Prior Lake's Jake Cohn crashes the net as the puck crosses the goal line in the second period for the Lakers second goal, scored by Curtis Hanson. Photo by Drew Herron

It’s been a while in the making, but Prior Lake is headed where no Lakers team has been before.

It took a Herculean effort in the upset of top-seeded Minnetonka to make it happen, but nevertheless, Prior Lake will make its first appearance in a section final after carving out a 3-2 victory in the Class 2A, Section 2 semifinals on Saturday at Braemar Arena in Edina.

“We’ve made history for our program,” said Lakers senior goalie Drew Scites, who stopped 28 shots. “It’s a good feeling for the team.”

Prior Lake came out hungry from the start and never trailed Minnetonka, ranked No. 3 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll.

The Lakers outshot the Skippers 9-2 before they opened the scoring midway through the opening period on a goal from Kevin Fellows.

“Getting a lead was huge, especially for a team like us with a lot of guys who have never been to a section final before,” Lakers coach Joe Pankratz said. “It makes everything easier.”

Minnetonka (18-7-1) entered the game as one of the state's hottest teams, with a 10-2-1 record in the new year. But that success perhaps turned into a curse for the section tournament, as a first-round bye for the top-seeded Skippers left them inactive for a week.

Minnetonka was rusty in the opening period, while Prior Lake attacked and attacked.

“We started off slow and (Thomas) Hanson kept us in it,” Minnetonka coach Brian Urick said. “The second and third periods, we gave ourselves a chance to win it. But that’s a very good team in Prior Lake, and they capitalized on our mistakes.”

Prior Lake jumped out 2-0 a little more than six minutes into the second period when Curtis Hansen scored, assisted by Jake Cohn.

After trading goals late in the period, the Lakers took a 3-1 lead into the third before Brendan Ryan scored on the power play to draw the Skippers to within a goal at 3-2 with less than eight minutes remaining.

It injected new life into Minnetonka, but Scites stood tall the rest of the way to keep a lid on the Skippers' scoring chances, including stopping 12 shots in the third period. Scites also held off a power play over the final three minutes of the game that tested the Lakers to the core.

“Drew was phenomenal tonight,” Pankratz said. “He made everything look easy.”

Minnetonka outshot Prior Lake 30-26 on the night, and the Skippers worked their way into the slot and high-scoring chances only to have nothing more stick.

“It’s a funny thing when a season can come down to one game,” Urick said. “I’m proud of the team, but I am sad to see it end like this.”

Prior Lake’s workmanlike effort was on display in the final minute, when the Lakers repeatedly squashed the Skippers' attempts to work in the offensive zone by sweeping the puck off the glass and into neutral ice.

It’s that kind of attention to detail that Prior Lake is preaching now, along with physical play, which wore on Minnetonka early.

“Keep it simple,” Pankratz said. “Team defense. Don’t turn the puck over. Don’t do things to hurt ourselves…It’s all that cliché stuff, but it’s important. Make simple plays to put the puck on net and compete hard to the whistle. And playing physical, that was one of our biggest points of emphasis.”

For the Skippers, the loss is a tough one to handle, though nothing was ever promised in the super-competitive section.

“It’s really disappointing and it’s a bit of a shock,” Urick said. “But look at Section 2 and Section 6. These (semifinals) really are like state tournament-caliber games, and anything happens in a one-game playoff against very good teams. You don’t want to believe it can happen, but when it does…it takes you a while to figure it out.”


Minnetonka's Pierson Pass fights for the puck with Prior Lake's Jack Schulze in the third period. Photo by Drew Herron

First Report

Prior Lake started fast and finished strong to upset top-seeded Minnetonka 3-2 in the Class 2A, Section 2 semifinals on Saturday at Braemar Arena.

The fourth-seeded Lakers, who are ranked No. 17 in Class 2A coaches' poll, used their speed and physicality to get the No. 3-2A Skippers out of their comfort zone.

Prior Lake (20-7) struck first midway through the opening period on Kevin Fellows' goal, leaving Minnetonka to chase the rest of the way.

Jackson Jutting's goal late in the second period proved to be the game-winner, giving the Lakers a 3-1 lead heading into the third. The Skippers' Brendan Ryan scored a power-play goal with less than eight minutes to play, but Minnetonka couldn't find the equalizer.

Curtis Hansen and Jake Cohn both finished with two points for the Lakers while senior goaltender Drew Scites made 28 saves.

Zach VanSant had a goal and an assist and senior captain Brendan Skarda added two assists for the Skippers (18-7-1). 

Prior Lake faces Eden Prairie for the section championship at Mariucci Arena on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m.


A dejected Minnetonka team finds its superb season end with a one-and-done in the section playoffs. Photo by Drew Herron

Spotlight Game Coverage