Photo Gallery: Proctor/ Hermantown vs. Blaine
"We have given up a goal in the first shift of four different games this season," Blaine coach Steve Guider said. "You might say that's a function of youth early [in the season], but we've played 17 games now.
"We're not young any more."
That experience of bouncing back from adversity may have helped the Bengals overcome the early deficit and claim a 3-1 victory at Fogerty Arena.
"We know our team can come back from anything," said Blaine goalie Hailey Hansen, who finished with 22 saves. "We just have to keep putting the pressure on and not give up."
Hansen, an eighth grader, is joined by eight freshmen on a Blaine squad that improved to 8-8-1 with the victory. The victory was the Bengals' third straight after a five-game winless streak; one of those wins was a 5-4 win over Edina, the No. 2 team in Class 2A, just one week earlier.
"We've played with some of the better teams [in the state] this season," Guider said. "Our confidence level has risen since we played Edina."
Forward Ramsey Parent, one of two seniors on the Blaine roster, tied the contest with a goal at 10:31 of the opening period. And when freshman teammate Kaitlyn Ronn scored just 17 seconds later, the Bengals had a lead they would never relinquish.
"One of our coaches says, 'The next goal is the biggest goal,' so we just tried to get it back," Parent said. "And when we did that, we got the momentum back."
Another freshman, Maddie Anderle, netted an insurance goal at 2:43 of the final period to allow Blaine to skate to the win.
"We have a really great group of freshmen," Parent said. "You're never sure what you're going to get from players coming up from youth hockey, because varsity hockey is a whole different game. But they have transitioned well."
And part of the reason for that smooth transition has been leadership of Parent and fellow senior Lauren Driste.
"Our senior captains are fantastic — I'm so thankful to have them on my team," Hansen said. "They push me to become better, and I love that about them because they will push me to become great."
Guider agreed, adding, "Ramsey has been very good for us, and Lauren Driste has been outstanding on defense... Lauren has been very poised, and her relaxed play has been good for our young defense."
Parent said both she and Driste know their contributions to this team must go beyond statistics.
"I had a lot of senior leaders when I was an underclassmen, so I try to do the same for this team," Parent said. "We try to keep things positive: when we talk about things to work on, we also talk about things we're doing well."
Both Parent and Guider have been impressed with the play of Hansen, who finished this game with 22 saves, and the freshmen.
"It amazes my that our freshmen and our eighth-grader [Hansen] are getting a lot of college looks, but they deserve it," Guider said. "I have not coached a more talented eighth-grade goaltender — there's a 'specialness' to her.
"She still has some things to work on, but her poise and coachability are amazing," he added. "We've had four Division I goalies at Blaine, and I'm as excited about her future as I was about any of the others."
Proctor/Hermantown, ranked No. 4 in the Class 1A state coaches' poll, saw a three-game win streak end in the contest.
"I think we played a little too much 'perimeter' hockey, playing from the outside," Mirage coach Glen Gilderman said. "I think we did that better in the second and third periods, but we didn't capitalize on our opportunities."
Alyssa Watkins received credit for the lone goal for the Mirage, while netminder Ryan Gray posted 20 saves in contest Gilderman said will help his team as it prepares for sections.
"We want to play good teams like Blaine and Edina and Blake," he said. "But it would be nice to sneak out a win in one of those game."