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Champs Again for the Powerhouse Lakers

By Tom Schardin, 07/10/19, 4:45PM CDT

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It's official: The Prior Lake boys lacrosse team is a dynasty.

Three state titles in four years, including back-to-back crowns, will earn you that distinction.

The second-seeded Lakers held off top-seeded Benilde-St. Margaret's in the title game June 15 in Chanhassen, winning 5-3 over the previously unbeaten Knights.

It's the second straight year the two programs have met in the championship. And it's two years in a row that Prior Lake has denied Benilde-St. Margaret's the crown and a perfect season.

The Lakers got five goals from five different players in the title game and used a smothering, physical defense to frustrate and bottle up the Knights' offense.

Seniors Luke Bloedow, Riley Bachinski and Brian Kallberg and junior goalie Colin Nauertz made the all-tournament team for Prior Lake. But there easily could have been six or seven more named to the squad.

"We are so close as a team," said Kallberg, who anchors the defense. "We work well together and we play hard. Our goal as a team is to play our best and play together. We are all in."

Prior Lake finished the season with a 16-3 overall mark, winning its last 11 games. First-year coach Casey Mithun was able to keep the same team-first philosophy that former head coach Chris Fleck instilled in the squad en route to his two state crowns in 2016 and 2018.

Mithun was an assistant coach under Fleck since 2012. He got the job after Fleck stepped down last summer.

"I'd be foolish to change much," Mithun said before the season. "I'm going to continue the culture we've developed over the last decade."

And that culture is an all-in approach, team before individual. It has made the Lakers the state's elite program. Prior has won four straight Section 6 crowns, taking sixth at state in 2017.

"We may take a couple of losses in the regular season, but we learn from it," Bloedow said. "When it comes to June, we want to win so bad and we are ready. That's what we play for."

The Lakers won the South Suburban Conference title this past season with an 8-1 mark, their second league crown since 2015.

But SSC championships are not this team's top priority. If it gets one, great. But Bloedow said the goal is to be peaking come playoff time. Everything is geared toward the postseason.

"When those final seconds come off the clock and you are state champs, there's no feeling like it," he said.

Prior Lake started fast against Benilde-St. Margaret's, leading 2-0 after the first quarter on goals from junior Alex Jacobson and senior Ben Jung. The Lakers went up 3-0 in the second frame on a goal from Bachinski.

Leading 3-1 at the break, Prior Lake scored the first goal of the third quarter when sophomore Jack Smith tallied. A three-goal lead against the Lakers' defense is tough to overcome.

Prior Lake does not give up easy goals. Teams have to earn their goals, and they often pay for it physically.

In this four-year state run, Prior Lake has had a knack for wearing down its opponents both mentally and physically.

In the regular season, Prior Lake lost to Benilde 4-3 in overtime. That turned out to be the Lakers' last loss.

"Early in the season, we were still figuring out players' roles," Kallberg said. "We just kept getting better. That's what we do."

Bloedow scored a goal in the fourth quarter for the Lakers to put them back up three (5-2). Juniors Ryley Bester and Will Gilbert and senior Nate Whittier each had assists in the win.

Nauertz finished with 10 saves in goal.

Prior Lake will lose 12 seniors from this year's team — Bloedow, Bachinski, Kallberg, Jung, Whittier, Lucas Gratz, Patrick Juell, Brandon Burggraaff, Trenton Herubin, Joey Plinck, Thomas Neuharth and Joey Barnard.

Gratz, Herubin, Neuharth and Plinck were a big part of the Lakers' defense with Kallberg. Barnard was the team's faceoff specialist.

But last year's team had to replace 15 seniors, so no big deal, right?

"Everyone didn't think we be as good," Kallberg said. "But look at what we just did."

The depth in the Lakers' program is second to none. Programs don't have 77-15 records in a five-year span without superior depth and strong player development.

Junior Conor Miller, sophomores Blake Warren and Keaton Sowder, Bester, Jacobson, Gilbert and Smith will likely see their roles and responsibilities increase next year.

Sophomores Matthew Kallberg and Cameron Miller and junior Colin Tushie should have bigger roles defensively, while junior Connor Mack will give the team two senior goalies.

"Next year, this team will be good again," Kallberg said. "There will be lot of talent back."

Bachinski and Bloedow led the Lakers at state with six goals apiece. Smith had four goals and Miller scored two.

Prior Lake beat third-seeded Eden Prairie 4-3 in the semifinals June 13 and rolled over Wayzata 12-4 in the quarterfinals June 11.