Wayzata's Aaron Peterson was so close.

To be exact, he was 3 minutes, 21 seconds away from shutting out No. 2-seeded Maple Grove in the Section 8 final until Max Johnson scored to break the shutout bid.

The No. 1-seeded Trojans had a comfortable six-goal lead late in the fourth quarter, having already played a nearly perfect game in their own end.

Not many shots got to Peterson, but when they did, he made 10 saves on 11 shots to give the Trojans a 6-1 win on Wednesday at Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park.

"He's played like that all year for us," Trojans' coach Chad Herr said. "Aaron has taken a shutout deep into some games, so we are used to seeing him play this well."

Peterson has never recorded a shutout, but he has three one-goal games this season. None bigger than the one on Wednesday against the Crimson.

And with a trip to the state tournament coming up, he might have stumbled upon a new pregame ritual for dinner.

"We went out to dinner for my dad's birthday the other day, and I had lobster," Peterson said. "I just ate everything, even the eyeballs. It might be something that I have do to for now on."

Superstitions are just part of a goalie's mentality. The quirky Peterson fits that bill.

If it wasn't superstitions or pregame rituals, he has some motivation for a treat based on his performance.

In his youth playing days his dad promised him a Dairy Queen Blizzard for a shut out. As he got older and into high school, the chances of getting a shut out at the high school level are slim-to-none, so the stakes were dropped a bit.

"It was just another thing to look forward to," Peterson said. "Get a shutout and get a Blizzard."

Peterson did not see much action, especially early, but the Trojans only had a 3-0 lead at halftime, so a goal by Maple Grove could have swung momentum its way.

However, Peterson was there and came up with a huge save at the end of the first half on a long, hard shot.

"That was big because you just never know what that could do for them (Maple Grove)," Herr said. "It was a really close game. Our defense and goalie were good, but sometimes you can't stop momentum. Aaron did though."

Much like a pitcher who is on the verge of tossing a no-hitter or perfect game, the Trojans' avoided talking about the potential shutout.

"You just block it out the best you can," Peterson said. "It can just get to your head, and you don't want that, especially in this game."

"Every time we start to talk about it they start scoring goals," Herr said. "So we just don't do it anymore."

As the final buzzer sounded, the Trojans celebrated by mobbing Peterson. Some players attempted to pile on top of Peterson, but cooler heads prevailed after he was knocked to the turf.

"A lot of guys were ready and some knocked me down, but our captains were getting guys off me pretty quick," Peterson said. "I think they knew possibly hurting your goalie before the state tournament is not something you want to do."

Wayzata advances to the state tournament next Tuesday at Chaska High School. Quarterfinal play begins at 1 p.m.

-- Justin Magill


Wayzata junior goaltender Aaron Peterson. Photo by Loren Nelson

First Report

Junior goaltender Aaron Peterson made 10 saves on 11 shots and came within 3 minutes, 21 seconds of registering a shutout as No. 1 seed Wayzata beat No. 3 seed Maple Grove 6-1 on Wednesday in the Section 8 championship game at Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park.

Wayzata advances to the state tournament next Tuesday at Chaska High School. Quarterfinal games are set to begin at 1 p.m.

Peterson, a junior, made six of his saves in the first half, including a brilliant stop on a low shot from directly in front of the goal near the end of the first half. The Trojans (12-4) led 3-0 at halftime after a scoreless second quarter.

No. 9-ranked Wayzata led 6-0 with 3:21 when Maple Grove’s Maxwell Johnson fired a high shot over Peterson’s left shoulder, ending the Trojans’ shutout bid.

Sophomore attackman Amar Batra scored twice in the second half for the Trojans, and Charlie Chermak completed the scoring. Mark Swartz, Grant Long and Grant Johnson scored in the first half for Wayzata.

-- Loren Nelson

Spotlight Game Coverage