability and the work ethic,” Fleck said. “He’s a coach’s dream.”

Junior midfielder Ben Ward tallied three goals and one assist as Prior Lake edged Lakeville North 10-8 at Prior Lake High School on Thursday.

Senior midfielder Cullen Sowder had two goals, extending his multi-goal games streak to six, while senior attackman Taylor Kropp also had two goals and three assists to help the Lakers stay unbeaten.

The South Suburban Conference clash began with a downpour of rain followed by an outpour of scoring. Junior midfielder Jack Dessler put Prior Lake on the scoreboard with a goal just six seconds after winning the opening faceoff. 

The Lakers (9-0, 6-0), ranked No. 1 by the Minnesota State High School Boys' Lacrosse Coaches Association, continued building their advantage with two scores from Ward and goals from senior attackman Conner Anderson, Sowder and Kropp over the next 22 minutes and took a 6-4 lead into halftime. 

The No. 11 Panthers kept the game close and eventually trimmed the deficit Luke Anderson scored two goals in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. Anderson’s second goal came on the power play and made the score 9-8 with 9 minutes, 20 seconds to play. 

Prior Lake clung to a one-goal lead until a penalty on Lakeville North senior defenseman Dakota Toedter provided the Lakers the opportunity to cement the victory. With 4:05 left on the clock, junior midfielder Matt Denman capitalized with a power-play goal to put Prior Lake up 10-8 and end the Panthers’ hope of tying the game. 

Anderson led all scorers with five goals for the Panthers (6-4, 5-1), while senior attackman Roman Rohrbach finished with two goals and three assists - registering all on goals by Anderson.

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