At the beginning of every half and after every goal, you can see Lakeville North senior Max Johnson at midfield ready for the faceoff.

Close to the ground, Johnson battles with the opposing players, most of the time winning, and grabbing the ball and passing it off to get the offense started.

For his teammates, seeing Johnson at midfield is not taken for granted. Heading into the season, he told his teammates he would skip his senior year of lacrosse to play in the United States Hockey League. However, Johnson had a change of heart and decided to stay on for one more season.

It looks like a good choice.

Johnson is the Panthers’ fourth-leading scorer and was named second team all-state on Thursday. To top it off, Johnson had two goals and two assists in Lakeville North’s 13-2 win against Farmington in the Section 1 semifinals on Friday.

As good as Johnson is on the lacrosse field, his talent on the ice has caught the eyes of many.

After playing a large role in Lakeville North hockey’s state championship team in 2015, Johnson was drafted by the USHSL's Sioux Falls Stampede. He then led the Panthers in goals in his senior year.

Following the end of the hockey season, Johnson was set to join the Stampede for the end of its season. However, Johnson’s friends tried to convince him to stay at Lakeville North and finish his senior season.

“A couple of my (older) buddies I played hockey with told me to stay in high school," Johnson said. “They stayed in high school and said they didn’t regret it. They made more memories. They graduated and walked across the stage with their friends. It was something I wanted to do.”

When Johnson told his teammates, the reaction was all positive. They all sent excited texts. Junior midfielder Robby Gale joked that the news of Johnson’s decision to stay was “the best thing I had heard in a long time.”

Johnson said playing lacrosse is a way to stay in shape for hockey. He also said his quick hands developed in hockey are useful during lacrosse faceoffs, of which he's been in over 400 this season.

During Friday’s game, Johnson helped Lakeville North get out to an early 6-1 lead against Farmington with two goals and an assist in the first half.

After a scoreless third quarter, Johnson and Gale broke through in the fourth to seal the game for the Panthers.

The win was extra special for Johnson considering his high school hockey career ended at the hands of the Tigers in the section finals.

“It’s a big weight off the shoulders,” Johnson said. “I did not want (Farmington) to end my season twice.”

Johnson will make his USHL debut this fall and head to Bowling Green in the fall of 2017.

When asked if he made the right decision, Johnson smiled and replied with a simple “yes.”

The next step for Johnson and the Panthers will be getting to the state tournament. Lakeville North plays Lakeville South in the Section 1 Final on Tuesday. The Panthers have made it to the past two consecutive state tournaments, finishing fourth in both tournaments.

With two big scoring rushes, Lakeville North defeated Farmington 13-2 at Lakeville North High School on Friday in Section 1 semifinals action.

With the win, the Panthers advance in the playoffs to take on crosstown rival Lakeville South on June 7.

After junior attacker Thomas Fogarty got the Tigers on the board first, Lakeville North responded with six consecutive goals, including three in 45 seconds in the first quarter.

But after Farmington junior attacker Nick Hinnenkamp scored 5 minutes, 21 seconds into the second quarter, the game was scoreless until the 10-minute mark of the fourth, when Lakeville North junior midfielder Robby Gale scored three consecutive goals. The Panthers held on from there, controlling play the rest of the way.

With the loss, the Tigers’ season comes to an end. Lakeville North, meanwhile, is looking to make its third consecutive state tournament appearance.

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