There will be mistakes and I don’t think it's something we should dwell on, just learn from.”

Josie Leonard

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Park wraps up the regular season Thursday, hosting Lakeville North (4-6) with a 5 p.m. start.

It wasn’t the prettiest win you’re ever going to see. But a win is a win is a win and this one secured an undefeated Suburban East Conference season and league championship.

The fourth-ranked Wolfpack happily posed for a team photo with all smiles following their SEC title-clinching win. But they also realized that there’s still work to be done is this team is going to make a run at state.

“We knew they were going to be tough,” said Park head coach Scott Leonard. “White Bear and us it’s traditionally a really close game, even though they’re down a little bit. They graduated a couple of Division I players last year. But I thought we would come out with more focus that we did tonight.

“I’m hoping that they realize that the resemblance to our last two playoff losses, oh you’re supposed to be the team that wins and you don’t come out and play like you’re the team that’s supposed to win,” Leonard added.

It was sloppy at time, lackluster at others, but the fourth-ranked Park Wolfpack took care of business in the end with a 7-5 win over host White Bear Lake in girls lacrosse Tuesday, May 13 to finish 9-0 in the SEC and 11-0 on the season so far.

It was Park’s third-straight SEC title, although the first one in three tries that wasn’t shared. The Wolfpack have compiled a remarkable 49-8 record over the past four seasons and obviously are eyeing to add to that record the rest of the way.

White Bear Lake got off to a fast start and led Park 3-2 after one period. Park pushed across two goals in the second period to take a 4-3 halftime lead. But the Wolfpack could never quite shake the host Bears.

Madi Brinkman and Josie Leonard each scored two goals in the first half.

Park outscored White Bear Lake 3-1 in the third period for a 7-4 lead, but that was the end of the scoring for the Wolfpack. Third-period goals by Maleah McMorrow, Sidni Gitzen and Leonard gave Park some breathing room going into the final period.

Leonard’s three goals led Park. Brinkman scored twice while McMorrow and Gitzen had one goal each. Brinkman and Alaina Wright had one assist apiece.

“I think a lot of it was we’ve been working on our mistakes and stuff and they’re obviously going to catch up and that, we’re not going to have a perfect season the whole time, I mean we did,” said Leonard. “There will be mistakes and I don’t think it's something we should dwell on, just learn from.

“I think we did get off to a slow start but I do think we did well at not dwelling on that and doing better, and just keep going and pushing through,” Leonard continued. “I think if some team see that they’re down they’ll just stop and it will get to them. But I think a lot of it was coming back and working together.”

Lauryn “Crash” Ehrenstrom went the whole way in goal for the Wolfpack. She had six saves and gave up five goals.

“We weren’t really doing the little things very well,” Ehrenstrom said. “We didn’t really connect on the little things. We picked it up more as the game went on but definitely they got a quick one on us in the beginning.”

Said Ehrenstrom, who picked up her 100th save in the game.

The Bears scored the only goal late in the fourth period to make it a 7-5 final. Park’s post-game celebration as subdued. The Wolfpack know they will need to play better as the section matchups are about to unfold.

Park wraps up the regular season Thursday, hosting Lakeville North (4-6) with a 5 p.m. start.

SEC Final Standings

W/L Overall

Park 9-0 11-0

Stillwater 8-1 10-2

Cretin-Derham Hall 7-2 9-3

Roseville 6-3 9-3

East Ridge 5-4 7-5

Woodbury 4-5 5-7

White Bear Lake 3-6 4-7

Forest Lake 1-7 2-9

Mounds View 1-7 1-10

Irondale 0-9 2-10