Prior Lake navigated a busy stretch last week, playing three games in seven days and coming away with two wins and a conference tie.
The week opened Dec. 30 with a 7–1 road win at Robbinsdale Armstrong/Cooper, where Prior Lake controlled play throughout. After breaking a scoreless tie late in the first period, the Lakers scored three times in the final minutes of the frame and added three more goals in the second period to take command.
Junior forward Addi Heinicke led the offense with two goals and an assist, while senior defender Paige Watkins, junior forward Abby Anthony and sophomore forward Maddie DuChene each recorded a goal and an assist. Prior Lake finished with a 39–28 advantage in shots.
Freshman goalie Chloe Byrne earned her first start of the season, stopping 27 of 28 shots.
Lakers dominate in Minneapolis
The Lakers carried that momentum into Minneapolis on Jan. 3, earning a 4–1 road victory built on a dominant opening period.
Prior Lake scored twice early, first on a power-play goal by freshman forward Avery Olson, assisted by junior defender Kallie Disrud, and then on a goal from sophomore forward Raya Mathiason, assisted by freshman defender Coral Martin, to take a 2–0 lead. The Lakers limited Minneapolis to just one shot on goal in the first period, outshooting the hosts 15–1.
The second period was scoreless, but Olson added an unassisted goal early in the third. After Minneapolis got on the board, sophomore defender Liv Heinicke sealed the result with an unassisted power-play goal.
Prior Lake held a 30–12 edge in shots, while senior goalie Sophia Cappiello returned to the net and stopped 11 of 12 shots.
Lakers pull off tie against No. 16-ranked Lakeville North
The busy week concluded Jan. 6 at Dakotah! Ice Center, where Prior Lake earned a 3–3 tie against conference opponent Lakeville North, ranked No. 16 in the state in Class AA by Let’s Play Hockey.
Lakeville North scored first before Prior Lake answered late in the opening period on an unassisted goal by Olson to make it 1–1 after one.
Senior forward Ava Anderson gave the Lakers the lead just 23 seconds into the second period, assisted by junior forward Ella Voll and Anthony, but North responded 24 seconds later to tie the game. The visitors added another goal later in the period to take a 3–2 lead into the final intermission.
Olson tied the game in the third with her second goal of the night, forcing overtime. Neither team found the net in the extra session, and the game ended in a draw.
Lakeville North held a 32–22 shot advantage, but Cappiello turned aside 29 of 32 shots to preserve the tie.
Up Next:
Prior Lake now heads into another demanding stretch with three conference games in five days, traveling to Rosemount on Jan. 8 and Eastview on Jan. 10 before returning home to Dakotah! Ice Center on Jan. 12 for a 7 p.m. matchup against Lakeville South.
Including the Lakers, all four teams on the upcoming slate sit just outside the Let’s Play Hockey rankings, though are receiving votes, setting up a week with early-season implications in the conference race.
