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Gentry Academy breaks a tie late in the third period, skates past Maple Grove

By Heather Rule, Special to the Star Tribune, 02/24/22, 10:30PM CST

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The score was tied 1-1 for most of two periods before Campbell Heger scored with 4:21 left.


Gentry Academy's Cara Sajevic circled with the puck during Thursday night’s game. Photo by JEFF LAWLER

Junior Campbell Heger said she “saw a clear lane” and fired a shot that went bar-down with 4:21 left in regulation to give Gentry Academy a 2-1 victory over Maple Grove in the Class 2A girls' hockey state tournament quarterfinals Thursday at Xcel Energy center.

“Honestly, I feel like we just wanted it more,” Heger said. “It was a great team win.”

Heger’s goal, her seventh of the season, came on the power play after each team went 0-for-1 with the advantage in the third period.

The Stars dominated the first period in shots — 13-1 — but couldn’t find the back of the net. Maple Grove took a 1-0 lead in the second period on Stella Retrum’s 32nd goal of the season before Gentry Academy’s Jenessa Gazdik tied the game on her own rebound.

Gentry Academy coach Paige Jahnke credited Maple Grove for the tight game.

“They put up a really tough battle for us,” Jahnke said. “But like Campbell had said, in the end it was just a matter of will.”

The fifth-seeded Stars (21-8) improved to 2-1 against the Crimson (20-7-2) this season. At the neutral site Thursday, Maple Grove coach Jim Koltes said it was a pretty even game.

“The second period, we thought we dominated that period and set the momentum,” Koltes said. “I mean, I don’t think there was any real difference between the two teams, except that they might get to practice a little more than we do.” 

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