A sixth-ranked Rosemount team which came in averaging better than 15 points a game looked the part of an elite team Tuesday against the Park Wolfpack.

The host Irish controlled the action from start almost to the finish and knocked the Wolfpack out of the playoffs in a decisive 18-2 win in a Section 3 semifinal girls lacrosse game. Rosemount led 12-0 at the half. The Wolfpack could never get anything going against a fast and aggressive Irish team until the final 10 minutes of play when the offense finally started to click.

Rosemount came in with a deceptive 10-4 record, But the Irish’s four losses were to No. 1 Edina, No.2 Prior Lake (twice) and No. 3 Lakeville South.

“We knew how good they were,” said Park coach Scott Leonard. “Their losses were to top five teams and they’re playing right with the top five teams in the state, and we’re down Shauna (Miller, second leading scorer out with a foot injury), a person who we can count to do a lot for us, ground balls, draw controls, thing like that.

“And we’re just not used to playing – Stillwater didn’t play like that this year, it’s not the same – we haven’t seen teams like that in our conference,” Leonard added. “I’m thinking they’re going to win this section and go on.”

Park seniors Madeline and Laurel Watters put in backto- back goals with 9:31 and 8:20 left in the game to avert a shutout.

“The game was definitely tough for us, with the heat, we haven’t really played in these conditions very much,” said senior Laurel Watters. “But I think that we definitely showed that we can still work together, like right at the end we got those two goals and I think that showed how we can really communicate the ball still.”

Top-seeded Rosemount (11-4) advances to the section finals and a game against second-seeded Henry Sibley/ Gentry Academy (12-1). The winner of that game advances to state.

Park ends the season with a 10-5 overall record and will part with 13 graduating seniors, including three of the team’s top four leading scorers: Shauna Miller (23 goals, 31 points), Madeline Watters (16 goals, 18 points) and Laurel Watters (14 goals, 16 points) and goalie Ashley Penniman.

The loss snapped a fivegame winning streak by the Wolfpack.

“There were a lot of highs,” said Leonard. “We had a group here, I’ve had a handful of them since ninth grade. Their overall record in the last three years was 34-11. So that’s a pretty good run. A couple more came out as sophomores on varsity. It’s just been a great group to work with. I told them I’d take them any day of the week.”

Losing so many seniors will definitely have an impact on next season. But leading scorer and sophomore Shelby Hansen (30 goals 36 points) returns, as do several younger players who got their feet wet on the varsity this season.

“Coming into it I think we were all a little bit nervous because we had a lot of seniors but none of them had really started that much before,” said Madeline Watters. “We kind of created a new offense, did a little bit of stuff on defense better, so we gradually improved every game I think.

“I was really impressed with how we were communicating and working the ball around,” Watters added.ww

Park senior Emma Osland looks for an opening in the Rosemount defense during the second half of a section semifinal game Tuesday. Photo by John Molene