Let it rip: Josh Nelson tallies five goals, Huskies down Mankato 12-0

Just a game removed from a 12-goal performance, the Owatonna boys lacrosse team was hoping to make it two in a row with a win over Mankato High School.
Afer Monday's night affair, Mankato will be sure to double-team attacker Josh Nelson the next time the two teams play.
Scoring a game-high five goals, Nelson and the Huskies (2-2) dominated Mankato for a 12-0 win in Big Nine Conference action for their second win in a row at OHS Stadium.
“It’s just a big relief on the season, putting two away clean,” commented Nelson afterwards. “It sets us up for a good rest of the season, gives us good hopes.”
Head coach Scott Seykora added to his player’s thought noting that after a tough few games to start the season, they are starting to click offensively.
“To beat Rochester Mayo by 10 goals and now Mankato by 12, it’s fun,” he added.
The Huskies offense was in full force from the opening whistle as Mankato goaltender Julian Engelby was tested early and often, but managed to fend off the onslaught of Owatonna shots early. It wasn’t until there was just over six minutes left in the first quarter that Owatonna struck. Attacking the net after receiving a nice feed from Nate Smith, Nelson tallied the first of his five goals. In fact, the junior attacker would score the first two Owatonna goals nearly four minutes apart. Registering his second-straight multi-goal game, the junior noted that it’s all about being smart with his possesions.
“I’ll cut in and see if the net is open. If it is, I’m obviously gonna rip it,” he added. “However, it if’s not, I’ll look for Smith, Wiese, Wencl or anyone else we have out there.”
However, what occurred in the span of those two goals set the tone for the remainder of the contest.
After already having to stop play due to an injury which some fans in attendance took as malicious, Owatonna junior Tyler Wencl was caught in a pile trying to secure the ball. Taking a few shots that appeared to be directed toward him, but away from his stick, the junior threw a pair of jabs in retaliation. While nothing else was created by the brief scuffle, Wencl was slapped with a three-minute non-releasable penalty that ultimately led to his ejection.
That was all the motivation Owatonna needed.
After Nelson’s pair of goals, junior midfielder Mitch Wiese was able to intercept an errant pass from the Mankato goalie to extend the lead to 3-0 just 17 seconds later. With numerous starters out to nurse injuries, Seykora noted that having a versatile player such as Wiese is crucial.
“It’s invaluable,” he added. “The only tough part is that Wiese never comes off the field; He’s a trooper.”
Wiese would add the only goal in the second period.
After Ryan Haberman was able to go coast-to-coast roughly a minute later, Owatonna’s offense appeared to settled a bit for most of the first half. As for Huskies goaltender Ryan Johnson, he was in the zone, stopping all 18 of the shots he faced with most coming in the later stages of the game.
"Some of them in the first couple games, typically he would kind of get,” commented Seykora. “But, he’s definitely finding it now, making 18 saves tonight and some of those weren’t easy.”
In the second half, the flood gates opened for the Huskies’ offense, netting seven goals in the final two quarters of action. Tyler Johnson’s goal made it 6-0  just over a minute into the second half while a pair of goals from Nelson and Noah Brandt just minutes apart seemingly ended any attempt of a comeback. Having a hand in three of Owatonna’s goals, Smith was able to record a goal near the midway point of the fourth quarter, making it 11-0. Nelson tallied his final goal at the 5:55-mark of the fourth quarter.
Owatonna will face Rochester Century Thursday at OHS. Game time is slated for 6:30 p.m.