Notes and quotes from Day 2 of the Class AA state tournament

No. 2 Edina vs. No. 3 Duluth East

Greyhounds top Hornets in state semis for for third time since 2011

Fluke goal, stellar goaltending the difference as Greyhounds head back to title game

Luck of the Hounds

For a game that more than lived up to the hype, the game-winning goal did not quite measure up.

Duluth East junior defenseman Frederick Paine’s wrist shot from outside the blue line near the Edina bench deflected off Edina goaltender Garrett Mackay’s blocker and straight up in the air. Mackay lost track of the fluttering puck and it dropped harmfully behind him across the goal line for a 3-1 East lead 9:08 into the third.

“My coach (Dylan) Mills always tells me to put shots on net, so it’s like why not put a shot on net from the red line and it worked,” Paine said.

“That puck is round but it doesn’t always bounce round,” Edina coach Curt Giles said. “It was one of those flutter balls. You talk to any goaltender, they’d much rather have a direct shot shot at them than have a knuckleball come at them.”

Duluth East goaltender Parker Kleive congratulates teammate Frederick Paine on his third-period goal which turned out to be the game winner in the Greyhounds’ 4-2 CLass AA state semifinal win over Edina. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Kleive vs. Walker: Advantage Kleive

Duluth East goaltender Parker Kleive came up big early, late and everywhere in between, finishing with 24 saves. Edina’s Samie Walker, a Minnesota Mr. Hockey favorite and Gopher recruit, factored in several of them, but a few stand out. 

The Hornets nearly got on the board just 2:36 into the game when Walker fed Jett Jungels for a breakaway opportunity, but Kleive was equal to the task and made a huge early save.

Kleive’s biggest save, however, came just over two minutes into the third period when Mason Nevers found Walker all alone just to Kleive’s right. Walker tried to wrap the puck around the sprawling goaltender but Kleive made a diving save to keep it a 2-1 game.

“He definitely played a good game,” Walker said of Kleive. “We had a ton of chances that we could have capitalized on that we missed and just a couple of bounces that didn’t go our way.”

With just over two minutes to go, after Nevers closed the gap to 3-2 for the Hornets, Kleive denied Walker once again from point-blank range and Nevers’ rebound attempt was shoved underneath the backside of defenseman Carson Cochran.

“It was just like a flash, like the time went by so fast. Just a bunch of people on top of me and I couldn’t even see the puck. I saw it hit my toe and it like bounced over a little bit … it’s always nice when the D try to help out and stop the pucks.”

Rapid Fire

The opening period was marked by a flurry of goals just past the midway point as the teams combined for three goals in a 2:08 span which ended with the Greyhounds holding a 2-1 lead.

Edina took the game’s first lead when Evan Shoemaker made a nifty move through the left circle and tucked the puck past Kleive just inside the far post at the 9:24 mark.

Nevers nearly made it 2-0 Edina when his shot from in close clanged off the left post. The missed opportunity hurt more when the Greyhounds tied it up 17 seconds later on Garrett Worth’s fourth of the tournament.

The Greyhounds weren’t done, taking their first lead just 55 seconds later on a goal by Ian Mageau. The senior forward carried the puck up the left wing boards and made a strong move cutting to the net around an Edina defenseman before shoveling the puck past Mackay.

More than Worth it

Worth added an empty-net goal, giving him five for the tournament and a Class AA leading 47 on the season. Remarkably, the senior has yet to receive a Division I college offer, much to the bewilderment of his coach Mike Randolph.

“I’m really frustrated because there’s not a lot of goal scorers around and I don’t get it,” Randolph said. “This guy knows where to go. Put him with the right people and he’s going to score goals. He’ll score at every level.”

Putting on the hits

Mike Randolph-coached teams are known for their physicality and this Greyhounds squad lived up to the reputation of their predecessors. Duluth East hit Edina early and often and did not allow the speedy Hornets to fly through the neutral zone as they are accustomed to doing.

The hit that drew the most fan reaction came less than four minutes into the second period when Duluth East’s Ricky Lyle read Walker’s drop pass to Jungels in the left offensive circle and the junior forward leveled Jungels with vicious open-ice check.

Hounds and Hornets History

Friday’s meeting between the two storied programs was the first since March 6, 2015 when Nick and Ash, the Altmann brothers, banded together for a pair of goals to lead the unseeded Greyhounds to a 3-1 win over then No. 2 seed, and two-time defending champion Hornets.

The teams have met five times in the state tournament since 2011, with four of those coming in championship play. Edina’s lone win in that span was a 3-2 state semifinal win in 2013 en route to capturing the first of the Hornets’ two straight titles.

No. 1 Minnetonka vs. No. 5 Centennial

One night after battling back from a two-goal deficit to eliminate St. Thomas Academy in the quarterfinals, Centennial jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Hayden Brickner and Jack Menne just 4:19 after the game’s opening faceoff. Like the Cadets, however, the Cougars watched the lead, and ultimately a Class AA title game berth, slip out of their grasp.

Bobby Brink and Josh Luedtke each scored twice for the Skippers in a 6-2 win, a hard-earned win considering the 54 shots Minnetonka fired on Centennial goaltender Travis Allen.

“We know it’s a 51-minute game,” Minnetonka coach Sean Goldsworthy said. “That’s kind of how we treated it. First four minutes didn’t go the way we wanted it but we had a lot of hockey left.”

Centennial goaltender Travis Allen makes one of his 48 saves against Minnetonka in the Skippers 6-3 Class AA state semifinal win over the Cougars. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watlkins)

The Travis Allen Show

Like Philadelphia goaltender Ron Hextall winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing cause against the Edmonton Oilers in the 1987 Stanley Cup final, Allen was the MVP of this game with his 48, often spectacular, saves. Allen even had the hat to show for it, donning winter headwear straight out of the movie Fargo, a donation from the Lino Lakes police department with the city’s crest affixed to it. The Cougars bestow it on the player deemed to be Player of the Game.

Allen, who as made 81 saves through two games of the tournament, said he thrives on all the action.

“I was having a blast out there, it’s not often you get shelled like that and can keep the game tied,” Allen said. “It’s my dream game, I just love getting shelled.”

“It’s not my dream game,” Menne interjected.

Scary moment

Centennial star Lucas McGregor struggled to leave the ice under his own power late in the second period after a collision at center ice with a Minnetonka player. McGregor got back on his feet and hobbled to the bench, immediately taking a seat in the back where he was examined by a trainer. 

McGregor returned to the ice following the second intermission and scored his first goal and second point of the tournament with 3:51 to play.

Tonka on the Brink

Minnetonka is in a position to win its first-ever boys’ Class AA hockey title thanks in no small part to star forward Bobby Brink. Only a sophomore, Brink led the Skippers in assists with 49 and, with four goals so far in the state tournament, has reached the 20-goal plateau. 

Brink scored twice against Centennial, getting the Skippers on the board in the first period and notching the go-ahead shorthanded goal just 59 seconds into the third period. Brink’s follow through on his third-period shot hit the post, knocking his stick out of his hands. The lack of lumber had no effect on his goal celebration, though.

Despite a mounting shots advantage with little to show for it, Minnetonka simply kept coming with the knowledge it was just a matter of time. David Andes scored what turned out to be the game winner 5:48 into the third and Luedtke put the game away four minutes later with his second of the game and the fifth point of the tournament for the Skippers defenseman.

“I think what you’re seeing is that we don’t have any panic,” Goldsworthy said. “We believe we played the toughest schedule in the state this year and, when you do that, it galvanizes you and it prepares you to be in situations like that.”

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Notes and quotes from Day 1 of the Class AA state tournament

By Declan Goff and Brian Halverson [table id=8 /]

No. 1 Edina vs. Lakeville North

Edina’s top line impresses in quarterfinal win.

It was hard to tell if the Class AA quarterfinal matchup between the Lakeville North Panthers and Edina Hornets was a hockey game or a track meet.

It was as if Edina had rockets glued to their skates in their 7-1 win over Lakeville North.

Speed Kills

Edina’s top line of Sammy Walker, Jett Jurgens and Mason Nevers have been terrorizing opponents with speed and goals all season. Every time the trio headed towards the net, Lakeville north just couldn’t keep up with them.

“You just can’t teach speed,” Nevers said who finished with two goals in the win. “When you can outskate teams for three periods it’s really special.”

Panthers coach Trent Eigner was well aware just how dangerous Edina can be with open space.

“You give a really good offensive team and you make them comfortable and loose, (I mean) good luck.”

Edina senior forward Sammie Walker’s goal and four assists led the Hornets to a 7-1 Class AA state quartefinal win over Lakeville North. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

The Sammy Walker Show

Edina senior Sammy Walker put on a clinic. With incredible quickness and a compass for the net, Walker was orchestrating offense all game long. He finished with five points points: one goal and four assists. With his team on the penalty kill, Walker skated coast-to-coast, deked out an opposing player at neutral ice and skated in untouched to beat Panthers’ goaltender Will Johnson to put Edina up 3-0 in the first period.

“The D stepped up on me, so I didn’t have a lot of options,” a humbled Walker said. “I just kind of threw it out to the middle and beat him to the puck and then the rest is history.”

Walker was drafted by the Tampa Lightning in 2017 NHL Draft and will also be playing college hockey for the University of Minnesota this fall.

Jett all the way

Walker’s linemate Jett Jungles is also having a phenomenal season. He came into the tournament with 23 goals and the junior ended up netting two more to go along with two assists in the team’s win. His first came on the power play and his second tally was on a 2-on-0 with Walker feeding Jungles a puck which he rifled to the back of the net.

“Yeah I was really picking if I should pass it back or not,” Jungles said. “Because I was like, I should give Sammy a goal – but I just got it and we both finished it off. It was a good play by Sammy.”

Like Walker, Jungles will also be playing college hockey, but at Northern Michigan. However he isn’t expected to join Grant Potulny’s Wildcats until the 2019-20 season.

— By Declan Goff

No. 3 Duluth East vs. St. Michael-Albertville

Mr. Hockey finalist Garret Worth’s hat trick leads Duluth East to a win over St. Michael Albertville.

The Duluth East Greyhounds marched to a 5-0 win over the St. Michael Albertville Knights in the quarterfinal round.

A potent offense and stellar goaltending set up the Greyhounds for a date with the Edina hornets in the semifinal round.

A hat trick for Duluth East’s Garrett Worth drove the Greyhounds past St. Michael-Albertville 5-0 in the Class AA state quarterfinals. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Worth It

Worth has been scoring goals all season long. Entering the tournament, Worth, a finalist for Mr. Hockey, had 42 goals in 28 games this season. So go figure he that the senior continued his scoring trend with a hat trick. His first goal was a snipe from the slot, his second goal came when he buried a loose puck in front of the crease and his third was a tipped slap shot. It was a little bit of everything.

“To see that first one go in right away, I think that’s what jump started us,” Worth said. “We came out a little flat to start the game and we weren’t getting much chances and much quality looks. We stuck with it and Kleive came up big in the net and the puck started filling in for us.”

Unsung Hero

Obviously Worth and the Greyhounds offense was essential to the team’s win, but you have to give credit to Duluth East netminder Parker Kleive who pitched a shutout making 28 saves. Greyhounds coach Mike Randolph had high praises for his goaltender to make up for the team’s slow start.

“He earned that shutout,” Randolph said. “We were sloppy in a lot of areas of our game. I thought we came out a little anxious. And I thought as the game went on and we got stronger and stronger.”

Everyone loves Cake

It’s not exactly a secret that some fans pick on other schools who have a slew of students that come from high-income families. Which is exactly what was on Worth’s mind when asked why he’s excited to take on Edina in the semifinal round.

“It’s going to be an exciting game. I mean It’s Edina vs. East in the Xcel there’s nothing better than that,” Worth stated, with a big grin on his face. When asked to expand on that he replied, “It’s East and Edina, you kidding? It’s the cake from the north and cake from the south.”

— By Declan Goff

No. 1 Minnetonka vs. Hill-Murray

The Skippers scored early and then often, particularly in the first period, and cruised to a 6-2 win over the Pioneers.

Sophomore Bobby Brink scored twice as seven different Minnetonka players found their way to the score sheet. The two teams combined for three shots on goal in the first 5:53 of the game with all three finding the back of the net.

The Skippers celebrate the first of two Bobby Brink goals in the second period of Minnetonka’s 6-2 Class AA state quarterfinal win over Hill-Murray. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Rapid Response

Joe Molenaar gave the Skippers a quick 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game, but the Pioneers wasted little time netting the equalizer. Just 1:26 later, Hill-Murray senior Michael Fleischhacker beat Minnetonka goaltender Charlie Glockner to draw the Pioneers even again.

Not to be outdone, the Skippers showed they could play the quick answer game and beat the Pioneers at it in the process.

Sophomore defenseman James Miller’s goal 1:34 later to put the Skippers back out in front for good.

“One of our statements is, you’ve got to work harder after a goal, and that was disappointing,” Lechner said. “Hats off to Minnetonka, they worked harder after we scored.”

In the second, Hill-Murray’s Joseph Quast cut the Skippers’ lead to two with a sharp angle shot from the goal line to Glockner’s left at the 6:04 mark. But it took Brink just 25 seconds to score his first goal of the game for a 5-2 Minnetonka lead.

“We’ve been doing that all year,” Goldsworthy said. “I think we have resilient kids and we’ve been preaching next shift all year, whether we score or we get scored on.”

Department of Offense?

Miller’s goal was the first of his varsity career and he celebrated accordingly. Teammate, and fellow defenseman, Grant Docter, was among the happiest Skippers to be there the see it.

“We shoot a lot together and I’ve always wanted to see him get that first one so that was awesome,” Docter said. “He had a good celly too so it was good to see him get that first one and pull that big celly out of nowhere.”

Docter and defense partner Josh Luedtke finished with three assists each, sharing assists on three of Minnetonka’s goals to give the Skippers’ blue line a seven-point night. The duo finished plus-4 on the night and were not on the ice for either Hill-Murray goal.

Extra Special Teams

Brink’s shorthanded goal with 59 seconds to play was the 14th such goal for the Skippers this season against just 12 power play goals allowed. Minnetonka notched its 27th power-play goal of the season on Luke Loheit’s tally midway through the opening period.

The Skippers kept the Pioneers scoreless on three power-play opportunities, including a five-minute major boarding penalty to Loheit early in the third.

“We’ve got some kids, if you give them some space in an odd-man situation, you can score some goals,” Goldsworthy said.

No. 4 St. Thomas Academy vs. No. 5 Centennial

Cougars overcome 2-0 deficit and stage third period rally to upset Cadets 3-2

True Believers

Goals by Cade Huntley and Ben Stucker gave St. Thomas Academy a two-goal lead after one period and the Cadets appeared to be in control after goaltender, and Frank Brimsek Award finalist, Atticus Kelly withstood an early surge by Centennial. But appearances are deceiving according to Centennial coach Ritch Menne.

“Even if it had gotten to 3-0 I don’t think our guys were panicked,” Menne said. “We’ve got some firepower, we’ve got some great goaltending, we’ve got great defensemen and it’s an extremely tight group of players that truly love one another.”

Cougar Comeback

After Carter Wagner got the Cougars on the board in the second, Jack Menne’s shorthanded goal midway through the third tied the game at 2-2. Then with just 3:32 left in regulation, Hayden Brickner pounced on a rebound and fired a shot past Kelly for Centennial’s first lead.

“I think it got down to almost what goalie was going to make the last big save,” St. Thomas Academy co-coach Greg Vannelli said. “When they made that save on the first shift of the third period, on a 2-on-1, that was huge and then for us to give up a shorthanded goal … those two things, I think, decided that third period.”

Centennial goalie Travis Allen makes one of his 33 saves in the Cougars 3-2 Class AA quarterfinal win over St. Thomas Academy. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

The Big Save

The save Vannelli referred to was Centennial goalie Travis Allen’s tremendous stop on STA’s Ray Christy just 30 seconds into the third period.

“Just saw white [jerseys] and did a quick prayer,” Allen said when asked what he remembers of the play.

Allen, who split time with Bryce Crowley in the Cougar crease this season, stopped the final 24 shots he faced and 33 overall to give his team a chance. “We’re not sitting here this season if he hasn’t been as great as he’s been,” Jack Menne said of Allen.

Signature Win

Centennial came to St. Paul with an 0-3-1 record against tournament participants, losing to Duluth East and twice to Edina while tying Hill-Murray. That changed on Thursday and the Cougars have a chance to add to that win total against Minnetonka on Friday night.

“Our guys are battle-tested, they’re resilient, they’re positive, they support one another,” Ritch Menne said. “It’s a terrific group that’s had success all the way up and maybe they’ll get a little recognition after tonight.”

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Edina avenges loss to Centennial to repeat as state champions

St. Paul — After her team’s semifinal win over Eden Prairie on Friday night, Edina coach Sami Reber did not hide her excitement about getting another shot at Centennial, one of only two teams to beat the defending state champion Hornets this season. 

“I think if we could have picked the opponent we wanted to play in the state championship game, it would be them,” she said. 

 Top-seeded Edina (28-2-1) made the most of that chance in Saturday’s girls’ Class AA title game with a 2-1 win over No. 2 seed Centennial (25-4-1) to capture its second straight state championship. Edina closes the season with 14 consecutive wins.

Aliyah Lance’s goal just 2;39 into the third period snapped a 1-1 tie and proved to be the game winner as Edina goaltender Megan Smith made seven of her 13 saves in the final period to preserve the lead. 

Edina’s Lolita Fidler found Lance coming through the slot with speed and Lance did the rest with a slick move on a defenseman before roofing a shot over Centennial goaltender Mackenna Stoterau who finished with 25 saves.

“Our team is so talented with so many girls that all bring something to the table,” Lance said. “So to be able to be a part of that and just work as a team, just get the bunces going our way, it’s just great.”

Lance’s goal came roughly two minutes after Centennial’s Anneke Linser rang a shot from in close off the right post in the period’s opening moments. 

Emily Oden broke a scoreless tie 8:38 into the second period when her slapper from the top of the left circle beat Stoterau with the aid of a Lolita Fidler screen. Six minutes later, Centennial’s Gabbie Hughes who, along with teammate Linser and Edina’s Oden are Minnesota Ms. Hockey finalists, scored a power-play goal to tie it up heading into the final period.

Despite a 15-7 shot edge with only a goal and a tie game to show for it, Reber said the Hornets were almost giddy during the second intermission.

“We’ve been in situations like that before,” Reber said. “We had 17 minutes left of our season and, with seven seniors on the team and a big junior class as well, I know a lot of those girls were not going to have any regrets coming off the ice.”

there were no regrets for an Edina team which had a target on its back from opening night on.

“Coming back the second year, everyone’s out to get us” Oden said. “To defend it is super hard and to win it again is definitely special.”

The teams played to a scoreless first period in which the Hornets outshot the Cougars 7-2 with neither shot coming from Centennial’s top line of Hughes, Linser and Emily Nadeau. The trio entered the game with a combined 82 goals and 184 points on the season but, of the 24 shots they attempted against Edina, 16 either missed the net or were blocked.

“They really gave us a dogfight,” Linser said. “It was hard to get to the net and they were on us. We did what we could and we tried our best.”

The Hornets said the game plan against Linser and Hughes in particular was to be as physical as possible at the risk of taking penalties. 

“We spent a lot of time on how we were going to defend them but kind of just playing our own game, that’s all we can really do,” Edina defenseman Eva Hendrickson said. “We gave them the credit they deserved but, in the end, our players, I think, took it to them.”

“Physicality is something we definitely hype as a team and when you’ve got two players who you know are going to play a lot of minutes in a game, you want to wear them down as much as possible,” Reber added.

The Cougars complete the best season in school history with their first state championship game appearance and their heads held high.

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No. 2 Centennial vs. Eagan

Minnesota Ms. Hockey finalists, and Minnesota Duluth recruits Gabbie Hughes and Anneke Linser combined for nine points to lead second seeded Centennial to a 6-1 win over Eagan in their Class AA semifinal matchup on Friday night.

“They’ve been playing really good hockey all year long and stepping up in big games,” Centennial coach Kristina King said. “I didn’t doubt their abilities but I didn’t know they’d put so many goals up on the board tonight. It was fun to see.”

Hughes registered a natural hat trick by the 12:29 mark of the first period, with Linser assisting on all three goals, and added a fourth tally in the third. Hughes assisted on Allison Pitlick’s third-period goal to complete her 5-point night while Linser’s second period goal was her fourth point of the night.

Cougar goaltender MacKenna Stoterau saw her shoutout bid thwarted by Eagan’s Lauryn Roszak with 3:09 to play but finished with 22 saves. Maddie Nickell had 17 saves for the Wildcats.

“I think we were just in the right spots at the right times and we knew what to do,” Linser said. “We just kept doing it.”

What the Cougars  kept doing was coming through the slot with speed and open space, a recipe for disaster any time, but especially when facing Centennial’s lethal top line of Hughes, Linser and Emily Nadeau. 

“We knew that that first line had a lot of scoring power so we ended up, obviously, behind and then trying to work our way back,” Eagan coach Dan Wilson said. “When you give players like that that space they and take advantage of that so, more often than not, you’re going to see them put the puck in the net when you give them that space and those shots in the slot area.”

Nadeau appeared to get the Cougars on the board first when Nickell batted Hughes’ backhand shot up in the air with her blocker and the puck dropped down in front of her at the left post. Nadeau whacked at it but, despite heavy scrutiny by the replay officials, it was ruled to be Hughes’ goal.

“I personally think she got the goal,” Hughes said. “It was sitting there on the goal line and she was the one that crashed the net and banged it home and I think she deserves the credit for that one.”

While Centennial (25-3-1) has been to the state tournament three times, the last appearance coming in 2008, the trip to the title game is a historic one for the program.

“It’s the first one in Centennial history for us,” Hughes said. “I think it’s a huge honor to do it for our community and to do it for all the little kids that we see up in the stands. It’s just an unbelievable feeling.”

The Cougars beat both of the remaining semifinal contenders back-to-back in December (3-1 over Eden Prairie and 3-2 over Edina) but King isn’t counting on getting an advantage from those wins.

“It obviously gives us some confidence, and it gave us some confidence, but we forgot that,” King said. “It’s a whole different playing field.”

No. 1 Edina vs. No. 5 Eden Prairie

Top-seeded Edina earned a chance to repeat as Class AA state champions on Friday night with a hard-fought win over Eden Prairie. The Hornets outshot the Eagles 47-15 for the game but goaltender Alexa Dobchuck nearly stole the game for Eden Prairie (19-10-1) stopping 43 of those shots in Edina’s 4-2 win.

“I’d like to say it would be the first time I’ve seen it but I think I’ve seen it every day in practice and every game we’ve played for five years,” Eden Prairie coach Jaime Grossman said. “I’m definitely going to miss seeing that on a regular basis.”

Dobchuk’s remarkable performance included 22 second period saves, as state tournament record for saves in a single period. Edina needed a couple of deflections and balanced scoring to beat the Senior Goalie of the Year finalist as eight Hornets picked up points in the game.

“Edina’s a really good team and they always seem to play their best in the big spotlight,” Dobchuk said. “To be perfectly honest, those are the best games for me because I love taking shots and so I love playing Edina.”

Olivia Swaim, Brooke Tucker, Aliyah Lance and CC Bowlby scored for Edina while goaltender Megan Smith stopped 13 of Eden Prairie’s 15 shots. Crystalyn Hengler and Ava Wagner scored for the Eagles. 

“She always plays well against us, she always plays well in general,” Lance said of Dobchuck. “So to have 30 shots on her and not have one go in in a while, it’s definitely frustrating but it’s still motivating that we know we have to bear down and get one in there.”

Swaim opened the scoring with her 10th of the season on a deflection of a Evelyn Adams shot that eluded Dobchuk at 8:23 of the first period. The Hornets appeared to be heading to the dressing room for the first intermission clinging to that one-goal lead but Thursday night’s scoring hero for the Eagles, Crystalyn Hengler, would have none of that.

Smith was unable to control the rebound on a shot from Eden Prairie’s Sydney Langseth and Hengler pounced on it to score her 20th of the season with just 13.8 seconds remaining in the period. 

That did not sit well with the top-seeded Hornets as the defending state champions exploded out of the gate in the second period, dominating the Eagles to the tune of a 22-2 shots advantage. But Edina had nothing to show for it as Dobchuk was there time and again to deny the Hornets and keep her team in the game.

“You give up a goal with a few seconds left in a period, it’s never easy but we were tied,” Reber said. “We had dominated most of that period so we just wanted to keep the momentum going in our favor. We knew Dobchuk was hot tonight and so we just wanted to keep peppering her.”

All that peppering finally paid off for Edina just 2:20 into the third when Turner’s shot from the left point glanced off Eden Prairie defenseman Claire Kuipers and behind Dobchuk for a 2-1 Hornets lead. Six minutes later, Tucker set up Lance to give Edina some breathing room.

But just 10 seconds later, Smith struggled to control another Langseth shot and Wagner was there to pull the Eagles back within one. Eden Prairie made a push but came up short and Bowlby sealed it with an empty net goal in the final seconds. 

Grossman said he expected a closer, more back-and-forth game and feels like the spotlight may have been a bit to big for some of Eden Prairie’s younger players.

“You’ve got to give credit to Edina too because they’re good at taking you off your game,” Grossman said. “I think they did a good job of taking us off our game tonight and making us earn every inch. I think they were really physical with us and I think that got some of our kids off their game.”

Waiting for the Hornets (27-2-1) in the championship game is second seeded Centennial (25-3-1), one of just two teams to have beaten Edina this season. That 3-2 December loss only serves to motivate a determined Edina team.

“I love it,” Reber said. They’re one of two teams that beat us this year so we’re ready for then and we’re excited . I think if we could have picked the opponent we wanted to play in the state championship game, it would be them.”

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No. 2 Centennial vs. Lakeville South 

Class 2A began with a battle of two felines as the No. 2 Centennial Cougars took on the unseeded Lakeville South Cougars. Although Centennial averaged nearly five goals per game, it was their defense and timely play that lifted them to a 2-0 win and a birth to the semi-finals.

“I mean I was kind of expecting this,” said Centennial head coach Kristi King. “Their goalie’s incredibly good and hats off to her, she made a lot of good saves. I thought we did a great job of creating offense. Our first period wasn’t great but second period we doubled our time on attack and we did everything we needed to and outshot them. So kind of feeling it out in the first period and figure out what we do well and execute that in the second and third. We knew if we kept shooting and crashing the net hard, the goals will come.”

Centennial spent the majority of the first period on its heels. Lakeville South came out the gate with a solid forecheck and was able to put seven shots on net in first 10 minutes of play.

But the momentum began to swing Centennial’s way after they drew a power play. Shortly after the advantage expired, sophomore Allison Pitlick netted the game’s first goal, with assists to senior Anneke Linser and junior Maija Almich. Despite being outshot 11-6, Centennial led 1-0 heading into the first intermission.

“First period period I think for everyone but especially me, it was like, taking it all in and the atmosphere was incredible,” said Linser after the win. “You couldn’t even hear yourself think in the roaring of the fans and seeing your whole community out there, you wanted to do it for them and I think getting the nerves out of the first period and coming back and regrouping with the team was a huge part of our success in the second and third.”

Centennial got off to a much better showing in the second period firing 18 shots on net. However, Lakeville South goalie Lexi Baker didn’t skip a beat. She stopped all 18 shots that came her way and kept it a one-goal game.

Lakeville South came out for the final period of regulation the way they did in the first: with speed, an aggressive forecheck and plenty of rubber on net. Yet, they could not crack goalie Mackenna Storteau who was absorbing every opposing blast and pitched a 15-save shutout. In the closing the minutes, Centennial would get an insurance goal from Linser with assists from senior Gabbie Hughes and Almich.

“That’s a powerful team,” said Lakeville South head coach Mark Johnson. “They do a lot of misdirection and changing the puck around they control it very well. They’re a hard-working team. Those two girls: Linser and Hughes are backed with a couple good players also and they played well. I look forward to seeing them going far.”

No. 3 Hill-Murray vs. Eagan 

The Eagan Wildcats returned to the state tournament for the first time in six years but faced a tournament juggernaut in the Hill-Murray Pioneers. It was the seventh consecutive year Hill-Murray has made the Tourney, with the team capturing championships in 2014 and 2015.

But there won’t be any banner for the power house this season, as the Wildcats knocked off the Pioneers 2-1 and advanced to the semi-finals.

After a scoreless first period, Eagan was able to strike first with a pair of goals in the second period. While on the power play, sophomore Jenna Ruiz dangled through the slot and put a puck top shelf giving her team a 1-0 lead. As time winded down, the Pioneers tried to clear the zone but they threw it right on the tape of Eagan’s Taylor Anderson and the senior capitalized and scored, giving her team the 2-0 heading into the second intermission.

“I’m thinking first of all ‘shoot the puck, Taylor’ as I always am,” said Eagan head coach Dan Wilson “As she always wants to get a little bit closer to the net. Obviously it worked out in our favor at that point.”

However, Hill-Murray came out swinging in the final period of play and it appeared they cut the deficit to one goal. However, upon video review – which is only allowed in state tournament play – junior Katie Kaufman clearly kicked the puck in and the goal was waved off. But the Pioneers would get one shortly after when freshman Kennedy Morris blasted a puck from the top of the point.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to cling to that type of lead against a team like that,” said Wilson “Obviously going into the third period we just talked a lot about taking care of puck and get the puck down deep, don’t take any big time risks and chances. We obviously knew that they got some high-scoring power. So we really talked about kind of packing our house and packing in front of our net to keep everything to the outside. I actually think we did a pretty good job with that and it really obviously helped us.”

Eagan continued to weather the storm as Hill’s offense wouldn’t let up. At one point, the Pioneers were outshooting the Wildcats 11-0, with Eagan not registering their first shot of the period until the 11-minute mark. Despite being heavily outshot, the Wildcats prevailed with goaltender Maddie Nickel making 26 saves in the contest.

Meanwhile for Hill-Murray, they’re in unfamiliar territory.

“You know it’s tough to know what to say. For one, it’s never happened before so I never had to have that speech before,” said Pioneers head coach Bill Schafhauser. “If we could’ve played the first two periods like we played in the third, we might’ve had a different outcome.”

No 1 Edina vs. Brainerd

Defending Class 2A champion Edina with a large cast of returnees from 2017’s title run welcomed Brainerd to its first-ever state tournament in the opening game of Thursday night’s evening session. The welcome was short lived, however, as the Hornets treated the Warriors to 4-0 defeat to snap Brainerds seven-game winning streak.

Emily Oden led a balanced Edina attack featuring four different goal scorers as Tella Jungels, CC Bowlby and Olivia Swaim chipped in. With two assists, Edina’s Brooke Tucker was the only Hornet with more than one point.

Edina goaltender Megan Smith stopped all 10 shots she faced for the shutout while Brainerd’s Nicole Schulz stopped 28 of the Hornets’ 32 shots.

“To beat a team like that you have to play close to a perfect game because they’re going to capitalize on anything and everything,” Brainerd coach Jim Ernster said. “We weren’t able to do that but that’s a credit to them. The one thing that they were was consistent throughout, whether it was their first line, second line or third line. They were consistent in their skill, they were consistent in their patience and they were really good finding that player without the puck.”

Oden opened the scoring just 2:02 into the game with her 32nd of the year. Later in the period a pair of Brainerd penalties 28 seconds apart gave Edina a 1:32 5-on-3 advantage.

Even down two players, though, the Warriors threatened when Cheyenne Abear and Gabbie Smith nearly connected on a 2-on-1 with the puck just out of Smith’s reach at the right post. 

Shortly thereafter, Jungels scored her fifth of the year to make it 2-0 with just five seconds remaining in the two-player advantage. The Hornets picked up another power-play goal midway through the second when Bowlby notched her 28th of the season for a three-goal Edina cushion.

Swaim’s goal with 53 seconds left in the second, her ninth of the year, preceded a scoreless third period.

Edina coach Sami Reber expressed relief at advancing despite the heavy odds in her team’s favor entering the game.

“I think when you have quite a few players coming back to the state tournament who were here last year it definitely helps, there isn’t as many nerves throughout the entire team,” Edina coach Sami Reber said. “But you never know what your going to get at the state tournament … so the first game’s always a tough one and I’m proud of the way we came out of that.”

— By Brian Halverson

No. 4 Andover vs. No. 5 Eden Prairie

The Huskies and Eagles played up to their seeding in a tightly-contested game in the quarterfinal nightcap. 

The game was scoreless through two periods but Eden Prairie’s Crystalyn Hengler broke the tie just 1:15 into the final period, firing a wrist shot through traffic that Andover goaltender Cassidy Stumo said she couldn’t see.

“I thought I was out far enough but maybe, because of my size, I should have been out a little further,” Stumo said.

“Pretty big goal for us at a time where I was thinking we might be here until one, two in the morning,”Eden Prairie coach Jaime Grossman said. “So it was nice to see that go through.”

Hengler scored her 19th goal of the season using a brand new limited edition stick which replaced an identical one she had recently broken.

“She had like three goals in eight games with it and it broke at practice the day after a game. The new one that they ordered came today. Looks like that stick’s a good stick for her.”

Eden Prairie’s Becca Kniss capped the scoring with an empty-net goal with 1:22 to play. 

The story of the game was the stellar goaltending battle between Stumo and Eden Prairie’s Alexa Dobchuck who each finished with 29 saves.

“I think we could have done a little better job of getting on pucks a little bit harder,” Andover coach Melissa Volk said. “We did a good job the first 10 minutes of the game and, after that, kind of let off.”

The Huskies came out flying to start the game, applying intense pressure on Eden Prairie early on. But Dobchuk withstood the barrage and the Eagles weathered the storm.

“We’ve been a team that’s been a little slow out of the gates at times most of the year but it’s always nice knowing Alexa’s back there because we have confidence,” Grossman said. “Our kids have confidence that no matter they do those first few minutes, she’s got our back until we calm down.”

Eden Prairie (19-9-1) and top-seeded Edina (26-2-1) will play Friday night’s second Class 2A semifinal for the right to play for a state championship. Andover moves to the consolation bracket for a semifinal meeting with Brainerd.

— By Brian Halverson

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