On Friday night, Eden Prairie proved that speed and skill aren’t the only weapons in its arsenal. 

Facing a rugged Grand Rapids team focused on out-muscling the Eagles, the state’s consensus top-ranked team in Class 2A rolled with every (figurative) punch and (figuratively) threw a few of their own, rattling off three goals in the third period for a 4-0 win. 

“It came down to us just being really good in our defensive zone,” Eden Prairie coach Lee Smith said after the game. “They took away a lot of the offensive side of it, so we had to find a way to make sure we didn’t give up.”

After a sluggish first period in which the Eagles (6-0) were outshot by the Thunderhawks 7-6, junior forward Carter Batchelder snapped the scoreless tie with a goal in the second frame, assuaging some of Batchelder’s frustrations from the first stanza. 

“We just came into the locker room and talked it out,” Batchelder said of he and linemate Drew Holt, with whom Batchelder failed to connect with on the ice early in the game. “We were struggling when they were hitting us, so we played through it.”

The Eagles scored three times in less than four minutes during a stretch late in the third, with goals coming from Ben Steeves unassisted, a breakaway tally by Batchelder, and a final nail in the coffin from John Mittelstadt.

Eden Prairie goaltender Axel Rosenlund made 25 saves to earn the shutout, while Carter Clafton stopped 21 of 25 shots in the loss for Grand Rapids (3-4).  

John Mittelstadt’s goal was assisted by Luke, who took a short break from hammering Thunderhawks into the boards to scoop up a rebound, pivot, and find John in the high slot for a power-play goal with just over three minutes to play in regulation.

“I know I’m not the shooter on our power play,” Luke said with a grin, ticking off Mason Langenbrunner, Steeves, and John as the primary options for the Eagles’ special teams. All three of those players are committed to Division I programs, as is Luke, who, along with John, verbally committed to Minnesota last season.

Luke added that John would have been sure to bring up the play in question had Luke not gotten him the puck.  

“I don’t think John will ever hold back on telling me (if) I did something wrong,” Luke said with a laugh.

Down 4-0 and with hope dwindling, the Thunderhawks' frustrations bubbled over, resulting in a slew of penalties called against both teams after extracurricular activities occurred following a whistle. Nonetheless, both sides escaped the Braemar Arena ice with no visible major injuries.

"I think it's everyone's Stanley Cup playing us," Luke said of the outsized physicality with which teams compete against the Eagles. 

"We're ready for it, and we're ready to respond."