Smile, throw up the index finger and enjoy the moment.

Lakeville North’s Roman Rohrbach has done the championship picture pose so many times, yet he still can’t explain the emotions surrounding it.

“I don’t think I have any words for that feeling,” Rohrbach said. “It’s been great.”

Rohrbach, who scored five goals in the Panthers’ 10-2 victory over Lakeville South in the Section 1 championship game on Tuesday at Lakeville North High School, has been the go-to player on offense all season. He finished the regular season leading the team in goals (23) and assists (24).

“He’s a heck of a player,” Panthers coach Jeff Wright said. “He’s proving why he’s a Mr. Lacrosse finalist.”

As a forward on the Lakeville North hockey team, Rohrbach is not stranger to winning. The Panthers went undefeated and won the Class 2A state title in front of a packed Xcel Energy Center this season.

It was a similar situation Tuesday night as top-seeded Lakeville North beat city rival and second seed Lakeville South in front of a huge crowd.

His role is different, though. This past winter, the hockey forward scored just one goal and had six assists in 30 games. The senior, who’s headed to play lacrosse at the United States Air Force Academy next year, considered himself a role player on the Panthers hockey team.

Rohrbach labeled himself as a “third-line grinder,” adding that his biggest strength was killing penalties. 

But teammate Luke Seper admired another aspect of Rohrbach’s game.

“He’s more than a third-line grinder or a penalty killer,” Seper said. “He was a symbol of hard work on that hockey team all year, and he brings that out here whether he knows it or feels it.”

Seper, a senior defenseman on the hockey and lacrosse teams, helped Lakeville North contain the Cougars’ offense in the section championship. Limiting Lakeville South to just two goals, the Panthers kept the Cougars from capitalizing on their specialty - scoring in transition.

Wright credited his defense for getting the Panthers to their second consecutive state tournament. Coming into the game, he knew Lakeville North had to limit penalties and stop the Cougars in transition. The Panthers did both.

“Allowing one goal six-on-six is huge,” Wright said. “[The defense] was a beast and [goalie] Bryce [Bouman] has been our backbone all season.”

A section championship game obviously brings lots of pressure and excitement with it. Playing your city rival for the section title ups that ante.

The campuses are separated by just two miles and a five-minute drive. Kids in Lakeville grow up playing sports with athletes who end up attending the opposing high school, creating lifelong friendships.

And rivalries.

“You come in with a bigger focus,” Seper said. “You’re absolutely pumped to play South. Regardless of whether it’s the section final or just a regular game, it’s the same feeling playing South every time.”

Rohrbach and Seper have done the victory picture three times this year.

Is there one more in store?

“That’s definitely the goal,” Rohrbach said. “I hope we can get there and finish business.”

Lakeville North will be making its second consecutive trip to the state boys’ lacrosse tournament after dominating city rival Lakeville South 10-2 to win the Section 1 championship at Lakeville North High School on Tuesday.

Panthers senior captain Roman Rohrbach, who is headed to the United States Air Force Academy to play lacrosse next year, finished with five goals in the victory.

The two teams play a regular-season game on May 12, with Lakeville North downing Lakeville South 11-7. As the top two seeds in Section 1, this matchup was destined from the start. 

The second-seeded Cougars (11-5) outscored their two previous section opponents 33-4, while the top-seeded Panthers (12-4) steamrolled their way to the championship, outscoring the opposition 30-3.

The section title tilt was a defensive battle early on.

Lakeville North led 1-0 after the first quarter and took a slim 2-1 lead in the second when Rohrbach scored his first goal. A heads-up play from senior Ryan Bissonett extended the lead. The Panthers attackman stole the ball from a Lakeville South defenseman, moved in front of the Cougars’ net and fired a low shot past goalie Chase Pankow to make the score 3-1.

Rohrbach’s second goal sent Lakeville North into halftime with a 4-1 lead.

Lakeville South was in dire need of goals in the third quarter, but all it could hit was iron. By the end of the quarter, the Panthers held a 6-1 advantage on the scoreboard.

A dominating fourth quarter sealed the win for Lakeville North, which earned only its second state bid in the program’s history.

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