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Linser, Centennial cruise past Blaine in shutout win

By Ryan Williamson, SportsEngine, 12/12/17, 12:00PM CST

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In a clash of unbeaten conference rivals, it was the Cougars who prevailed.


Centennial senior Anneke Linser circles with the puck in the offensive zone against Blaine Tuesday night. Linser scored twice in the Cougars' 3-0 victory over the Bengals. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

For most of Centennial’s games, the team gets a lot of its motivation from the coaching staff. But when the opponent is Blaine, a Northwest Suburban conference and section foe that came into Tuesday with an undefeated record, the coaches don’t have to say much for the Cougars to be ready to play.

“It’s our biggest rival,” Centennial coach Kristina King said. “They knew tonight was a big one.”

Throughout Tuesday’s game, it was obvious the Cougars were motivated. After getting out to an early 2-0 lead, Centennial held down the Bengals’ potent offense and came away with a 3-0 victory at Centennial Sports Arena on Tuesday night.

For Centennial (9-0, 7-0), its effort in the first period proved to be the difference. The Cougars got on the board when senior forward Anneke Linser got Blaine senior goalie Jaela O’Brien out of sorts via a toe drag. Linser buried the shot into the open net to tally her 10th goal of the season.

The Minnesota-Duluth commit added another score late in the third period to cement the win for Centennial, which is ranked fourth in the Class 2A coaches’ poll.

Linser is a part of a veteran scoring tandem with fellow senior forward Gabbie Hughes that has driven the Cougars to an undefeated start this season. Thus far, Linser has been the facilitator with 20 assists to Hughes’ 21 goals on the season. But on Tuesday, it was Linser’s turn to score while Hughes picked up assists on both of her teammate’s goals.

“Their play is just so amazing, I always think of them as sharks,” said Centennial junior goalie Mackenna Stoterau. “They always know what the other is doing and they attack on opponents with their hard shots.”

The back-breaker for Blaine (7-1-1, 5-1-1) came a minute and 20 seconds after Linser’s first goal. Freshman forward Summer Francis made it 2-0 Centennial with a goal that somehow got past O’Brien.

Despite keeping close with the Cougars in shots on goal, Bengals coach Steve Guider wasn’t thrilled with his team’s performance.

“I thought we played poorly in the first two periods tonight,” he said. “They were winning almost all of the battles for loose pucks. I thought we did put together a strong third period.”

That performance in the final frame didn’t net any goals. But it did test Stoterau and the Centennial defense.

Like the rest of the game however, the Cougar goalie stood tall. Stoterau, stopping all 21 shots she faced Tuesday.

Coming into the game, Blaine had scored at least two goals in all of its games thus far. The Bengals are led by junior forward Ramsey Parent, who has 13 goals and 11 assists this season.

She and the rest of the No. 5-2A Bengals were held in check against Centennial but did have their chances. Blaine had three different power play opportunities in the third but failed to cash in. Stoterau slammed the door one last time with just more than a minute to go when she stopped Parent on a point-blank chance at the top of the crease.

“Our focus was starting in the defensive zone and then working that into offense and being strong in the opposing zone,” Stoterau said. “We felt the pressure in the third but just kept working. That third goal felt good and really sealed the deal for us.”

These teams will meet again in the regular season on Jan. 16 in Blaine and could meet again in the postseason. With both playing in the North division of the Northwest Suburban and being in Class 2, Section 5, there is plenty of familiarity between these two.

Recently, the Cougars have been on the wrong end of this rivalry. Centennial hasn’t made the state tournament since 2008 while the Bengals have made it to Xcel Energy Center two out of the past three seasons. Thus, Centennial picking up a win is a definite confident-booster.

“We’ll just feel better having this,” Stoterau said. “We can look back on this and know we can be successful against them by playing Cougar hockey.”

Blaine, meanwhile, will look to rebound off its first loss. As the defending section champion and making it to the Class 2A final in 2017, Guider admits his team has a target on its back.

“I think it’s a good thing to have,” Guider said. “When you’ve had the run of success we’ve had, you always feel a little bit of that. We just have to play how we can play and we will be OK.”


Centennial goalie Mackenna Stoterau fights off a shot through traffic against Blaine Tuesday night. Stoterau stopped all 21 Bengal shots in the Cougars' 3-0 victory at Centennial Arena. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

First Report

In a battle of teams with plenty of firepower, strong goaltending proved to be the difference as Centennial knocked off Northwest Suburban Conference foe Blaine 3-0 on Tuesday at Centennial Sports Arena.

Junior Anneke Linser got the Cougars, who are ranked fourth in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, on the board first.

Centennial (9-0, 7-0) extended its lead a minute and 20 seconds later as freshman forward Summer Francis snuck a rolling puck past Blaine senior goalie Jaela O’Brien.

With 35 seconds remaining in the third, the Cougars put an exclamation point on the win as Linser picked up her second goal of the night, giving her 11 tallies on the season, which is second-most on the team behind Linser’s linemate, senior forward Gabbie Hughes (21-14-35).

For the No. 5-2A Bengals, there was little offense to be had against its North division rival. After scoring 41 goals in its first eight games, Blaine was held scoreless by Cougar junior goalie Mackenna Stoterau. She had 21 saves and picked up her fourth win of the season.

O’Brien held Centennial scoreless outside of the quick outburst in the first period. Blaine (7-1-1, 5-1-1) held the Cougars to 24 shots.

Blaine's Ramsey Parent attempts the wrap around shot in the first period against Centennial Tuesday night. The Bengals fell to the Cougars 3-0. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

Blaine's Ramsey Parent attempts the wrap around shot in the first period against Centennial Tuesday night. The Bengals fell to the Cougars 3-0. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

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