Apple Valley Girls Hockey Looks To Play Spoiler

It’s been a rough year record-wise for the Apple Valley girls hockey team, but a late-season win is providing a little optimism as playoff action begins.

Seeded ninth in Section 3AA, the Eagles are scheduled to play at No. 8 Woodbury at 7 p.m. Monday. The winner is at top-seeded Rosemount at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

“We’d like to play the big spoiler, be a giant-killer,” said coach Don Erdall.

Apple Valley ended its regular season with a 6-1 loss to Eagan Saturday. Marie Breckner scored the team’s lone goal, converting a feed from Shaniah Anderson.

Like much of the season, that was it for the offense. The Eagles, who did not have a first-period shot in the game and trailed 4-0 before they had a shot on goal, average just 1.92 goals per game.

Apple Valley (6-19-0, 3-16-0) started the season 4-1, but lost 17 of 18 before beating Lakeville North 3-2 Tuesday.

“We came in tonight and had a little too much overconfidence,” Erdall said. “The three things we do if we’re playing well are we move our feet, we’ve got to win the physical battles, and mentally, since we are a young team, we have to be smarter than the other team.

“Tonight in the first period we didn’t do that," he said. "Fortunately enough the second period was great and we outshot them 8-1 in the last 15 minutes, and we had a chance and were looking good. Then in the third period we forgot again. I think they were satisfied with the Lakeville North win ... I wish we’d have had a little better effort heading into sections.”

That can easily happen when the varsity roster consists of just three seniors—goaltender Kelly Thomsen, defender Alli Johnson and forward Sally Thelen—and three juniors—forward Liz Hermes and defenders Anna Edgren and Natalie Conito.

“They’ve busted their butts for us, and it’s tough because the future is definitely a year or two away," Erdall said. "Hopefully, we can get a section win and give them a chance to play spoiler."

Whenever the season ends, Erdall said each senior will be missed. Here's what he had to say about each:

“Sally hasn’t put up the points that she has in the past, but leadership-wise she’s been unbelievable. You couldn’t ask for a better leader. She’s a woman with less words; she does a lot of things by example. Her attitude this year, I can’t credit her enough. She was with a coaching system for four years and then having to adjust to a new young coach who’s a fiery guy, and she bought into it from day one."

“Alli has been a rock. She’s your typical defensive leader. She’s what you think of as a prototypical captain. She speaks a lot in the room and then goes out and does it by example … We have five, six defenders behind her taking what they see out of her and doing to a level that we didn’t expect them to do yet."

“Kelly has done everything we’ve asked of her and more … She’s just turned into a mature woman who thinks about the team first. She started 61 straight high school games, and we said, ‘You’re splitting time with a sophomore this year.’ Instead of giving us the proverbial middle finger, she basically said ‘OK and when it’s my turn between the pipes I’ll go, and if not I’ll cheer Hailey [Sampson] on.’ She’s been a great example to the other goaltenders in the system.”

Thomsen started against Eagan on senior night after missing five games with a groin injury, but was pulled early in the second after the fourth Wildcats goal. Erdall said it was a precautionary measure, and he credits the senior for not wanting to come out.

“It was nice she could start the last game,” Erdall said.

If the Eagles can put it all together for 51 minutes Monday, she’ll have another.