Maple Grove quickly found itself down two goals, but exploded for nine scores in the first half in its 12-6 win over Osseo/Park Center in the Section 8 final at Osseo High School on Wednesday.
The key for Maple Grove (13-3) was getting possession of the ball.
“We touched the ball,” Crimson coach Haley Corradi said. “We didn’t touch the ball once before [Osseo’s opening two goals]. To end the half, we went on a 9-1 run which is super important”
Emily Herdine and Paige Cassibo each scored hat tricks in the first half for Maple Grove. Herdine finished the game with five goals.
Corradi said the pair have been extremely important to the success of the team.
“Emily’s learning curve this season has been unreal,” Corradi said. “She has learned exactly how to shoot where every single time, if not, the majority of the time, she scores. [Paige was] clearly the hardest worker on the field today.”
Osseo’s Margot Coomes was another talented player in the game. Osseo/Park Center (10-6) coach Alison Jennings estimated Coomes has scored 206 goals in her career. She has been an important piece of the team since she first started for varsity five years ago.
“She’s part of that heartbeat of the team” along with the other senior captains, Jennings said. “She has that next level that every coach wants to have.”
Part of the Crimson’s game plan was to try to contain Coomes and not let her get where she wanted to on the field.
“[Coomes] grew up in this area so I’ve coached her myself and I know her strengths. We just had a lock on her the whole game and shut her down. Chloe, who we call ‘dog,’ just did a fantastic job of that,” Corradi said.
This is the second consecutive year these two teams played in the section final. Jennings said the rivalry with Maple Grove got to them a little bit.
“They let little things get to them and get frustrated versus resetting themselves,” Jennings said.
Jennings said Osseo/Park Center’s youth will need to prepare for next year since the program will be losing multiple seniors if they intend to turn the record around against Maple Grove next season.
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