Three players finished with three or more goals and eight different players in all would find their way into the scoring column as Eden Prairie rolled Wayzata 19-4 Thursday night at home.
It was a satisfying way to open up Lake Conference play as the Eagles (2-0) made an early statement with their high-pressure and tactical play that overwhelmed the Trojans from the start.
It took Eden Prairie just 34 seconds to take the lead, and 48 seconds to jump out by two. Falling behind at a rate of a goal per minute, Wayzata called its timeout less than 10 minutes into the match trailing 9-1, seeking a solution to stop the bleeding.
It didn’t work, and so continued the Eagles’ speed, pressure and attack that dictated the remaining clock.
“The girls move the ball around pretty well, and our extra pressure allowed us to keep it with our offense,” Eden Prairie co-coach Judy Baxter said. “It was a good win.”
Juniors Naomi Rogge and Sammie Morton both finished with four goals, and freshman Brooke Lewis notched three scores to help lead the Eagles.
Eden Prairie was especially tough in the middle, where few Wayzata rushes could penetrate the Eagles side of the field. Instead, Eden Prairie feasted on ground balls, which fed its transition.
Rogge proved to be a big part, both offensively and defensively. The three-sport standout (soccer, hockey, lacrosse) and Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs hockey commit was the steady and driving force that fed the offense from midfield.
“That transition was huge for us,” Rogge said. “When you get to the ground balls first, you are a step ahead of the girl you are competing against.”
Baxter agreed that the team’s efficiency on transition was a key factor, and hopefully a developing trend and sign of things to come.
“Fast to the ball, it’s all about your feet in lacrosse,” Baxter said. “We work hard on that. To be able to chase down a ground ball and then feed it to an open player, and open up the full field passing…that’s the name of the game.”
The Eagles were efficient and collected, and it showed against a Wayzata squad that struggled to handle the pressure in the first half.
“We communicated well, our movement on offense was effective, and we were winning the draw,” Rogge said. “You can possess the game when you win the draw.
“We recognized early how much the high pressure could work for us,” she added. “And, it’s something we built on.”
An encouraging sign for the Eagles was an offense able to work carefully and patiently at times, mixed in with the high-output attack, as six goals in the first half came from plays that originated behind the net.
Eden Praire led 15-2 at halftime and could afford to work in a set offense, and then sailed through the second half with a running clock.
Wayzata (0-2) got one goal apiece from Anna Laugen, Ashley Greenshields, Ellie Olmanson and Meg Ransom.
Rogge said winning against a league rival and winning big with so many players involved is a nice boost for a young, but talented group set on defending their state title.
“This was a good team win, and a lot of different girls got to take part in this,” Rogge says. “That can do a lot for our team confidence and help this team mesh together.”
