Power Play Goals Push Spring Lake Park Past the Radiers 8-5

Box Score

May. 13, 2016

Video starting in the 2nd quarter and neutral commentary available at PrepSpotlight.tv, Box score available on MN Lax Hub

The Raiders started out well on a chilly May night, 40 degrees F at game time, and scored early on a goal from Captain Drew Liberkowski. The Panthers got 1 back, but Liberkowski added a second Raider goal on an assist from Mitchell Olesen.

In the 2nd quarter however, maintaining ball possession and getting control on ground balls became a problem again for the Raiders, who seemed somewhat out of synch, and the Panthers took advantage of the extra possessions, scored 2 goals and the halftime score was 3-2 in favor of the Panthers.

The Roseville Pep Band played during the breaks in the game and at halftime and added some great energy for the bundled up and shivering Youth Lacrosse Night crowd, and even the Spring Lake Park fans appreciated it. They sounded great!

Lukas Peine got an early goal in the 3rd, and late in the period Olesen added another, with assists from Liberkowski and Captain Sam Radovich, to give the Raiders the lead back briefly, but Spring Lake Park tied it up just a minute later, and at the end of 3 periods it was 4-4.

A very costly non-releasable illegal equipment penalty (stick) put the Paththers on the power play for 3 full minutes to start out the 4th quarter.  They capitalized 3 times and won the faceoff after each, and added a 4th goal just as the power play ended before our defense could get back in position. Now down 4-8, the Raiders still struggled with ball possession and putting shots on net. Radovich got one goal on a clean look with with less than 3 minutes left in the game, but there was no more scoring, and the final was 5-8.

The Raiders trailed in shots on goal 11-15 and faceoff wins 3 to 9, unofficially. In the nets, the Raiders Jacob Bakken had 7 saves, but his save percentage was hurt by the Panthers power play opportunites and a couple mis-cues by the defense that left Spring Lake Park players in front of our net all alone. The Panthers goal tender Nick Hutson got 6 saves unofficially, and had an easier night, as many Raider shot attempts went wide.