Stillwater Falls to Lakeville North in Girls Lacrosse

It’s been a challenging year for the Lakeville North High girls this spring, but Friday’s win made it better.

The ninth-ranked Panthers played perhaps their best lacrosse of the season and surprisingly bested fifth-ranked Stillwater in a15-9 non-conference win at home.

After going 15-1 and making the final four last season as a combined Lakeville North/South team, the two programs went their separate ways this spring. Last winter the Lakeville lacrosse program itself was in jeopardy as the school board recommended cutting the sport for budget reasons. The Lakeville lacrosse teams eventually dodged that bullet, but in combination with the split, and graduation losses, Lakeville North was in large measure starting over this season.

Stillwater’s only loss coming into the contest had been a 20-9 defeat at No.1 ranked Blake, but Lakeville North stunned the Ponies with a 10-5 opening half.

Tied at 4-all with 13:51 to play in the first half, the Panthers scored five straight goals to take a 9-4 lead. Freshman forward Kacie Waagbo and sophomore midfielder Hannah Koloski powered in two goals each during the run, while the Lakeville North defense shut down the Ponies.

The second half was more-or-less even, but Stillwater could never close the early deficit to less than three goals.

Stillwater’s Sammi Reiter and Hannah Dickman scored the first two goals of the season half to cut Lakeville North’s lead to 10-7 with 22:49 to play.

But the Panthers reasserted themselves and scored the next four goals to regain command of the game.

Lakeville North improved to 7-3 on the season. Stillwater fell to 9-2 overall.

It was a tough loss for the Ponies.

“Very disappointing,” said Stillwater head coach Rick Reidt. “We didn’t win the ground balls in the middle of the field. We lost the majority of the center draws. And we didn’t shoot well. We shot into the goalie a lot.

“They outplayed us,” Reidt added. “They were faster. They’re a very good team.”

Lakeville North’s swarming defense and senior goalie Nora Vee shut down the high-scoring Stillwater offense for long stretches Friday. The Ponies came into the contest averaging 14.2 goals a game.

Koloski had five goals to lead Lakeville North.

Senior forward Hannah Dickson led Stillwater’s offense with four goals. Reiter had three, Emily Gould and Dana Almquist one each.

Stillwater hosts Woodbury/East Ridge (5-5) Monday in a game starting at 6 p.m.