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Anoka edges Blaine, extends winning streak to six games

By Peter Odney, SportsEngine, 05/26/17, 10:30AM CDT

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Judson Abeler, Chandler Foerster, and Jack Savini netted two goals apiece, pushing the Tornadoes past the Bengals 8-5.



Blaine's Ethan Taylor and Anoka's Jack Savini battle to gain control of the ground ball. Savini scored two goals for the Tornadoes, who defeated Blaine 8-5. Photo by Kelly McGinley, SportsEngine


Anoka midfielder Judson Abeler scored two of the Tornadoes' eight goals against Blaine. Photo by Kelly McGinley, SportsEngine

Leave it to a junior to ruin Senior Night for the Blaine boys’ lacrosse team.

Anoka, ranked No. 12 in the state coaches’ poll, goaltender Matthew Jordan stuffed and stymied the Bengals (10-4, 9-3) for four quarters on Friday night, anchoring his team en route to a 8-5 win on the road.

“If the energy’s up, I’m up, and I make better saves,” Jordan said after the victory.

In a sport where the goalie often doesn’t receive the credit nor attention they deserve, Jordan’s performance stood out in enemy territory, halting an offense that has recorded 10 or more goals six different times this season.

“I think going into the playoffs this is going to be a big win for us,” Jordan said.

The significance the victory carries is amplified by the fact that the teams could be on a collision course for a rematch in the Section 7 finals, a battle that Anoka came out of on top in a 4-3 victory over Blaine last season in double overtime.

“I’m glad that we got to play Blaine at the end of the season, because they’re really good competition and I think it’s good for both teams going into the playoffs,” Anoka coach Brad Sundem said.

Sundem also said that having players not named Ollie Nigh or Preston Olson, two of the Tornadoes’ leading scorers (with 27 and 29 goals, respectively), contribute at such a high level bodes well for the team nearing the postseason.

“It was really nice to see because it was kind of the first game of the season where the guys that we always rely on haven’t been ‘the guys’ for us,” Sundem said, adding that in addition to Nigh, the Tornadoes (10-1, 9-1) played without senior midfielder Ryan Wesp on Friday night due to injury.

Helping fill the scoring void was senior Judson Abeler, who scored two goals on pure effort plays in the second half.

“It was just hustle plays,” Abeler said. “(The) energy was low kind of in the first half, turned around in the second half and just decided to go for it.”

Abeler, who will graduate in the top ten percent of his class before attending Liberty University in the fall, also had the most succinct summation of the Tornadoes’ mindset heading into the rescheduled season finale against Robbinsdale Armstrong on May 30.

“It’s just nice to keep rolling,” Abeler said.

First Report

Seniors Judson Abeler and Chandler Foerster each scored two goals, as did junior Jack Savini, to lead Anoka to a 8-5 victory over Blaine on Friday night in Northwest Suburban Conference action at Blaine High School.

Abeler and Foerster scored just under six minutes apart in the third quarter to give the Tornadoes (10-1, 9-1) a 4-3 lead, an advantage that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.

Seniors Zach Weigman and Hunter Jerde also added goals for the Tornadoes, who are ranked No. 12 in the state coaches’ poll.

Senior midfielder Evan Anderson led the Bengals (10-4, 9-3) with three goals and an assist, scoring in each of the second, third and fourth quarters.

Photo Gallery

The MN Lacrosse Hub polls are for entertainment purposes only. 


Blaine midfielder Evan Anderson scored the majority of Blaine's goals during the game honoring the high school seniors. Blaine would fall to Anoka 8-5. Photo by Kelly McGinley, SportsEngine.


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