Advertisement

Andover edges Minnetonka in overtime to reach Class 2A state title game

Unlike last year, it was the Huskies who advanced to the finals in overtime.

February 22, 2020 at 6:18AM
Andover players celebrated Peyton Hemp second goal of the game forcing overtime with Minnetonka.] Jerry Holt •Jerry.Holt@startribune.com Minnetonka played Andover in 2A girls' hockey semifinal at Xcel Energy Center February 21, 2020 in St. Paul, MN.
Andover players celebrated Peyton Hemp’s second goal of the game, with 42 seconds left in the third period, that forced overtime with Minnetonka. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Andover forward Gabby Krause didn't have the past on her mind as her team prepared for overtime in the Class 2A girls' hockey state tournament semifinals for a second consecutive season.

Heartbreak hit the Huskies just 10 seconds into the extra frame a year ago. Things happened fast again Friday, but this time it was Krause doing the scoring with only 18 seconds gone.

The resulting 4-3 victory sent the program to its first state title game.

"We just kept our minds on going forward and executing," Krause said.

No. 2 seed Andover (27-2), able to coast through the final period in four consecutive postseason blowouts, needed a comeback to get past Minnetonka.

The dogged Huskies got two Peyton Hemp goals in the final period, the second one with 42 seconds left in regulation. The team expects that kind of toughness from "The Brick," Hemp's nickname.

"She is a very determined and driven player," Huskies coach Melissa Volk said. "In big situations like that, that's when your big players step up."

No. 3 seed Minnetonka (22-7-1) went ahead 3-2 on Hanna Baskin's goal with 2:03 to play in the third period. She buried a rebound of Lisa LaRoche's shot from the blue line.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Video review confirmed LaRoche kept the puck in the zone by mere inches.

Hemp answered with a power-play goal and Andover goalie Amanda Pelkey on the bench for an extra skater.

"Once she scored, we had all of the momentum and that just led into overtime," Krause said.

Skippers coach Tracy Cassano said, "It's disappointing, obviously, because you're two minutes away from victory and going to the championship game and then all of a sudden, you're put in a position where you're trying to kill 6-on-4 and you come up a little bit short."

Andover, which defeated Minnetonka 3-1 in late November, prevailed again.

"We made two mistakes, unfortunately, on the first shift of overtime and they capitalized," Cassano said.

Advertisement
about the writer

about the writer

David La Vaque

Reporter

David La Vaque is a high school sports reporter who has been the lead high school hockey writer for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2010. He is co-author of “Tourney Time,” a book about the history of Minnesota’s boys hockey state tournament published in 2020 and updated in 2024.

See Moreicon

More from Sports

See More
card image

The sudden turn of the effort by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez to buy the team “was awful” and the arbitration process that ensued “a traumatic experience.”

card image
card image
Advertisement
Advertisement

To leave a comment, .

Advertisement