Class A girls lacrosse tournament: Prior Lake advances to State Championship

The Prior Lake Lakers girls lacrosse team defeated the Benilde-St. Margaret’s Red Knights 18-10 on Thursday evening at Stillwater High School in the Class A semifinals.

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The game started out all Prior Lake. Sophomore Nina Winter found a cutting junior Jayne Bernick to make it 1-0 Lakers with 23:19 left in the first half. Winter then hit an open senior Mackenzie Salentre for a goal to make it 2-0 Prior Lake. Salentre then assisted senior Payton Bloedow to make it 3-0. Those two worked so well together, they did it again to make it 4-0 Lakers.

Salentre was in a giving mood and assisted Bernick to make it 5-0 Prior Lake with 19:27 remaining in the first half. Junior Lindsey Grove then found Salentre, who shot a backhanded shot that went in for the goal. 6-0 Lakers with 13:43 left in the 1st half. Winter then found Salentre for another goal to make it 7-0 Lakers. Finally, senior Jade Haugen score unassisted. 8-0 Prior Lake with 10:38 left in the first half.

Salentre and Grove both scored two goals for the Lakers in the second half.

Salentre led all competitors with five goals and two assists. Senior Payton Bloedow and junior Jayne Bernick were also key in the Prior Lake victory, netting three goals each. Bloedow added two assists as well.

Junior midfielders Mary Zavoral and Tilly Wolfe scored five and three goals, respectively, for Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Senior midfielder Piper Ehlen struck for the remaining two goals.

Both goalies made 10 saves in the game; eighth-grader Olivia Doyen for Prior Lake and sophomore Brooke Nelson for Benilde.

Prior Lake and Lakeville South will meet in the State Championship game on Friday at 3 pm at Stillwater High School.