Saturday afternoon’s matchup between Eden Prairie and Prior Lake paired two teams with conflicting goals this season.  The Eagles, the state’s preseason number one ranked team, have their sights set on a state title.  The Lakers have hopes of earning the school’s first trip to the state tournament.  But with redistricting in boys hockey the two schools will now fight for the district 2AA title, thus leaving one team short of achieving their season’s goal.  The match up, the season opener for both teams, was something that both schools hope will repeat itself during the district playoff season.

The first period was played at a pace one would expect from two teams with experience and skill.  Both teams also played at times like it was their first game of the season.  Both goalies were sharp early with EP’s Shawn Durocher and Prior Lake’s Drew Scites making great saves to keep the score knotted at a scoreless tie.   The most impressive was Durocher’s save on the Laker’s Connor Clemons during a 2-1.  Then at half way through the first period, Casey Mittelstadt snuck behind the Laker’s blue liners and found himself all alone against Scites.  Mittelstadt, the U of M recruit, would wait out Scites and lift his shot top shelf to put the Eagles up 1-0.  The period would conclude with more even play and great stops for the net minders on both sides.

The intensity picked up in the second period with Eden Prairie dominating play early.  Two minutes in, the Eagles would tally their second goal on a scrum in front of the net.  Michael Graham gathered the puck and deposited it in the net to make it 2-0.  Casey Mittelstadt and Cole Lawrence would get the assists and EP’s top line had started to find their stride.  But Prior Lake would draw an interference penalty on the ensuing shift  and just 30 seconds into the power play, Matt Denman would send a blast into the upper right corner from the point to make the score 2-1.   And, just two minutes later Ryan Coyle would gather a nice pass in the slot from Jack Schulze and beat Durocher to tie the game at two for the Lakers.  Eden Prairie would respond with a fury.  Beginning with the games nicest tally initiated by Mittelstadt’ s nifty half play wall that led to tic-tac-toe passes and Michael Graham’s second goal and followed by goals by Cole Lawrence and an unassisted snipe by Jarod Blackowiak, the Eagles would head into the second intermission with a commanding 5-2 lead. 

The third period appeared to start off with more fortune for the Eagles as they drew an early roughing penalty two minutes in and went on the power play looking to put the game out of reach.  However, despite moving the puck around well, they would turn it over at the point and Connor Clemons would gather it in for a 2 on 0 breakaway.  Clemons would finish for the Lakers on a nice passing play with Jack Schulze and the lead was cut to 5-3.  Prior Lake gained the momentum and would have a power play midway through the third.  The Lakers would get many great chances but Durocher (and the pipes) would stop them to keep the two goal lead.  And, to seal the victory, Casey Mittelstadt would get his second goal and fifth point of the game on a tremendous tip in goal.  Louie Roehl would tally his second assist of the game on the play and the three goal lead would be insurmountable for the Lakers and the game would end with a score of 6-3.