Fourth-seed Armstrong/Cooper girls hockey opened the Section 6AA quarterfinals with a 3-2 win on Feb. 10 against fifth-seed Jefferson.
The Wings put on a defensive showcase in the first period. Bunkering in against the pressure of Jefferson, who put up 12 shots in the first period, the likes of junior defenders Stellie LeMieux and Claire Hanson guided the Wings through a blistering first 10 minutes.
The work paid off when Abby Hanson, with three minutes to go in the period, slotted home a Wings goal assisted by Gabby Reidhead and Lydia College to make it 1-0. The goal represented the Wings’ first real chance that afternoon and kept them ahead going into the first intermission.
Jefferson responded early in the second period, curling a shot over goaltender Emma Kahl’s shoulder to make it 1-1 despite her heroics thus far. Three minutes later, College stepped up to rocket a ricocheting shot into the net to retake the lead at 2-1, assisted by LeMieux.
Armstrong/Cooper led again in the second intermission, still trailing 28-12 on shots after a more open but still defensively demanding period.
With everything on the line in the third period and a winner yet to become clear, it was game on. Armstrong/Cooper entered the period short-handed from the end of the second, but the penalty kill was strong on Saturday and the Wings soon returned to full strength, at which point they scored yet another goal to make it 3-1. This time it was Taylor Fruetel who scored, taking advantage of a defensive miscue by Jefferson to get a shot off on target on a Wings power play.
Jefferson got one goal back with five minutes to go, keeping tensions high at New Hope Ice Arena until the final buzzer, but there was no comeback on the horizon and the Wings secured a spot in the next round.
Kahl made 44 saves against Jefferson, while College led on points with one goal and one assist.
Armstrong/Cooper girls hockey head coach Matt Cook noted after the game that circumstances off the ice made it vital that the Wings play a tight, defensively sound game.
“We have a lot of injured players right now so we were just committed to playing inside, keeping them on the outside, and winning our body battles. The girls committed and did a great job. It was fun to see.”
Cook also added that the grit from Saturday must be replicated in the Wings’ upcoming section game against Benilde-St. Margaret’s. The Red Knights ended the regular season ranked fifth in MSHSL Class AA, earning a regular season overall record of 20-3-2.
“They’re a speedy team. We’re going to have to commit to defense and give our offense as many opportunities as we can. Hopefully, we get a few players back and push with a little more intensity offensively. If we can play defense like we did today, we can give ourselves a game.”
Armstrong/Cooper girls hockey will return to the ice the following week, traveling to Parade Ice Arena to play Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Feb. 14.
Boys hockey
Armstrong/Cooper boys hockey added a conference win to their season last week, beating Coon Rapids 1-0 at home on Feb. 8. This adjusted their Northwest Suburban Conference record to 5-7.
The game-winning goal came in the second period thanks to Adian Cook, assisted by Luke Weisjahn and Logan Gatti. The Wings had 21 shots against Coon Rapids, who had 15. Armstrong/Cooper received no penalties on Thursday night.
The Wings then lost 4-3 to Northern Lakes on Feb. 10 at home, ending the week with an 11-12 overall record. Jameson Essen, Cook, and Tanner Rausch scored for the Wings.
AC boys hockey played two games the following week, hosting Gentry Academy on Feb. 15, before traveling to East Ridge on Feb. 17.
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