The start of Prior Lake's season has been somewhat rocky. The defending state champions lost two of their first three games, including the season opener against Minnetonka, ranked No. 1 in the April 23 state coaches' poll.
All is not lost for Prior Lake, however. It will have a chance to prove itself in a 2018 state championship rematch against Benilde-St. Margaret's on Saturday. Another victory over the Red Knights could be what the Lakers need to make this season a success, while a loss could turn up the heat on what's left of the season. Defeating a red-hot Benilde-St. Margaret's squad won't be easy as the Red Knights enter the matchup not only with plenty of talent, but also with motivation to avenge last season's loss, making this contest our Top Game of the Week.
After a 7-4 loss to the Skippers in the opener, the No. 2-ranked Lakers rebounded nicely with a 16-4 win over Shakopee. That was followed by a 10-9 loss to No. 10 Lakeville North last Thursday, possibly leaving Prior Lake pining for some consistency.
To calm the choppy waters, Prior Lake (1-2, 1-1) can turn to its senior leadership, something the Lakers have relied on already this season. Attackmen Luke Bloedow, who has a team-high five goals through three games, and Ben Jung have combined for nine goals and nine assists, and a big game by both could keep Prior Lake's season from sinking.
Benilde-St. Margaret's has blazed through the early portion of its 2019 schedule, keeping alive a regular-season winning streak that dates back to May 16, 2017.
Underclassmen have fueled the No. 3 Red Knights (3-0, 1-0), who have scored 41 goals through three games, and are led by sophomore Matt Dowden. The attackman has tallied a team-best 15 goals this season, including four in Saturday's 9-3 win against Mahtomedi.