A strong third period and Lauren Kaufman’s hat trick helped Maple Grove beat Lakeville South 4-1 on Thursday in the Class 2A quarterfinals, but the game never seemed that lopsided.

In what had been a deadlocked game for two periods, fourth-seeded Maple Grove got the big break against fifth-seeded Lakeville South early in the third when Maia Martinez passed to Kaufman in the open ice. Kaufman made a savvy pass to Taylor Wente in the slot, and after a quick deke and flick of the wrist, Wente scored to put her team up 2-1.

“I think both teams had a chance to break it open,” Lakeville South coach Mark Johnson said. “It was like the next goal won. … It was just a fast break, and all of a sudden, bam.”

In what was still a tight contest, Maple Grove got two more goals from Kaufman in the period to seal the victory.

“We’ve had a tough schedule that made them understand that they were going to need to play 51 minutes and that sometimes things weren’t going to go our way,” Maple Grove coach Amber Hegland said. “We just had to push through it and believe.”

Halle Gill scored for Lakeville South in the first as did Kaufman for Maple Grove with 1:20 left.

But strong goalie play dictated the game throughout. Maple Grove’s Coco Francis had 31 saves, and Lakeville South’s Chloe Crosby 32.

Maple Grove advances to face two-time defending state champion Hill-Murray in Friday’s semifinals.

The final score didn't reflect it, but action on the ice for Thursday's late game at the Xcel Energy Center was maybe the best of the girls' state tournament so far.

A strong third period and a hat trick from Lauren Kaufman helped Maple Grove beat Lakeville South 4-1.

In what had been a deadlock game for two periods, fourth-seeded Maple Grove got the big break against five-seed Lakeville South early in the third period when Maia Martinez passed to Kaufman in the open ice. Kaufman made a savvy pass to Taylor Wente in the slot, and after a quick deke and flick of the wrist, Wente netted the puck to put her team up 2-1.

In what was still a tight contest, Maple Grove got two more goals from Kaufman in the period to seal a victory in the Class 2A state quarterfinal.

Wente’s goal was the most memorable moment and Kaufman stands out on the stat sheet, but strong goalie play dictated the course of the game.

Lakeville South’s Chloe Crosby finished with 32 saves. Maple Grove’s Coco Francis had 31, and both had stops of the more spectacular variety.

Lakeville South’s Halle Gill scored the game’s first goal at the 4:53 mark in the first period.

Maple Grove’s Kaufman answered almost 16 minutes into the period, and her team ends up advancing to face two-time defending state champion Hill-Murray at 8 p.m. Friday in the semifinal.