Jackson Lochan celebrates with a teammate in the Orioles' 9-7 come-from-behind victory over the Mustangs on Friday. Photo by Cheryl Myers

Four times in the final minutes against Breck on Friday night, St. Louis Park sophomore Jackson Lochan attacked the net with fiery rubber bullets, and four times those shots found the inside of the twine.

It helped fire the Orioles’ improbable come-from-the-dead 9-7 victory over Breck on an unseasonably cold Friday the 13th in Golden Valley.

Trailing by four goals with 10 minutes to play, Lochan and the Orioles’ offense turned the tables on the host Mustangs in a raging fourth quarter that led to a wild, wild win for St. Louis Park.

Lochan and teammate Brody Ilstrup scored six combined goals in the final stanza, giving St. Louis Park (3-5) a signature victory over Section 5 rival Breck and help inject a jolt of confidence into a second-year varsity program that’s young in most every way.

“This teaches us that when we are down, we have it in us to respond,” first-year coach Chris Bixby said afterward. “For a young team, that means a lot.”

Breck had St. Louis Park on its terms for most of the first three quarters, leading 5-1 and 7-3 before the Orioles flipped the switch and the Mustangs stalled.

St. Louis Park’s aggressive orange offense flourished in the fourth when Ilstrup capped off a hat trick with his team-high 20th goal of the season just four minutes in, drawing the Orioles to within 7-6 before Lochan struck thrice within the span of three and a half minutes down the stretch.

Lochan's fourth score, the game’s final, came with 3:26 remaining and elevated St. Louis Park to a 9-7 lead. It also permanently stole the mojo that Breck once held so tightly.

“Jackson has these flashes, and when he goes, he’s got this fire,” Bixby said. “When he plays like that, he’s tough to stop.”

Lochan's efforts on Friday gives him 15 goals on the season, second most on the team. It’s unlikely that none of them, until now, have been in such a meaningful succession.

“It took a while for us to get going,” Lochan said. “But once we got the momentum, we really started to work well as a team. We worked like we know we are capable of.”

After Breck senior Chris DeMaris scored his team-high fourth goal of the game very early in the fourth quarter, it all proved downhill for the Mustangs, who lost their fifth consecutive game after winning four straight to start the season.

It’s a tough one, no doubt, for Breck, which seemingly had the game in hand. On the flip side, it’s a welcomed response for a Orioles team trying to make a mark in its second season competing in the Minnesota State High School League.

Each victory lays another brick in the foundation of a new and growing program.

“This is huge for our confidence,” Lochan said. “Going forward, we can build on this.”

For now, St. Louis Park will celebrate this one for a bit before turning the page toward another

“It was an unbelievable win and an unbelievable feeling,” Bixby said. “It took a couple individual efforts to spark us. Jackson was awesome, so was Brody, and our defense was phenomenal all night.

“It was a really, really fun game for us, and one we are going to enjoy,” he added.


Blaine Madson keeps his eyes on the ball while running up field. Photo by Cheryl Myers

First Report

St. Louis Park rallied from a four-goal second-half deficit to defeat Breck 9-7 Friday night at McKnight Stadium in Golden Valley.

Sophomore attacker Jackson Lochan scored four goals in the final quarter as the Orioles capped off an improbable comeback against the slumping Mustangs, who have lost their fifth straight since starting 4-0.

St. Louis Park trailed 7-3 with 10 minutes remaining before its offense caught fire behind Lochan, who helped his team score six goals in the final quarter.

Brody Ilstrup scored three times for the Orioles, giving him 20 goals on the season, and senior Phil Wagner scored twice. St. Louis Park improves its record to 3-5 on the season. 

Breck senior Chris DeMaris scored four times to lead the Mustangs.

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