Lakeville North Wins 2A Hockey Title; 3 Brothers Score Goals

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Three Poehling brothers all scored goals as Lakeville North won the 2A boys state hockey championship and completed an undefeated season with a 4-1 victory over Duluth East.

Goals from Jack and Ryan Poehling were assisted by brother Nick, who finished with three assists and a goal of his own late in the game into an empty net. In winning their first title, the top-seeded Panthers (31-0) became the eighth team in Minnesota high school hockey history to finish with a perfect season. They're the first top-division program to go undefeated since Bloomington-Jefferson in 1993.

"It's bittersweet, because I know next year I won't get to coach this group of kids . This senior class has been on the other side of lopsided situations," Panthers coach Trent Eigner said. "They have a full understanding because they've been slapped around by good teams. To cap it off in this matter, I think, is fitting."

The perfect Panthers were "one of the best high school teams" Duluth East coach Mike Randolph had ever seen in the tournament, led by six players committed to Division-I schools, including the Poehlings, who are all headed to St. Cloud State.

As a program, Lakeville North turned from pretender to championship contender in part because of the Poehling brothers. As sophomores, Jack and Nick Poehling played for an 11-loss team. As juniors, they reached the title game only to fall 8-2 to Edina. And as seniors, both Jack and Nick led the Panthers to the pinnacle and skated off the ice undefeated with their 31st win - a state record for victories in a season.

Their younger brother, Ryan, who scored the game's first goal, was "sick as a dog," according to his coach, but was able to continue playing through an illness that limited him throughout the tournament - this time helping to lift his Panthers to a championship in front of an announced crowd of 19,495 - a state tournament record at the Xcel Energy Center.

"Being sick sucks," Ryan Poehling said. "But on the ice, no one knows that. But this feels great, always been a dream of mine. All these seniors are basically brothers, two literally are."

Senior defenseman Angelo Altavilla, who is committed to Nebraska for D-I baseball, also scored with 13 minutes left, off Nick Poehling's assist.

Lakeville North had 23 shots on goal compared with 13 for the Greyhounds (16-11-4). Duluth East got its only goal of the game with less than 6 minutes left on Ryan Peterson's power play goal.

The Greyhounds' miraculous run ended after overcoming two three-goal deficits in their quarterfinal win over St. Thomas and a surprising 3-1 victory over Edina in Friday's semifinal, robbing Lakeville North of a rematch from 2014's championship tilt.

"The bond we have with each other is super special," Jack Poehling said. "This is the greatest feeling I've had in my life."

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