Quantcast
skip navigation

Benilde-St. Margaret's defeats Wayzata to make Class 2A, Section 6 finale

By Heather Rule, SportsEngine, 03/18/21, 4:00PM CDT

Share

The Red Knights beat the Trojans for the second time this season, advancing them to Saturday's section championship game.

Benilde-St. Margaret's senior forward Olivia Haag is mobbed by teammates Emma Hoen (10) and Abby Hancock (9) after a second-period goal Thursday evening. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine

Benilde-St. Margaret's senior forward Olivia Haag is mobbed by teammates Emma Hoen (10) and Abby Hancock (9) after a second-period goal Thursday evening. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine

In a 1-1 game nearing the end of the second period, it seemed like the Wayzata goaltender had corralled the puck in her glove. But instead, the puck trickled out of her glove as play continued and Benilde-St. Margaret’s senior Olivia Haag immediately spotted the puck as she was behind the goal line.

She quickly stuffed it into the net for a wraparound goal to give the Red Knights a 2-1 lead with 1 minute, 5 seconds left in the middle period.

“The game had that kind of makeup to it where it was going to kind of be an ugly one to put you over the hump a little bit,” said Benilde-St. Margaret’s coach Shjon Podein.

The No. 2-seeded Red Knights added a pair of insurance goals in the third period on their way to a 4-2 victory over No. 3 seed Wayzata in a Class 2A, Section 6 semifinal Thursday evening at St. Louis Park Rec. Center.

The Red Knights’ pressure in the first period netted in a result about halfway through. Following an offensive-zone faceoff win, the puck went directly back to junior defenseman Emma Peschel at the point. She wasted little time firing a shot on net, which left a juicy rebound.

Junior Mary Zavoral was right in front to pounce on the loose puck, burying it for her 10th goal of the season to put her team on the scoreboard. Peschel’s assist was her ninth of the year and pushed her points streak to six games. Her last name rhymes with “special,” which is what her teammates call her.

“She’s special all right,” Podein said. “She’s on the ice all the time, she’s making things happen. Even if something doesn’t happen, there’s always that threat that she’s going to do something.”

Wayzata junior goaltender Annika Lavender turns aside a high-scoring chance from Red Knights senior forward Lucy Hanson during the third period. Lavender stopped 44 shots in the Trojans' 4-2 playoff loss. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine

Wayzata junior goaltender Annika Lavender turns aside a high-scoring chance from Red Knights senior forward Lucy Hanson during the third period. Lavender stopped 44 shots in the Trojans' 4-2 playoff loss. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine

First Report

Second-seeded Benilde-St. Margaret’s defeated No. 3 seed Wayzata 4-2 in a Class 2A, Section 6 semifinal Thursday evening at St. Louis Park Rec. Center.

The Red Knights scored first, took a 2-1 lead into the third period and got a pair of insurance goals 1 minute, 34 seconds apart to secure the victory. Junior defender Emma Peschel scored a power-play goal and added an assist. Junior Emma Hoen had two helpers and junior Mary Zavoral had a goal and an assist.

It’s the first trip to the section title game in seven years for Benilde-St. Margaret’s (12-3-3), when Kelly Pannek scored the game-winner late in the third period to defeat Wayzata. Pannek is now behind the Red Knights’ bench as an associate coach.

In goal, senior Carly Greene stopped 28 shots for the Red Knights, who are ranked No. 4 in the Class 2A coaches’ poll, while junior Annika Lavender made a season-high 44 saves for No. 9-2A Wayzata.

Junior Olivia Reem and Sophia Bach, a senior, scored for the Trojans. 

The Red Knights will either host Blake or travel to Edina for the section championship game on Saturday.

The loss was the second this season for Wayzata (11-8-1) at the hands of the Red Knights.


BSM junior defenseman Emma Peschel proved a two-way threat and scored her eighth goal of the season with a third period powerplay goal. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine

The MN Girls' Hockey Hub poll is for entertainment purposes only.

Girls' Hockey Hub Headlines

  • Lakeville South shuts out Eastview

  • By Ethan Olson, SportsEngine 02/02/2023, 3:15pm CST
  • Junior Claire Bronson recorded her seventh shutout of the season while sophomore Josie Grossman tallied two assists.
  • Read More

Feed for https://www.startribune.com/sports/index.rss2