After Thursday’s marathon girls hockey section quarterfinal game between Blaine and Anoka, three more went to overtime over the weekend. Coaches were relieved when Friday’s and Saturday’s overtime games didn’t last as long as Thursday’s.
The longest of the three OT games came Friday, when fourth-seeded Prior Lake defeated fifth-seeded Eden Prairie 2-1 in the second overtime of a Class 2A, Section 2 quarterfinal game at Dakotah Ice Center.
“That was literally what the coaches were talking about,” Prior Lake coach Kiersten Nelson said about the prospect of playing another long game. “We did not want another six-overtime game.”
Ava Guillemette scored the winning goal on a shorthanded rush 12:03 into the second overtime. She beat Eagles goaltender Tegan Swanson on the blocker side with a shot from the top of the circles. Guillemette had sent the game to overtime with an even-strength goal with 6:23 left in regulation.
“It was an even game throughout. We were the fortunate ones to find the back of the net first,” Nelson said. “Ava came up big for us like she has all season.”
Annabel Mehta got the Eagles on the board first 1:48 into the game. Goaltender Olivia Hansen kept the Lakers in the game from there, making 16 saves in the second period and 10 stops in the two overtimes combined.
“[Hansen] sees the puck well. She is our leader back there, and she keeps us in games,” Nelson said. “She is an underrated goaltender. She does not get the credit she deserves with her athleticism.”
On Saturday a pair of fourth seeds advanced in their sections by winning in the first overtime.
Cretin-Derham Hall rallied with two third-period goals before defeating top-seeded Apple Valley 1:03 into overtime in the Class 2A, Section 3 semifinals at Apple Valley Sports Arena. Abigail Broz scored unassisted to give the Raiders the upset victory.
Hope Hadac and Cassandra Coffey scored in the third period for the Raiders to erase a 2-0 deficit. The Raiders controlled play with an 18-6 shots-on-goal advantage in the third period and got all three shots of overtime.
Celia Midtbo played hero for Minneapolis in a Class 1A, Section 5 quarterfinal at Parade Ice Garden. She crashed the net and knocked in a loose puck 45 seconds into overtime to defeat fifth-seeded Breck 4-3. Caitlin DeYoung and Ana Davis got shots toward the net before chaos ensued on Midtbo’s shot.
“We didn’t really know [what happened] until watching the tape,” Minneapolis coach Claire Goldsmith said. “We’re glad the referee was on the back side of the net and not the front, because we didn’t know where the puck was.”
Minneapolis took a 2-0 lead on goals by Kaiva Pelecis and Elsie Lawless, but the Mustangs finished the first period with a 13-11 edge in shots on goal. Minneapolis goaltender Ali Fider stopped 30 shots in the game, including 12 in the first period.
“They came at us hard,” Goldsmith said. “Unfortunately, we took a penalty [with 3:56 left in the first period] and they scored right away. Ali made a couple of key saves in the first and second periods to keep us ahead.”
New Prague wins wild one in boys hockey
New Prague pulled away from Waconia on Saturday for a 5-1 road win in boys hockey built on a 4:16 span in the third period that included five goals.
The Trojans got goals from Will Seymour, Owen Wilkins, Eric Berg and Michael Beckius between the 5:50 and 10:06 marks of the third period. The Wildcats scored their only goal of the game during that spree, too.
“I liked our game to that point. We just couldn’t get anything to go in,” Trojans coach Brad Drazan said. “Our boys stuck with it and started burying the puck.”
Breck Hagen scored for the Trojans with 7:35 left in the second period. Braedan Woitas had three assists.
“We pride ourselves on our depth,” Drazan said. “That makes us tougher to play against. It is a testament to our skill that we can go three or four lines.”
Matt Johnson made 27 saves for the Wildcats.
Top-10 boys hockey teams squeak out victories
Class 2A No. 1 Minnetonka and Class 2A No. 9 St. Thomas Academy took victories over rival schools Saturday by the slimmest of margins, 1-0 in each case.
Luke Garry scored with 7:46 left in the game to lift the Skippers past Class 2A No. 2 Edina 1-0 at Braemar Arena. Robbie Clarkowski made 33 saves for the Hornets. Kaizer Nelson had a 19-save shutout for the Skippers.
Mikey Mikan scored for the Cadets 11:55 into their victory at Aldrich Ice Arena. Tyler Magozzi made it hold up with 26 saves. Jack Erickson had 23 saves for the Pioneers.
Inside the numbers
1:36: Time remaining in the game when Anna Shandorf scored to give Rosemount a 2-1 win over Eastview in girls hockey.
3: Goals by Rowan Heithoff in a 7-1 Blake boys hockey win over Blaine.
5: Goals by Christian Garrity in Rosemount’s 6-4 boys hockey win over Centennial.
6: First-period goals by Chanhassen in a 9-2 boys hockey win over Orono.
34: Points by Kendall McGee in an 84-78 Benilde-St. Margaret’s girls basketball loss to Becker.
34: Points by Lilah Bergan in a 50-43 Columbia Heights girls basketball loss to St. Paul Humboldt.
34: Points by Nate Dahl in an 81-80 Buffalo boys basketball overtime loss to Eden Prairie.
35: Points by Sam Musungu in a 93-86 Andover boys basketball victory over Champlin Park.
36: Points by Maddyn Greenway in an 89-56 Providence Academy girls basketball victory over St. Peter.
