Prep hockey: Wayzata tops Cretin-Derham Hall, punches ticket to state

Tied with Cretin-Derham Hall through two periods, Wayzata seized control with a pair of third-period goals scored a little more than one minute apart.

A 4-1 victory in the Class 2A, Section 6 championship game on Wednesday at Mariucci Arena sends the Trojans to next week's state tournament for the first time since 2013.

"It's a dream come true for our team," senior co-captain Mark Senden said. "We knew we had it in us."

Confidence never wavered in the Wayzata locker room, even with the score tied 1-1 after two periods with proven giant-killer Cretin-Derham Hall. Saturday's Class 2A section semifinals saw three No. 4 seeds knock out No. 1 seeds, none more stunning than the Raiders' overtime upset of top-ranked and previously undefeated Benilde-St. Margaret's.

Things looked promising for the Raiders early as senior Ryan Smith scored a power-play goal only 2:33 into the game. No. 2 seed Wayzata (19-8-1) answered when junior Andrew Urban scored his first goal in eight career varsity games. The teams went in different directions from there, with No. 4 seed Cretin-Derham Hall (16-12-1) struggling to create quality chances.

"They overwhelmed us a little bit with their strength," said O'Neill, whose team was outshot 45-20. "We hung in there, but we just couldn't drum up any offense."

Wayzata, meanwhile, kept firing. Senden gave Wayzata a 2-1 lead on a great feed from linemate Colin Schmidt. Just 1:02 later, Luke Patterson dished the puck for senior co-captain Billy Duma to bury, and the Trojans grabbed a commanding 3-1 lead.

"That's what we've been about since I was a sophomore — try to be the best third-period team in the state," Duma said.

Cretin-Derham Hall got placed in Section 6 by the Minnesota State High School League this year, meaning if the Raiders made the section final, they would play on the larger ice surface at Mariucci Arena.

Wayzata is accustomed to the Olympic-sized sheet. Plymouth Ice Center, the Trojans' home arena, has the same dimensions.

O'Neill acknowledged a lack of familiarity but did not pin the loss on the surroundings.

"They'd be pretty tough on a small sheet, too," he said of Wayzata.

The sixth-ranked Eagles dispatched Prior Lake 4-2 in Wednesday's Class 2A, Section 2 championship game at Mariucci Arena.

Eden Prairie junior forward Casey Mittelstadt, who has committed to the Gophers, scored twice for the No. 2- seeded Eagles (19-7-2). He has 28 goals this season.

Junior defenseman Nick Leivermann increased the Eagles' lead to 3-1 with his second-period goal.

No. 4 seed Prior Lake (20-8) was searching for its first trip to the state tournament. The Lakers' Jake Cohn scored on a power play with 2:29 to play. But Eden Prairie's Hunter Johannes scored an empty-net goal, and the Eagles will return to state for a third consecutive season.