Huskies beat Panthers to reclaim Big Nine title

Another Big Nine Conference trophy made its way back to Owatonna High School last Tuesday when the Huskies girls lacrosse team took down the Century Panthers 12-6 in a game for sole possession of first place in the last conference matchup of the season.

Owatonna was able to avenge a 9-7 loss to Century earlier in the season by turning the tables with a complete performance on both sides of the field from start to finish.

“We had a tough defeat to Century last year and we all really wanted to win that Big Nine Conference title. We knew we had to lock in at every practice and every game this year to make it happen. It feels great to go out tonight and take it,” said Owatonna senior goaltender Nora Marshall.

The Huskies came out swinging with a five-goal first quarter that gave them an early 5-2 advantage through the first 12 minutes.

Owatonna’s offense ran primarily through senior attacker Ella Marshall, who alongside teammate Sawyer Born consistently found midfield snipers Amelia Moran and Gabby Padgett in dangerous scoring positions with passes from behind the net.

“Sometimes we’re running plays, but for the most part, we’re just acting on what works in the moment… Everything was just kind of clicking today,” said Moran.

The second quarter saw Century add two more goals, but the Huskies’ offense continued to pepper the Panthers’ goaltender as well, scoring four more times to lead 9-4 at halftime.

Second-half action resumed with Century taking control of the pace of play for the opening five minutes, but Owatonna’s defense shined when it mattered most.

The Panthers were able to extend possessions but came up emptyhanded on multiple scoring opportunities thanks to the sharp play from Nora Marshall in net.

The third quarter was the only frame where the Panthers outscored the Huskies, with Century taking a 2-1 edge to trail 10-6 heading into the fourth.

Defense was on full display in the final quarter, but it was Owatonna that managed to completely shut down Century.

The Huskies scored twice while keeping the Panthers off the board to win 12-6.

Owatonna effectively iced the game by holding possession in the offensive zone while the Panthers failed to apply pressure to create a loose ball turnover.

Goaltender Nora Marshall finished her final Big Nine Conference game with stellar numbers in the win by stopping 15 of 21 shots for a 71.4% save percentage.

“As a whole, we all worked together. We were communicating and I think all of us playing as one was the reason why we had such a strong defensive performance today,” said Marshall.

Scoring and assisting on Owatonna’s goals were Moran (seven goals, one assist), Ella Marshall (two goals, two assists), Born (one goal, two assists), Brynn Routh (one goal, one assist), Padgett (one goal), Alexis Noble (one assist) and Kaia Swenson (one assist).

The Huskies wrapped their regular season two days later with a 16-6 loss to Farmington.

Player Stats

vs. Century

                        G    A    P

Moran               7    1    8

E. Marshall        2    2    4

Born                 1    2    3

Routh               1    1    2

Padgett            1    0    1

Noble               0    1    1

Swenson           0    1    1

                                SA  SV  GA

N. Marshall        21   15   6