In the spirit of balancing the highs and lows of the season, St. Paul United has started a new tradition this year that included occasionally breaking into dance between periods.
The vibrant environment contributed to a 17-0 start through the end of 2015, a stretch in which the United outscored their competition 104-11. The new year didn't bring about the same results as the United went 2-4-1 in January.
So entering the Class 1A, Section 4 playoffs, first-year coach Nate Mauer wanted his girls to have a "strictly business" mentality. Mauer changed the routine.
“No music before the games," he said. "I tried getting them here (St. Thomas Arena) late - it makes a big difference. Otherwise, you start thinking about other things."
A long restraint from letting loose paid off as the top-seeded United were dialed in while dominating South St. Paul 3-1 on Thursday night in the Section 4 championship.
The victory avenged a 2-1 loss to the Packers in last year’s section finals and earned the United their second state tournament bid.
“We had our blinders on, and we were ready,” senior Sena Hanson said following her two-goal performance.
“We wanted this.”
A transfer from Irondale, Hanson didn’t suffer last year's agonizing loss but played with an equally vengeful effort as her new teammates, leading the United (21-5-1) with five goals through the postseason.
“They’ve become my family - I knew we were going to get close - but we’re so close. I’m so happy I got to meet these guys,” she said.
Senior goaltender Catherine Johnson took the heaviest burden of last year’s loss, giving up a goal to South St. Paul's A.J. Deering in overtime.
“It was heartbreaking,” Johnson said. “I honestly didn’t get over it for like two weeks, but it made me want to get it this year even more.”
Motivated to make it back to state in her final high school season, Johnson withstood an onslaught of scoring chances as a result of three second-period power plays for South St. Paul.
Senior Bridget Hoffmann aggressively chased loose pucks and produced three breakaway chances on the penalty kill that period. On the first two, she tried faking wide and fired into the chest of Packers goaltender Kaity McKenzie.
She had pressure from a South. St. Paul defender while on her third chance and elected to throw a shot on net that bounced off McKenzie’s leg pad and in.
“I was getting frustrated there, but fortunately I was able to put it in,” Hoffmann said. “It was nice to get a bit of insurance because South St. Paul’s a great program, and they were pressuring us on those power plays.”
The goal gave the United, ranked No. 5 in the Class 1A coaches’ poll, a two-goal cushion heading into the final period. The gap proved to be too much for the No. 18-1A Packers to overcome, although they scored in the final two minutes of the game to spoil Johnson’s shutout bid.
“It was a good goal, so I wasn’t too down on myself,” Johnson said. “I have a short-term memory, so I just tried to shake it off and trust my teammates to pick up everyone in front of the net.”
Johnson boasts the ninth-best goals-against average in the state, allowing just over a goal per game. She credits her success to the skaters in front of her.
“All of my game is basically trusting my teammates,” she said.
The second-half the United's Independent Metro Athletic Conference schedule has prepared them for high-stakes postseason games, with matchups against No. 1-1A Breck and No. 2-1A Blake. It's that experience that led to the United earning their first section title in program history. Their 2014 title was a result of Achiever Academy forfeiting the championship game due to questions regarding the eligibility of several players.
The United have the weekend to dance off any pre-tourney jitters, but come Wednesday, they'll be back to business when hitting the ice at the Xcel Energy Center.
“It’s a battle,” Mauer said. “You need some luck, hard work, dedication, and also dealing with a lot of elements in handling the pressure and distractions from the banquet and the first game.”
