Mr. Hockey finalist Alex Bump notched a first-period hat trick, finished with five total goals and added an assist for good measure as unseeded Prior Lake cruised by No. 2 Cretin-Derham Hall 6-0 on Thursday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul
The talk surrounding the Raiders all season has been their high-powered offense, but it didn’t take long for Bump, who entered the game with 41 goals, to prove he was the main attraction on the big stage.
Bump scored twice in the first 3:57 to help the Lakers jump out to an early 2-0 lead. His first goal was a turnaround laser that went just inside the far post, then he followed it up on the next shift with a deft finish just under the crossbar from the edge of the crease.
He finished the hat trick 10 minutes later to give Prior Lake all the cushion it needed, and added a pair of third-period goals to put the contest into running time.
Sam Rice also scored for Prior Lake and collected assists on two of Bump’s goals.
The Lakers, not known for their defensive prowess, shutdown the potent Cretin-Derham Hall offense and senior netminder Trevor Boschee made some key saves when he was called on. Boschee finished with 22 stops in the game.
Key moment? How about when Alex Bump got off the bus this morning.
If that wasn't enough to tilt the advantage in Prior Lake's favor, his back-to-back goals early in the first period all but ended Cretin-Derham Hall's day and set the tone for what would end up being an all-time state tournament performance by Bump.
The Lakers (19-10-0) advance to the Class 2A semifinals, where they’ll meet the winner of No. 3 Maple Grove and unseeded Edina Friday night at Xcel Energy Center.