Prior Lake ended the regular season Feb. 14 with a convincing 8-1 home win over Rosemount in conference play. The win avenged a 4-3 loss to the Irish back on Jan. 15.

The Lakers are 8-2 since that loss.

There was some uncertainty about the Lakers' seed heading into the playoffs. The team has appealed the forfeiture of eight wins to the Minnesota State High School League. There was an "administrative error" made in the potential eligibility of one its players during the regular season.

So the Lakers' record could have been facing an 8-16-1 at the seed meeting. The appeal had no bearing on section seeds.

Second-ranked Edina (22-1-2) earned the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. Third-seeded Burnsville (13-10-2) gets sixth-seeded Chanhassen (7-13-5) in the quarterfinals, while fourth-seeded Bloomington Jefferson (13-10-2) gets fifth-seeded Holy Angels (15-10).

The semifinals are Feb. 21 at either Braemar Ice Arena or the Bloomington Ice Gardens. The title game is Feb. 25 at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis at 6 p.m. Edina has won the last seven 2AA titles.

The Lakers have lost in the section semifinals the last four years - twice to Edina (2014 and 2011) and twice to Burnsville (2013 and 2012).

Meanwhile, in beating Rosemount, the Lakers led 2-0 after the first period and 5-0 after two frames.

Junior Connor Clemons finished with two goals and two assists, giving him a team-best 37 points heading into the playoffs (20 goals, 17 assists). Junior Curtis Hansen had a goal and two assists, while seniors Tyler Bump and Hayden Maxfield each had two assists.

Maxfield extended his streak of at least one point to 12 straight games.

Junior Jack Schulze and sophomores Kevin Fellows, Chase Gackle, Ryan Murray and Cole Wagner each had one goal. Seniors Derek Daugaard and Joey Schlink and junior Noah Beer each had one assist.

Junior Benny Smith was in goal for the Lakers and finished with 15 saves.

Bump (15 goals, 16 assists) and Maxfield (19 goals, 12 assists) going into the playoffs tied for second on the team points with 31. Junior Matt Denman has 29 points (4 goals, 25 assists), followed by Hansen (12 goals, 12 assists), Fellows (4 goals, 19 assists) and senior Lincoln Eiter (5 goals, 16 assists).