Sometimes all it takes is one shift, or one shot, to make a game appear prettier than it was in reality.

Prior Lake coach Joe Pankratz admitted as much after his Lakers edged Lakeville North 3-2 in overtime to clinch the South Suburban Conference championship.

“We didn’t play well today at all,” Pankratz said, adding that even extra session hero Jackson Jutting had an off game. “His line wasn’t very good today, and they knew that,” Pankratz said. “You can go out and have one good shift and the game looks a lot different.”

Lakeville North, ranked No. 6 in the latest Class AA state coaches’ poll, dominated the stat sheet through three periods, pouring 37 shots on the Prior Lake goal and holding the No. 16-AA Lakers to just 13 shots of their own.

Senior Carter Collins scored in the first period for the Lakers, and senior Jack Harris tied the game 2-2 with 41 seconds remaining in regulation.

Seniors Reed Smith and Henry Enebak were the goal-scorers for Lakeville North (18-5-2).

Taking the brunt of the shot barrage was Prior Lake senior Danny Long, whose 35 saves were made even more impressive when you factor in that his first year of Bantam hockey, Long skated for the “C” team.

“It means a lot to me,” Long said of his journey through various levels between the pipes. “I said after my first year with Bantam ‘C,’ I told myself I didn’t want to play at that level anymore,” Long said. “So then I put it all in my own will and I made the next level.”

Long has posted a record of 11-4-0 this season in over 800 minutes in the crease, and the Lakers (16-9-0) have won 10 of their last 13 games going into the postseason.

“Unbelievable kid,” Pankratz said of Long. “Most respectful kid you could imagine,” Pankratz continued. “Everything that he gets is deserved.”