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It’s late February and Wayzata is right back where it belongs -- set to play another section final in Mariucci Arena at the University of Minnesota.
The Trojans dispatched second seed Cretin-Derham Hall Saturday afternoon during Class 2A, Section 6 semifinal action at Bloomington Ice Garden by seizing an early lead and holding on for a tense 3-2 victory.
Wayzata, ranked No. 10 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, seeks its third straight state tournament berth as the Trojans have made a habit of overachieving in the postseason.
“There’s no blueprint for it,” said Wayzata coach Pat O’Leary. “But if you don’t think experience matters, then you are crazy.”
Wayzata boasts a senior group of 11 players, the most of any Trojans team in recent memory. Two of the captains know first hand what it takes to win a state championship, while 14 on the roster have played in the state tournament.
Knowing what it takes cannot be discounted.
“In the playoffs, it’s game to game,” O’Leary said. “And playing in the Lake Conference with the schedule we have and the tournaments we play in, it makes us battle-tested. Calming your nerves and being level headed is pretty important.”
The Trojans got the start they needed after jumping out front just 2:38 into the game when Wayzata (16-10-1) pounced on a mishandled puck near the Raiders’ blue line and skated in on a 2-on-1 where senior Alex Sahli scored to push the Trojans ahead.
The teams traded goals later in the period, and the Trojans notched the only goal of second period, a power-play tally by Griffin Ness, which put Wayzata up 3-1 heading into the third.
Cretin-Derham Hall (21-4-2) cashed in with its second power-play goal of the game 1:19 into the final frame when Danny Magnuson scored with a shot from the point that went bar down to score.
Wayzata goalie Trevor Wong put a lid on things down the stretch to secure the win over the No. 5-2A Raiders.
Wong finished with 23 saves and kept the Trojans alive through an agitated finish.
“I think coming out quick and establishing an early lead is very important against a team like this,” Wong said. “And battling hard for three full periods might have been the difference for us today.”
Wayzata was able to contain Cretin-Derham Hall's high end speed by locking down the middle of the ice, and driving the Raiders’ offense to the outside.
“We can counter their speed with our aggressiveness and physicality,” Wong said. “Our guys did a great job with that.”
Wayzata advances to the section final next Wednesday at Mariucci Arena, where they will face the winner of Edina and St. Louis Park.
Wayzata scored first and held on through a tense third period to knock off Cretin-Derham Hall 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Bloomington Ice Garden in Class 2A, Section 6 semifinal action.
The Trojans, ranked No. 10 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, jumped out front just 2:38 into the game when Wayzata (16-10-1) pounced on a mishandled puck near the blue line and skated in with a man advantage, ending with senior Alex Sahli scoring to push the Trojans ahead.
The teams traded goals later in the period, and Wayzata had the only score in the second period, a power-play tally by Griffin Ness, which put the Trojans up 3-1.
Cretin-Derham Hall (21-4-2) cashed in with its second power-play goal of the game 1:19 into the final period when Danny Magnuson scored from the point. However, Wayzata goalie Trevor Wong put a lid on things down the stretch to secure the win over the No. 5-2A Raiders.
Wong finished with 23 saves, while his counterpart, Tom Cavanagh stopped 18 of 21 shots he faced for the Raiders.
Wayzata advances to the section final next Wednesday at Marinucci Arena, where they will face the winner of Edina versus St. Louis Park.
The MN Hockey Hub poll is for entertainment purposes only.