Minnesota Class 2A girls hockey state tournament: Minnetonka avoids upset from Centennial/Spring Lake Park

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The No. 1-seed Minnetonka Skippers defeated Centennial/Spring Lake Park 3-2 in the Class 2A state tournament quarterfinal at Xcel Energy Center.

Minnetonka got on the board two minutes into the first period as senior Ava Lindsay toe dragged a defender before sliding it under the pad of the Centennial/Spring Lake Park goaltender. 

Unlike the other low seeds in this tournament, Centennial/Spring Lake was able to survive the early onslaught from the high seed and got to the locker room trailing just 1-0 to the Skippers despite being outshot 11-4.

In the second period, Minnetonka continued to apply the pressure as multiple Skipper forwards came within inches of scoring. Meanwhile, on the other end of the ice, it was Minnesota Ms. Hockey finalist Lauren O'Hara who was creating most, if not all, of the offense for Centennial/Spring Lake Park. O’Hara had four of the six shots on goal for Centennial/Spring Lake Park by the time the game reached the halfway point of the second period. 

Later in the period, Minnetonka once again got a chance on the power play but were unable to convert as the Centennial/Spring Lake Park penalty kill unit did its job and killed off the two-minute minor. 

Minnetonka finally came through late in the second period as senior Linzi Avar ripped a wrist shot past Centennial/Spring Lake Park goaltender Kaitlin Groess with just three seconds remaining to give the Skippers a 2-0 lead heading into the third period.

It was back to business in the third period for Minnetoka as it continued to dominate the offensive zone, putting shot after shot on net with no luck as Groess would not let the Skippers stretch its lead to three. 

“We wouldn't have played Minnetonka that close without her,” Lauren O’hara said. “She made some big saves which gave us a lot of momentum throughout the game.” 

Midway through the third, it was O'Hara who finally broke through for Centennial/Spring Lake Park on her six shots of the game. O’Hara circled past the point and put a wrist shot on net that squeezed past the skipper goaltender to get Centennial/Spring Lake Park within one goal. 

Centennial/Spring Lake Park refused to go away. With just under one minute to go in the game, Grace Laage scored to briefly tie the game at two. 

“I cut to the middle and just wanted to put something on net since it was late in the game and Grace came in hard and buried,” Lauren O’Hara said. 

The celebration for Centennial/Spring Lake Park didn't last long. It only took the Skippers 31 seconds to come right back down the other way and score. 

“I had confidence in the girls after the game tying goal," Minnetonka head coach Tracy Cassano said. “I felt like that third period we dominated, especially in the shots department.” 

It was senior Lindzi Avart who scored the game-winning goal as the top seeded Skippers held on to defeat the upset hopeful Centennial/Spring Lake Park.

Minnetonka will take on the winner of Gentry Academy and Moorhead Friday night in the Class 2A state semifinal.