Face-off percentage is to lacrosse statistics what SPAM is to gourmet dining.

Which is to say the act of quickly and effectively scooping the ball from the turf an instant before your opponent is an acquired taste

Count Eden Prairie junior midfielder Riley Boehm among the minority who savors those gritty one-on-one battles for possession of the ball.

“I don’t care about anything else,” Boehm said. “Face-offs. That’s my favorite thing about lacrosse.

“I’d rather win a face-off than score a goal.”

In the Eagles’ 11-9 Lake Conference win over Eagan on Thursday, April 16 at Eden Prairie High School, Boehm did both. He not only won an amazing 14 of 19 face-offs but also scored a dramatic third quarter goal that helped clinch the surprisingly narrow victory.

“He was our player of the game tonight,” said Eden Prairie assistant coach Scott Hugdal. “He was crushing it all night on the face-offs. He was unstoppable.”

Eden Prairie (2-0) is ranked either No. 1 or 2, flip-flopping with Benilde-St. Margaret’s, in most of the various state rankings. The Eagles feature two of the state’s top players in twins Mitch and Matt Hugdahl, Scott’s sons and Division I recruits (Mitch already has committed to Georgetown).

Even with the lofty ranking, the marquee players and Boehm’s face-off dominance, Eden Prairie still had a tough time putting away the Wildcats (1-1).

“A lot of times, when you are up by five goals at the half on a team, they will cave in,” said Scott Hugdahl, whose Eagles led 9-5 at halftime. “But those guys didn’t give up for a minute.”

Eagan outscored Eden Prairie 4-2 in the second half but had trouble gaining possession of the ball in the closing minutes.

Kyle Harren scored three goals for the Wildcats, who didn’t have the offensive depth to match the output of Eden Prairie’s Hugdahl twins and senior attackman Matt Murphy, each of whom had a hat trick.

“Our guys are scrappy, they don’t give up,” Eagan assistant coach Adam Crane said. “They work really, really hard. That’s what they preach, and that’s what they do.”

Boehm’s goal, which came with 27 seconds left in the third quarter, put the Eagles ahead 11-8. He scored while absorbing a heavy blow that knocked him face-first to the turf just after firing a shot.

It was the sort of goal you’d expect from a player who relishes doing the sort of dirty work that normally doesn’t draw much attention.

“I work on face-offs almost every day,” Boehm said. “I work on it before practices, after practices. I work with all the kids. I do face-off clinics, camps … the works.

“Every opportunity I get to take a face off, I take it. Oh god, face-offs are my life.”

1. Riley Boehm, Eden Prairie
Scored a highlight-reel goal in the closing seconds of the third quarter when he got a shot off while being knocked face-first to the turf. He added an assist and was dominant on faceoffs, winning 14 of 19.

2. Mitch Hugdahl, Eden Prairie
Junior Georgetown recruit scored three goals and added an assist, but his most impressive play came at midfield when he somehow eluded three Eagan defenders by using a breathtaking series of twists and turns along the sideline.

3. Kyle Harren, Eagan
Senior attackman possesses a potent combination of speed and power, traits he used to score three goals against the Eagles. Harren now has eight goals in two games to start the season.

Honoring committments
Both head coaches were absent from Thursday's game. Eagan coach Bob Felter's father passed away on Tuesday, and Felter was in his hometown of Syracuse, N.Y. Eden Prairie coach Ryan Ward headed to the airport during warmups so he could catch a flight to Edmonton. Ward plays for the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League. The Rush host Calgary on Friday night.