Park bested Tartan/North St. Paul for the second time this season in a non-conference boys lacrosse contest Monday, May 17, winning easily 13-5.

It was Park’s second win over the Tartan/ North St. Paul team this season, but this one was much easier. Park topped Tartan 14-11 in a wild game Monday, May 3 at North.

But this time Park took control early, leading 10-1 at the half, and played the entire second half mostly with reserves.

Park dominated the opening period, jumping out to a 6-0 lead after the first quarter. Brenden Bloedel scored twice in the opening period and four other Park players got the ball in the net.

Park then outscored the visitors 4-1 in the second period to take complete control of the game.

Neither team did much scoring in the second half. Park put in three goals to Tartan’s four. But by that time the game had pretty much been decided.

“I think they moved the ball well,” said injured Park captain Max Neitz. “They had fun, all the boys. They’re just happy, happy to be here I guess. And we worked hard, got the ground balls.

“I’d rank the first half probably one of our best halves,” Neitz added. “But the rest of the game we just put in some guys in different positions and had some fun.”

Park won its second straight game and improved its overall season record to 6-6.

Tartan/North St. Paul is 2-7.

Leading scorer Jake Westland had three goals and an assist to pace the Wolfpack.

“I think we came out good in the first half and played hard,” said Westland. “Most of the season we haven’t really came out swinging yet. I think this is one of our best games doing that.

“I think we played amazing in the first half,” Westland added. “We moved well and got the ground balls, worked hard and that’s what came out.”

With a comfortable lead at the half, Park was able to rest a weary set of starters in the second.

“The first half we played all of our starters, the second half we put in all of our jayvee guys and some of the third and fourth lines who don’t get the opportunity to play a lot and get them some reps and get our starters some time to relax a little bit. We’ve had a lot of games in a row here,” said Park head coach Greg Rinzel.

“I think they’re starting to figure stuff out,” Rinzel said of his team’s first half play. “We made some adjustments when we had one of our players our long stick middie went down, we made some adjustments, moved some people around, changed our lineup quite a bit from where we were, Jack moved to mid, some of the midfield moved to LSM, and we just kind of rotated that around and this is the culmination of what finally took place last week so I think it jelled well.”

Park’s Noah Muckle added two goals and two assists. Bloedel scored twice. Nolan Rinzel, Isaac Thompson, Carlos LaBrosse, Cody Maul. Angelo Cullen and Carter Bowman had one goal each.

Colton Porter and Braden Karnitz split the duties in goal for the Wolfpack, each playing a half.

Park (4-4, 6-6) wraps up the regular season Wednesday, May 19, with a game at Irondale High School (4-3, 5-3), starting at 7 p.m.

Park rallied from a 4-3 halftime deficit to snap a three-game losing streak Friday with a 7-6 overtime win over White Bear Lake at Wolfpack Stadium.

Junior attacker Jake Westland had five goals to lead Park offensively, Westland scored the game-winner in the first overtime off an assists from Cody Maul.

After adding in the Tartan game, Westland now has 27 goals and 12 assists on the season.

Senior Noah Muckle scored twice for the Wolfpack. Nolan Rinzel had a pair of assists.

Park’s Blake Schuster shoots against North St. Paul Monday in Park’s 13-5 victory.Photo by John Molene

Conner Nelsen of the Wolfpack moves the ball down the field early in the second half in a 13-5 win over visiting Tartan/North St. Paul Monday at Wolfpack Stadium. Photo by John Molene