Not having the opportunity to play at all last spring due to the pandemic has created challenges for some high school sports teams in Minnesota this season, given athletes who don’t compete in their sport during the offseason may not have played competitively in almost two years.
But if your team has the talent, there’s opportunities to overcome the missed field time.
Stillwater, ranked No. 9 in the coaches’ poll, might have been thankful to win a close 5-4 contest against Suburban East Conference foe Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul on Wednesday night, but Ponies coach Peter Flock and his team are focused on improving in the days ahead.
“They are a good team, but we’re doing this to ourselves,” Flock said. “It’s internal. We need to figure things out, we’re not happy with the way we’re playing no matter what our record shows.”
Aidan Anderson and Stillwater did just enough to hold onto its undefeated record in league play with a 5-4 triumph over Suburban East Conference rival Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul Wednesday evening.
Anderson scored three goals, including twice in the fourth quarter, to help Stillwater (6-1, 5-0) stay ahead of the late-charging Raiders.
Cretin-Derham Hall (4-2, 3-2) cut the deficit to one with less than a minute remaining on the game clock with a goal from Sam Goings, but a last-second save from goalie Gunner Arens preserved the win for Stillwater, ranked No. 9 in the coaches’ poll. Arens finished with three saves.
Carter Bies added one goal and an assist for the Ponies.
Raiders goaltender Eddie Kielkopf made eight saves in the loss and teammate Luke McCarthy had two first-half goals.
The MN Lacrosse Hub polls are for entertainment purposes only.