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Tartan sneaks past Stillwater with timely scoring in the final frame

By Peter Odney, SportsEngine, 05/25/17, 7:00AM CDT

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The Titans nursed a 3-2 lead at the half, but pulled away late, defeating the Ponies 8-5.


Tartan's Sam Lindahl charges the Stillwater goal in the second period. Lindahl scored three goals and added an assist in the Titans' 8-5 win Thursday. Photo by John Molene, SportsEngine


Stillwater's Tylor Thureson battles to get away from Tartan midfielder Charles Tabaka. Photo by John Molene, SportsEngine


Sam Lindahl’s pregame meal of macaroni and cheese and chocolate milk sounds more like the dietary staples of a nine or ten year old than a high school athlete’s.

“It’s not very healthy,” the senior attacker admitted with a grin after scoring three goals and adding an assist to lead Tartan to a 8-5 win over Section 4 rival Stillwater on Thursday night.

Coincidentally, the age that correlates with Lindahl’s pregame fuel is the same age most of the seniors on the Tartan boys’ lacrosse team began playing together.

“We’ve been coaching this group, coach Rick (Dickinson) and I, since they were in fourth grade at the youth level,” Tartan co-head coach Kevin Lindahl said after the win, adding that the familiarity and commitment of this group makes his job easier.

Kevin added: “It’s been absolutely wonderful to not have to come to practice and holler at kids to work hard.”

Hard work is exactly what the Titans (11-2, 5-1) needed to finish off the Ponies, as senior midfielder Jacob Hartzell ground out two goals in the final 90 seconds to cement the victory after the team adjusted to Stillwater’s slowed attack.  

“I think we just held the ball for a long time, tried to control the pace of the game and tried to take advantage of our opportunities when we had them,” Hartzell said.

Sam stated Hartzell’s contributions in the face-off realm played a key role in the win.

“He was winning them today and that helped us out a lot,” Sam said.

Sam, who is committed to Rockhurst (MO), currently has 174 career goals and 296 career points. So far this season, he’s tallied 61 scores and 30 assists.

Stillwater (9-4, 6-2) took a 2-1 lead after the first quarter, but Hartzell and Sam combined for three goals in the second frame to give the Titans a lead that would not be usurped.

The Titans, who are ranked No. 10 in the state coaches’ poll, also got two goals from senior attacker Bradley Herzog.

Sam, Herzog and Hartzell have bloomed in stride with the Tartan program, with all three playing a significant role in the Titans making their first state tournament appearance in 2016, a trip that ended in an opening-round 9-8 loss to Wayzata.

Despite the group’s accomplishments and last year’s taste of the tournament, Hartzell is quick to point at past players in the Tartan program who have had success, paving the way for the Titans today.

“We had a lot of good players who came before us, who taught us the ways and made us better,” Hartzell said.

First Report

Senior attacker Sam Lindahl scored three goals and added an assist to lift Tartan to a thrilling 8-5 victory over Section 4 rival Stillwater on Thursday night at Stillwater Area High School.

Stillwater (9-4, 6-2) took a 2-1 lead after the first quarter on goals by Padriac DaBruzzi and Nelson Summary, but the lead was short-lived as Tartan (11-2, 5-1) netted three goals, two of which came from Lindahl, in the span of five minutes in the second frame to take a lead that would not be exceeded by the Ponies.

Senior midfielder Jacob Hartzell scored two of his three goals in the final 1:23 of the game to ice the win for the Titans, who are ranked No. 10 in the state coaches’ poll.

The Titans are riding a four-game win streak into the postseason while the Ponies need to regroup after losing two of their last three.

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Tartan goalie Jacob Betz prepares for a Stillwater shot. Photo by John Molene, SportsEngine


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