The Prior Lake girls’ lacrosse team made a bet with its coaches before Thursday’s section championship game.

If the Lakers won, their coaches would have to perform a dance move called a “whip” that is popular within the team.

“It’s a song called ‘The Whip,’ which us old coaches don’t really know too much about,” Prior Lake coach Ali Minelli said after her team’s 12-10 home victory over Eastview in the Section 3 championship game.

The team huddled at midfield after its monumental win, cheering on reluctant assistant coach Gary Gregus as he whipped and nae-nae’d, just as the song by Silento instructs.

Some girls yelled at the press box to play the tune over the public address system, but Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” would have to do.

Gregus “whipped” regardless.

“It was too funny,” sophomore Sarah Pierson said with a wide smile.

One day at practice, Minelli had to halt the drills to address the distracting dance move members of her team were doing. The girls promised to stop if the coaches would do the whip to celebrate a state tournament berth.

Minelli pointed to Gregus, the Lakers’ first-year assistant, and the coach, who’s in his 60s, agreed.

It wasn’t an easy road to dancing. However, top-seeded Prior Lake got past the relentless attack of second-seeded Eastview behind four goals from forward Aleah Fjelstad. 

With 13 underclassmen, the Lakers (14-2) never let their youth hinder them.

Prior Lake has just three seniors on the roster. But don’t read into that too much.

“Our seniors do a nice job leading the team,” Minelli said. “But we have leaders at every level.”

Fjelstad has never thought much of youth being a problem for Prior Lake, which ascended to No. 3 in the rankings provided by the Minnesota Girls’ State Lacrosse Coaches Association. 

The junior hopes the Lakers’ plethora of young talent could be the foundation for a lacrosse dynasty.

“It should lead us to stronger years to come,” Fjelstad said.

Minelli said freshmen and sophomores were nominated for captain positions last year, so leadership is evident regardless of age in the Prior Lake program.

The Lakers’ leadership was key as the team faced a late charge from the Lightning. Eastview (13-3) scored twice in the final two minutes, pulling to within two after Cassidy Leininger’s goal with 46 seconds remaining.

However, Minelli and the rest of her team weren’t worried. Well, almost her whole team.

“I was so nervous,” Pierson said. “I cried a little bit. It was just so exciting.”

The sophomore ended the night with three goals and an assist. Those goals were tough to come by. It wasn’t easy getting through Eastview junior goalie Sam Tyo, who made 12 saves in the championship game. The Lakers scored 12 goals or less only five times in the regular season.

Senior forward Rachel Munos led the Lightning with three goals, while senior midfielder Anna Schoonover had three assists and one goal in the loss.

Thursday’s win means Prior Lake will be making its first trip to the state tournament. Last year, the Lakers lost to Burnsville in the section semifinals. The year before that, Prior Lake fell to Eastview in the same round.

Thursday’s game wasn’t all about revenge, but about an attainable goal. The Lakers reached that goal, but they know there’s more to come.

“We want to just kick butt,” Pierson said. “Play hard, be confident and trust one another. We want to play as a family.”

After concluding his show-stealing dance, Gregus made his way out of the huddle around him. His face red both in embarrassment and excitement, the coach yelled out a sobering command in a half-laughing, half-serious tone.

“Practice tomorrow!”

Prior Lake earned its first state tournament bid after dousing Eastview 12-10 in the Section 3 championship game Thursday night at Prior Lake High School.

The Lakers, who have just three seniors on the team, trumped the experience of the Lightning, who boast 11 seniors and were looking to make their first state tournament in team history.

Eastview (13-3) won’t be making that monumental trip, though. Behind four goals from Prior Lake’s Aleah Fjelstad, Section 3’s top seed was able to hold on. 

Lightning goalie Sam Tyo made 12 saves, keeping her team in it until the final horn. Prior Lake’s Sarah Pierson and Ally Barian each had two goals in the opening half. Rachel Munos led the Lightning with a pair of goals in the first 25 minutes, but the Lakers held a 6-4 lead entering the second half. Munos finished the game with three goals.

A second-half surge by Eastview brought the second seed within just one goal with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, but a timely goal from Prior Lake’s Alexa Bloedow halted to the comeback.

The Lakers (14-2) held off another rally in the final minutes by gaining possession of the ball and letting the clock run off.

Fjelstad’s four goals all came in the second half, where she was a major offensive force.

The two teams faced off in the regular season with Prior Lake dominated its way to a 15-6 victory on May 5.

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