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Prior Lake boys up to early season test against Lakeville North

By Mike Randleman, SportsEngine, 04/22/21, 5:30PM CDT

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Ben Mickett scored twice for the Lakers in the victory.

Prior Lake's Cooper Busch (2) works his way out of traffic in the first quarter. Busch was one of eight Lakers to score in a 9-6 win over Prior Lake on Thursday night. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Prior Lake's Cooper Busch (2) works his way out of traffic in the first quarter. Busch was one of eight Lakers to score in a 9-6 win over Prior Lake on Thursday night. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Winning a state championship has come easier for Prior Lake in recent years than a conference title. The Lakers are two-time defending state champions and winners in three of the last four state tournaments dating back to 2016. Only in 2019 did they claim a South Suburban Conference crown.

The reason being is the gauntlet of teams Prior Lake encounters on a twice-weekly basis. One is Lakeville North, which entered Thursday ranked No. 4 in the April 20 state coaches’ poll.

Prior Lake (2-0, 2-0) held serve at home, beating Lakeville North (2-2, 0-2) 9-6 at Dan Patch Stadium.

“It feels good,” said junior attackman Cooper Busch. “We always play a tough game against Lakeville North. They’re always a good team; it’s always nice to beat them. Conference wins are important to us. We’re just trying to be on top and keep it going through the rest of the season.”

The No. 1 Lakers won five in a row between the two teams before Lakeville North got back on track with a win in their last meeting in 2019. They didn’t play last year, given the 2020 season was canceled statewide due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lakeville North owns six straight state tournament appearances but is without a win to show for it the last three trips. Rising to the next echelon requires hanging with heavyweights like the Lakers. The Panthers did that much of Thursday, sticking within a goal through the first half and in parts of the third and fourth quarters.

 

Prior Lake;s Sam Leuthner firest off a shot, scoring with 1:21 remaining in the game. Leuthner's goal gave the Lakers a 9-6 win over South Suburban Conference rival Prior Lake. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Prior Lake's Sam Leuthner fires off a shot, scoring with 1:21 remaining in the game. Leuthner's goal gave the Lakers a 9-6 win over South Suburban Conference rival Prior Lake. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

First Report

Two-time defending state champion Prior Lake passed an early season test Thursday at Dan Patch Stadium. 

The Lakers, ranked No. 1 in the April 20 state coaches’ poll, had to wait nearly two years to get back on the field since their last title in 2019. With mostly new faces, they looked sharp in a 9-6 home win over South Suburban Conference rival No. 4 Lakeville North.

Prior Lake (2-0, 2-0) never trailed and received goals from eight different players.

Sophomore midfielder Ben Mickett had two goals for Prior Lake, both of which pushed the Lakers back ahead in the first and third quarters. The Lakers grabbed their second three-goal lead, putting them up 7-4 in the fourth quarter and they looked poised to run away from there. 

Panthers sophomore attackman Leo Piscitello gave Lakeville North (2-2, 0-2) life, however, with two goals in a 12-second span with just over eight minutes remaining.

Prior Lake had the answer less than a minute later on its second of two shorthanded goals in the second half – and overall – coming from senior attackman Dylan Miears. Cooper Busch also had a shorthanded score earlier in the fourth quarter.

A goal from Sam Leuthner with under two minutes to go was the dagger for Prior Lake. 

Senior goalie AJ Preachuk made 14 saves for Lakeville North. Senior Connor Walters started in goal for Prior Lake and saved four of six shots in the first half. Senior Ryan Vitters saved six of 10 in the second half.

 

Landon Mohs (7) scored first for Lakeville North and was one of five players to score goals in the Panthers' 9-6 loss to Prior Lake. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Landon Mohs (7) scored first for Lakeville North and was one of five players to score goals in the Panthers' 9-6 loss to Prior Lake. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

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