Three shots off painted red steel sounded pretty and drew a chorus of delight from the fans.

Left post clang!

Right post clang!

Crossbar clang!

“Shooting those pucks, we thought those opportunities were going to be good for us,” Minnetonka coach Eric Johnson said.

The close calls all came within the first 10 minutes of the Skippers’ Class 2A girls’ hockey quarterfinal game with Eagan on Thursday night. Maggie Bazany then provided a silent touch. Her shot seconds after the third puck met iron wound up in the back of the net to get the defending big school champs on the board enroute to an eventual 4-1 victory.

Amy Petersen, who shot the first of those three pipe-clangers in the opening minutes, was instrumental on the game-winner early in the third period. An innocent wrist shot from the right point by Kelsey Crow fluttered toward the Eagan net and got by goalie Emma May to break a 1-1 tie at the 2:51 mark.

Petersen acted as a screen on the play..

“I was just hoping to get it to the net and I was like, ‘I need to get this off my stick,’” Crow said. “Thank God Amy was there doing her job.”

Laura Bowman scored 1:37 later for the top-seed Skippers, who then got a late shorthanded goal from Kira von Steinbergs to put the game out of reach.

“Coach had a nice talk with us [before the third period] to pump us all up,” Bowman said. “He started screaming – but it was a good scream. A positive one that got us all cheering each other on.”

1.  Sydney Rossman, Minnetonka

Rossman was nothing short of fantastic, containing a powerful Eagan offense that averaged 3.54 goals per game during the regular season. She saved 24 out of 25 shots and held strong as the Wildcats buzzed the net during the first two periods when the game was still on the line. Holding Eagan star Megan Wolf without a point is an accomplishment worthy of star even if you take away the rest of her performance.

2. Laura Bowman, Minnetonka

The junior forward was all over the ice for the Skippers. She scored an enormous power play goal in the third period that broke the game open for Minnetonka. Up to that point it had been a close game, but Bowman put some distance between them and the feisty Wildcats. Bowman now has fifty goals on the season (30 goals, 20 assists). 

3. Kelsey Crow, Minnetonka

Crow netted the second goal of the game for Minnetonka that put the Skippers up 2-1. Although it was unclear if there was a tip in front, her shot got through traffic and found twine which gave the Skippers a big momentum boost. The goal was her fifth of the season, and she also has 9 assists. 

-- Walker Orenstein, MN Girls Hockey Hub staff