Nerves melted at halftime, and the schooled belief in the work at hand took over.

So went Chanhassen’s 10-7 upset victory over previously unbeaten Benilde-St. Margaret’s Tuesday night.

Chanhassen, ranked No. 7 in the coaches’ poll, saw its offensive production blossom in the third quarter and rallied with seven scores, including a buzzer-beater, to clinch a key road victory in the Metro West Conference over the No. 3 Red Knights. 

It’s the seventh straight win -- and a rare league victory --  for the Storm (7-1, 3-0), who will take time to appreciate it as they enter mid-May in sole possession of first place in the conference standings.

“I don’t ever remember beating a premier type team before,” junior attacker Cole Grindberg said. “In the past, we’ve always come up short. I think as a whole, for the group, this is a big confidence booster.”

Grindberg, along with fellow junior attacker Jadon Kerry, finished with three goals and five points apiece to lead the Storm.

Trailing two goals at the half, Chanhassen's offense revved to life after the break, and Benilde-St. Margaret's was unable to counter the momentum.

Transition was a big factor as the game wore on. Chanhassen got up the field in a hurry and threatened often. One-on-one battles were pushed aside in favor of a speedy vertical attack, and the Storm took control. When Chanhassen started to finish, it was lights out for the Red Knights.

Grindberg, Kerry and fellow junior Jay Lokhorst now account for over 60 goals on the season. Their tact showed in the late stages of the game, when th three attackers worked from behind the net, on the wings and in the slot to will the Storm to its win.

“That trio is hard to stop,” Chanhassen coach Jonathan Junker said. “Some of these great defenses can find a way to shut down one or two of them, but it’s difficult to silence all three of them. They read each other so well, it’s really fun to watch.”

A serious blow was dealt to the Red Knights in the closing seconds of the third quarter, when Jack Welch fired home a high shot from the far left wing as time expired. The score pushed the Storm to a three-goal lead at the end of a frame they started trailing by two. 

“We played less selfishly (after halftime), and when we started sharing the ball, things started to open up for us,” Grindberg said. “Transition goals really get the momentum going. The buzzer-beater goal was huge.”

The game marked a midway point in the schedule for both teams as the short spring sports season races head towards sections later in the month. 

For a Chanhassen program that has to watch a portion of the state tournament played on its home field every year but have yet to clinch a spot in the event, the expectations continue to be high. Perhaps this win over Benilde-St. Margaret's is confirmation that the Storm is continuing to peak.

“I think (this win) sets us up in a big way,” Junker said of a tournament run. “This team has always had a ton of potential, and we haven’t always been able to capitalize in big games."

Grindberg agreed. The Storm aren’t really on anyone’s radar just yet, at least not on the list of the elite top 5. But results like this will push them there.

“This gives us a lot of momentum as we head towards sections,” he said. “If we can take this and build upon it, we could be a tough team to beat come playoff time.”

Chanhassen broke loose with seven goals in the third quarter to tip the direction of the game and upset host Benilde-St. Margaret’s 10-7 Tuesday night in St. Louis Park.

Trailing by two goals at the half, the Storm saw their offense revved to life after the break, and the previously unbeaten Red Knights, who No. 3 in the coaches' poll, were unable to counter the momentum shift.

Juniors Cole Grindberg and Jadon Kerry each finished with three goals and five points to lead the No. 7-ranked Storm (7-1, 3-0).

Freshman attacker Jack VanOverbeke finished with two goals for the Red Knights (7-1, 3-1).

The MN Lacrosse Hub polls are for entertainment purposes only.