A stinging loss less than 48 hours before wasn't allowed to fester into Saturday night.
Eden Prairie senior captains Nicky Leivermann and Connor Olson saw to that. Leivermann and Olson combined for four goals to help lead the Eagles, ranked No. 1 in the Minnesota Boys Lacrosse Coaches Association poll, to a fortifying 9-8 victory over second-ranked Lakeville North in a Saturday night showdown at Aerie Stadium in Eden Prairie.
Eden Prairie, coming off a 5-4 overtime loss Thursday to Benilde St. Margaret’s, when four starters were absent from the lineup for various reasons, faced another towering task at the end of the week. Given the setbacks, it would have been natural to expect a seed or two of doubt to be sown regarding the top-ranked team.
Against Lakeville North (2-2, 1-1) however, the Eagles did their collective part to answer that and show why they deserve the top ranking.
“This was huge for us, to bounce back after a tough loss to BSM,” Olson said. “We wanted to go undefeated this season, and they (BSM) took away that. But to respond like this with a good win against a good team is real nice.”
Leivermann finished with a pair of goals and an assist for the Eagles, and co-captain Olson added two goals as Eden Prairie moved its record to 5-1 on the season.
“There are some things we can clean up, but overall, I’m real happy with the way our guys responded,” Eden Prairie coach Ryan Ward said.
Lakeville North struck first when Dylan Valentini scored less than three minutes in, but Eden Prairie answered, stringing together goals from Caden Fey and Leivermann, giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead to end the quarter.
After the Panthers tied the game 7-7 at the close of the third quarter, the Eagles responded with two straight scores over the first part of the final quarter to quell the momentum. Collin Penn scored for the Eagles 20 seconds into the fourth, and Olson added an insurance goal midway through the frame to ensure the Eden Prairie victory.
“Momentum was huge for our offense,” Olson said.
One notable improvement for the Eagles was the nine-goal performance Saturday, after producing just four scores two nights before.
“We ran our sets well, and got a lot of extra and open looks,” Olson said.
It is the right win at the right time for Eden Prairie.
“We’re right in the mix,” Ward said. “We’ve been there before, and done it, and a game like this helps with the belief that we can handle whatever else comes in front of us.”
When the Eagles return to practice on Monday, the calendar will have turned to May, indicating the section tournaments are not far away.
“It was disappointing to lose to Benilde,” Olson said. “But our ultimate goal is to win a state title, and I think this kind of effort puts us right back on track. We’ll get back to work and get ready for another big week.”
Eden Prairie, ranked No. 1 in the Minnesota Boys Lacrosse Coaches Association poll, held off Lakeville North Saturday night as the Eagles etched out a 9-8 victory in a clash between the state’s top two teams in Eden Prairie.
Senior Nicky Leivermann finished with a pair of goals and an assist for the Eagles, and co-captain Connor Olson added two goals as Eden Prairie moved its record to 5-1 on the season.
No. 2 Lakeville North struck first when Dylan Valentini scored less than three minutes in, but Eden Prairie answered, stringing together goals from Caden Fey and Leivermann, giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead to end the quarter.
After the Panthers (2-2, 1-1) tied the game 7-7 at the close of the third quarter, the Eagles responded with two straight scores over the first part of the final quarter to quell the momentum. Collin Penn scored for the Eagles 20 seconds into the fourth, and Olson added an insurance goal midway through the frame to ensure the Eden Prairie victory.
The MN Lacrosse Hub polls are for entertainment purposes only.