According to the press box announcer, it was and overcast 54 degrees with a 10 mph wind out of the north at the start of the May 19 lacrosse game between Chaska and the Waconia Wildcats, which, based on Chaska’s sideline pregame interactions, seemed to be perfect weather for a game.
Chaska entered the game at 3-8 on the year (0-4 in Metro West play), while Waconia was 2-9 (0-4 in the Metro West).
First quarter play flowed in favor of the Hawks as they kept the ball in the Waconia end of the field for prolonged periods through connected passes and effective rushes to the net.
Waconia’s defense was strong and kept Chaska off the board until the 7:20 mark of the first quarter, when junior Nathan Brandt had an impressive end-to-end rush from his own defensive zone to the Waconia net for a score. He ran past nearly everyone and more or less willed the ball into the net to get Chaska going to record his first varsity goal.
At 8:44 of the first, Waconia evened the score at 1-1. With just 14 seconds left in the quarter, sophomore Leighton Hines scored an unassisted goal to put Chaska up 2-1 at the end of the first.
Play in the second quarter flowed back and forth, with long stretches spent at midfield for both teams. Chaska used shorter, direct passes to move the ball, while Waconia tried to use longer passes to catch Chaska out of position, which was not very effective.
At 4:31 of the second quarter, Waconia got its passing to click and tied the game 2-2. After a timeout to make some adjustments, Chaska pulled ahead 3-2 on another Leighton Hines goal off an assist from junior Ian Schaffer at 6:24.
Comments from the coaches at halftime focused on tactical moves the team could make in the second half. The key message was that things were heading in the right direction and the team needed to be patient, be ready for a push from Waconia, and have fun.
The 2026 version of the lacrosse team has its fair share of veterans. It also has an impressive set of underclassmen and even some junior high players.
At 2:36 of the third quarter, seventh grader Jack Dittberner took a pass from senior Mason Mulheran, who passed from behind the Waconia net and scored his first varsity goal after being left completely uncovered by the defense, putting Chaska up 4-2.
Waconia scored at 4:28, bringing the score to 4-3. Chaska would score two more times in the third quarter to take a 6-3 lead. Schaffer scored at 8:20 off an assist by freshman William Sumstad. Mulheran then scored off a pass from freshman Parker Johnson with 27 seconds left in the quarter.
Fourth-quarter play saw another extended stretch at midfield, with both teams trading possession. Play from midfielders such as Sumstad, Connor Cunningham and Brandt provided significant defensive stops and proactive movement of the ball upfield for scoring opportunities.
Schaffer got his second goal of the night off a Dittberner assist at the 3:50 mark to make the score 7-3. Waconia scored shortly afterward to make it 7-4. Waconia increased its intensity in the waning minutes of the game and scored with 1:36 left to tighten the score to 7-5.
With 1:01 remaining, Cunningham scored his second goal of the night to extend the Chaska lead to 8-5. Waconia scored one final goal with eight seconds left in the game.
Rhys Witherridge was in goal for the Hawks and played the entire game. The final score was Chaska 8, Waconia 6.
Addressing the team after the game, Head Coach Chris Orcutt said, “I’m proud of your play tonight. We did a lot of things right, yet we’ve got to think about how each of us can tighten things up going forward. Congratulations to Nathan and Jack on their first goals tonight. Great job, Rhys, in goal. Hope you had some fun tonight. It’s a good win over a scrappy team. Get some rest, come ready to work tomorrow, and we face a tough team Thursday.”
The Hawks closed out their regular season on May 21 with a game against the Chanhassen Storm. After the final regular-season game, section seedings will take place, with first-round games beginning shortly.
