Minnetonka coach Tracy Cassano said after Thursday's 3-2 escape of Centennial/Spring Lake Park in the Class 2A girls hockey state tournament quarterfinals, "When we play disciplined, systematic hockey, I think we're the best team in the state."
Emotion helps, too, and Cassano noticed "a hunger, a look in Lindzi Avar's eyes of, 'I'm ready.' "
Avar's second goal of the game, this one with 42.7 seconds remaining, secured a hard-fought victory in Xcel Energy Center.
The top-seeded Skippers (26-2) found themselves in a 2-2 game with 1 minute, 14 seconds to play in regulation thanks to a goal from Centennial/Spring Lake Park eighth-grader Grace Laager.
Avar and linemates Kendra Distad and Lauren Mack didn't panic.
"Especially since we came so close to winning a state championship last year, this entire year we've had our eyes on that prize," said Avar, a junior forward who has made a verbal commitment to Cornell. "We overlooked this game. But in that moment, I said, 'We're not going to lose here. We're not going out in the quarterfinals.' "
Centennial/Spring Lake Park junior goalie Kaitlin Groess played with similar determination. On a day that started with two lopsided quarterfinals in the afternoon, Groess forced the Skippers' eight Division I-bound players to earn their semifinal appearance. She finished with 40 saves as the upset bid of the Cougars (21-7-1) fell short.
"We wouldn't have been that close with Minnetonka if she wasn't here," said Ms. Hockey Award finalist Lauren O'Hara. "She made a ton of amazing saves. She made us want to score goals and win the game for her."
