South Hockey Comes Back to Edge Prior Lake in Overtime

The Lakeville South boy’s hockey team defeated Prior Lake 6-5 in overtime on Thursday night at , capping off a comeback attempt that had even the mildest of fans pumping their fists at the finish.

The Cougars not only came out of the game victorious, but also learned a lesson they can remember going into playoff hockey: being winners takes a consistent mental and physical effort.

“We show up some games and then we don’t other games,” Lakeville South Head Coach Kurt Weber said. “When you get in the playoffs, you don’t see teams you can come back on from three goals down.”

The three goal deficit arrived in the first period after junior forward Matt Crist slapped in two goals, and senior forward Matt Andrews scored one for the Lakers.

A lack of effort and mental focus had the Cougars in a deep hole early. They were outplayed by a Prior Lake squad that finds itself at 3-10 in the South Suburban Conference.

“It was a lack of intensity all the way through,” Weber said. “It wasn’t just one guy or one line, it was everyone.”

Then, early in the second period, the Cougars came alive. Junior forward Michael Chuinard wristed in a rebound in front of the net to give South their first goal of the night and cut the Laker lead to two goals.

After their first goal, the Cougar squad started skating harder, playing smarter, and playing together.

They had numerous break away opportunities in the coming minutes, one of which ended in a pile of players in the Laker goal.

Then, after the puck slowed down, senior defenseman Drew Brevig shot it in the Cougar’s second goal of the night, cutting the Laker lead to only one goal. He was assisted by junior forward Justin Kloos and junior defenseman Scott Swail.

The Cougars then capitalized on a power play with eight minutes left in the second period. Kloos took the puck from a Laker, slithered his way through several defenders, and lifted the puck over the goaltender’s shoulder to tie the game at three.

After the second period the game was tied, 3-3.

At the beginning of the third period, both teams stepped up the physical play. Then, in between strewn bodies on the ice, Crist scored another goal for Prior Lake to take back the lead, 4-3.

But the Cougars responded when Kloos deflected the puck into the net to tie the game again, 4-4.

Then, with just under four minutes left in regulation, Prior Lake junior forward Derek Johnson pushed in a dribbler between the legs of South goaltender Brady Frahm to go ahead by one goal.

But once again the Cougars responded, and with less than two minutes Kloos scored his third goal of the night to tie the game, 5-5, at the end of regulation.

The overtime period started with back and forth play, until Brevig scored for South, finishing off a comeback victory.  

The win put South at 12-7-2 overall on the season and at 10-4-1 in the South Suburban Conference. They are currently in fifth place in the conference.

They host cross-town rival, Lakeville North, next at Hasse Arena on Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.