Eastview defenseman J.D. Seline didn’t fare too well against Bloomington Jefferson sophomore scoring wizard Ryan Graff when the teams met early in the regular season. 

Seline sent Lightning coach Tim Roche a text message this week begging for another shot at going head-to-head with Graff in Friday’s Section 3 quarterfinal.

Roche gave it to him.

Eastview midfielder Joel Iverson was used almost exclusively as a faceoff specialist last season. But Iverson spent last summer tirelessly honing his offensive skills in the hopes of receiving an expanded role in the offense this season. 

Roche gave it to him.

Smart decisions. The inspired play of Seline and Iverson were instrumental in leading the No. 5-seeded Lighting to a 10-7 upset over the No. 4-seeded and No. 8-ranked Jaguars at Bloomington Jefferson High School.

Graff, who scored four goals in Bloomington Jefferson’s 11-9 victory over the Lightning on April 19, had just two – both in the fourth quarter – in Friday’s rematch.

“That was crucial,” Iverson said about Seline’s play on Graff. “If he would have just kept putting them in, it would have been tied, they would have been up, and who knows? 

“Their whole team is good, don’t get me wrong. But (Graff) creates a lot of offense – assists and goals.”

The same could be said for Iverson, at least in this game. He scored all three of his goals as part of a 7-0 Lightning run that started with 33 seconds left in the first half and stretched 1:59 into the fourth quarter. Iverson’s goals all came in the third quarter, when he also was dominant on faceoffs. 

“Joel is on our radar for sure,” Bloomington Jefferson coach Scott Cater said. “The kid, he battles on the faceoff X, and then you see him pushing it in transition. You’ve got to react to a player like that.”

Iverson said the Lightning were fully motivated after halftime after an accidental blindside collision in the substitution area left Eastview junior midfielder Cole Peterson on the ground fading in and out of consciousness. Peterson eventually was taken from the field on a stretcher and to Hennepin County Medical Center in an ambulance. 

“The CAT scan came back alright,” Roche said, adding that Peterson was expected to be released from the hospital Saturday morning.

“We thought a lot about when our player got injured, Cole,” Iverson said. “That got us going. Got us momentum. We just wanted to take it home for him. To show him that we care about him.”


Bloomington Jefferson sophomore Ryan Graff loses the ball while working against Eastview's Scott Pugmire. Photo by Loren Nelson

First Report

Eastview’s Joel Iverson, previously known mostly for his prowess in the faceoff circle, scored three goals in the third quarter to help power the No. 5-seeded Lightning to a 10-7 victory over No. 4 Bloomington Jefferson in the Section 3 quarterfinals on Friday at Bloomington Jefferson High School.

Eastview advances to the section semifinals next Tuesday against either top-seeded and top-ranked Rosemount or Bloomington Kennedy.

Eastview’s victory was marred by a scary blindside collision early in the first quarter that resulted in Lightning junior midfielder Cole Peterson being taken from the field on a stretcher. Peterson was waiting in the substitution area to enter the game when a Bloomington Jefferson player leaving the field crashed into Peterson. Eastview coach Tim Roche said early test results on Peterson didn’t reveal a serious injury, and Peterson was expected to be released from the hospital Saturday morning.

The Lightning, who lost to No. 8-ranked Bloomington Jefferson in their season opener, trailed 5-3 at halftime but outscored the Jaguars 5-0 in the third behind Iverson’s three goals and two more from senior attackman Michael Stillings.

Counting Stillings’ goal in the final minute of the first half and Jacob Duehn’s goal 1:59 into the fourth quarter, Eastview (7-7) had a 7-0 run that put Bloomington Jefferson (9-5) in a 9-5 fourth quarter hole.

Sophomore scoring sensation Ryan Graff scored twice in the fourth quarter to pull the Jaguars to within 9-7, but Eastview’s Brian Tramonte clinched the victory with a late goal.

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