Too many kids right now in all over the place, for the most part they don’t understand the severity of habits. And you better be able to play whether its practice or it’s a game you have to show up with a focus that says you’re ready to go and you’re ready to do every little thing right all the time. You can’t go through the motions sometimes because then this happens.”

Park Head Coach Jeff Corkish

After not looking all that great at home Thursday night against an Apple Valley/Burnsville team, Park’s Wolfpack pulled out a clutch win on the road at Roseville Saturday afternoon.

Park’s Owen Corkish slammed in the game winner at 7:58 of the overtime period to power Park to a tense 1-0 victory. The two teams battled through three scoreless periods and most of the overtime before the Wolfpack finally earned the win. Caden Schwartz earned the assists on the game-winner.

With the win, Park improved to 9-4 in the Suburban East Conference and 12-8 on the season. Roseville slipped to 1-11-1 in the SEC and 6-13-1 overall.

Corkish wasn’t even expected to be able to play Saturday, said his father and coach Jeff Corkish.

“Owen was looking to be out for the season with the knee-to-knee hit against Apple Valley, but Dr. Josh Geidel in Hastings did an amazing job with his sports therapy, dry needling, exercise protocol and stretching to get him back able to play,” said the Park head coach. “Once determined he did not tear his ACL, he was given the green light to play if he could handle the pain which was not too bad.”

Park outshot Roseville 36-14 in the game.

“All the boys played very well but Caden Schwartz was unreal on the blue line and was a huge reason we had a chance at the end to win it,” coach Corkish added. “Henry Voss got another start in net and played exceptional, making some very timely saves to keep us tied.”

Apple Valley/Burnsville 4, Park 2

An Apple Valley/Burnsville team which came to Cottage Grove with just three wins on the season, managed to knock off the favored Park Wolfpack Thursday, winning 4-2.

It wasn’t quite the 9-1 disaster of the Stillwater game on Jan. 25, but it wasn’t good, said Park head coach Jeff Corkish.

Park outshot the visitors by a whopping 32-13, but that didn’t cut any ice with coach Corkish.

“You get your opportunities, but the problem is 25 of those shots came in second and third periods after we decided to play hockey,” said Corkish. “You don’t want to come out in the first period and play as hard as you can. You want to see if you can get by by stick checking and being soft and not being tough in the middle of the ice and you give them a couple of chances that go in and that’s what happens.

“We deserved everything we got,” Corkish continued. “And you better figure it out because in about three weeks if you do the same thing you’re going home. You don’t get a second chance. Too many kids right now in all over the place, for the most part they don’t understand the severity of habits. And you better be able to play whether its practice or it’s a game you have to show up with a focus that says you’re ready to go and you’re ready to do every little thing right all the time. You can’t go through the motions sometimes because then this happens. It’s three periods and you have to finish three solid periods. We’re not good enough just to come out and just win a game easily. “

Park got off to a very slow start and allowed Apple Valley to seize the game’s early momentum. The visitors scored the first two goals of the game as the Wolfpack came out sluggish. Apple Valley scored just 2:27 into the game and then went up 2-0 in the middle of the first.

Park tied the game at 2-all in the second period on a pair pf goals by Jackson Rudh, giving him 21 scores on the season. Gavin Moss had assists on both Park goals, while Owen Corkish returned to the Park lineup for another. Brady Nadler also tallied an assist.

Apple Valley took a 3-2 lead in the third at 8:27 and then added insult to injury with an open net goal in the final minute for the 4-2 win.