“She’s built a legacy here that’s starting to take hold,” said Cougars coach Sean Molin. “With a lot of young kids here, she’s been able to play with them and show them the way.” 

O’Hara plays both ends of the rink, Molin said, noting her all-around play and her ability to avert the opposing team’s efforts to slow her down. 

“She does a good job of fighting through that,” Molin said. 

Indeed, O’Hara had her fair share of scoring chances on shots on goal throughout the night against Blaine, especially in the first period during the scoreless game.  

Though the Cougars didn’t score on two power-play opportunities in the second period, they kept the puck in the offensive zone and generated three shots on goal in the first minor and five during the second minor. 

While the Cougars offense kept plugging away, Blaine registered its only shot on net with six minutes, 27 seconds left on the clock in the second period. The Cougars outshot the Bengals 20-1 since Blaine led the category 6-4 early in the first. The Cougars outshot the Bengals 20-1 in the second period.  

When the seal finally broke, O’Hara brought the puck into the offensive zone for a two-on-one with eighth-grade teammate Jaycee Chatleain. O’Hara said she noticed the defense was letting her shoot the puck and taking away the pass option, so she took the shot for a 1-0 lead. 

They work on the odd-man rushes in practice, O’Hara said. 

“If there’s a pass, make it, but if you have a better shot, always take it,” O’Hara said.  

About three minutes later, sophomore defenseman Alexis Larsen took the puck into the Blaine zone all alone. She went bar down on the blocker side for her third goal of the season and a 2-0 Cougars lead. Her linemate Callie Cody chipped the puck past the Blaine defenders, and Larsen picked it up.  

“I had speed, so I just drove the net,” Larsen said. “Then I just picked my corner, because she (Hansen) was out pretty far.” 

With a two-goal lead in the third, Centennial/Spring Lake Park continued to shut Blaine down defensively, only allowing 13 shots on goal to the Bengals all night. With 3:21 left in regulation, the Cougars took a timeout before another power play. Sure enough, that following sequence was when O’Hara popped her power-play tally to seal the win and her second goal of the game. 

“We were trying to move the puck more,” Molin said. “Try to beat the goalie on something where you’re making a pass and then a shot to the middle, or the weak side... Because straight-on, she’s pretty good.” 

The Cougars have won six of their past seven games as they look toward making a run in the Class 2A, Section 5 playoffs, where there is a potential rematch with Maple Grove looming.  

“I think we’re improving as time goes on,” O’Hara said. “I think this was a really good team win for us. An all-around good three periods.”