A declaration written on the board outside the locker room served notice to Maple Grove girls' hockey coach Rob Potter.
His players vowed they would go undefeated in the second half. To Potter's delight, the Crimson skaters have kept their word. Maple Grove, No. 5 in Class 2A, takes a 10-0 winning streak into the Section 6 playoffs against No. 4 Wayzata at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Parade Ice Garden in Minneapolis.
Success in the new year arose from December disappointment. The Crimson closed the month on a 1-3 skid that included losses to section opponents Wayzata and Minnetonka.
Potter, a former strength and skill development coach with the San Jose Sharks of the NHL, encouraged players to keep working hard. He also shuffled the lineup and changed his goaltending strategy from timeshare to totalitarian.
"We talked about how alternating them earlier in the season didn't really help either one of them," Potter said. "So the message became, 'You play well, you hold the net.' "
Freshman Coco Francis backstopped the first seven victories of the Crimson's streak. When she faltered against Elk River, fellow freshman Breanna Blesi took over and secured a 5-4 victory. She remained in goal as Maple Grove upset Hopkins and beat Robbinsdale/Cooper.
Maple Grove's defensive corps limited shots and helped the Crimson allow just 13 goals in the past 10 games. Up front, Taylor Wente (22 goals, 15 assists) and Abby Larson (17-18) provide much of the team's scoring. Katie Josephson leads the team with 24 assists. Summer Thibodeau and Hailey Herdine have chipped in more than 20 points each.
Maple Grove competes in the state's toughest section. Top seeds Hopkins, Benilde-St. Margaret's, Minnetonka and Wayzata were all ranked among the state's top six in the latest Let's Play Hockey coaches poll.
