March 5, 2020
Jace Frederick, TwinCities.Com Pioneer Press
St. Thomas Academy became the first team since 2012 to bounce the top seed Class 2A in the quarterfinals when it stunned Andover 3-2 Thursday at Xcel Energy Center.
Andover turned up the heat in the game’s final period, peppering the St. Thomas Academy net with one shot after another.
“I thought we played good. We were doing everything right, we just weren’t getting the right bounces and couldn’t get the puck in,” Andover senior forward Gunnar Thoreson said. “We had plenty of chances that could’ve been that bounce to get the tying goal. I thought one of them was going to come, at least early, because we were applying the pressure early and they were getting tired.”
But Cadets goalie Tommy Aitken was up to the task. He turned away 33 shots, including all 15 he saw in the third period.
“It’s hard when you hit a good goalie to get pucks by him,” Thoreson said. “To only get two on him, it’s tough. He played good, and we couldn’t get anything around him. That’s why we lost.”
Unseeded St. Thomas Academy (19-8-2), which started the year 5-7-2, is now two wins away from a state title. That’s not something first-year Cadets coach Trent Eigner saw coming.
In January, Aitken said the Cadets went over to a teammate’s house and talked everything out and decided to “buy in” as a team. “I think that’s what changed everything around,” he said, “just deciding to buy in and play for each other.”
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