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Girls' top games: State tournament hopefuls Chanhassen, Benilde-St. Margaret's set to clash

By Brendan O'Brien, SportsEngine, 05/15/23, 10:15AM CDT

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May 16: The Storm are looking to bounce back from a losing skid while the Red Knights are hoping for revenge.


Photo by SportsEngine

We task our reporters with identifying several intriguing games throughout the state to assemble our Top Games of the Week. The matchups are presented in no particular order, and when there are additional games we want to highlight, we’ll include them with brief notes.

Chanhassen vs. Benilde-St. Margaret's

7 p.m., Tuesday, May 16

In a matchup of top teams in the Metro West Conference, Chanhassen (5-3) and Benilde-St. Margaret’s (8-1) are both ranked in the top 10 in the state and have their sights on more than a conference championship after meeting in last season’s Class 1A state semifinal.

Chanhassen had a successful start to the season, beating ranked foes like Minnetonka and Eden Prairie while also scoring at least 13 goals in all five of its wins. But the Storm have also hit some bumps in the road, falling to top teams in Lakeville South and Prior Lake.

What might have come as a more significant surprise, however, was when Chanhassen lost 12-9 to Bloomington Jefferson May 9, the Storm’s first conference loss since 2016. A win over No. 3 Benilde-St. Margaret’s would not only help the team remain in the conference championship picture, but it would also help No. 5 Chanhassen prove it is still one of the top teams in the state.

Senior midfielder Allie Welder (24 goals, 11 assists) and junior attack Gabby Bjugan (26 goals, four assists) have powered the Storm offense, and they will be relied on to keep pace with the Red Knights’ offense.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s is not only looking for revenge after losing to Chanhassen in the 2022 state semifinal, but also after losing to the Storm in the regular season for the last six seasons. The Red Knights appear to have their best chance of beating the Storm for the first time since 2015, as they average 14.33 goals per game and have a .558 save percentage.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s also has a strong, balanced offensive attack behind junior attack Maggie Graczyk (58 points) and junior midfielder Julia Evens (53 points). Earlier in the season the team proved it can beat some other top teams in the state like Eden Prairie, Blake and Wayzata, but also fell to Lakeville South.

Chanhassen will be the final ranked opponent the Red Knights will face in the regular season, and the game will be a good test for them heading into the postseason.


Gentry Academy vs. St. Croix Prep

7 p.m., Wednesday, May 17

Two top offenses will go head-to-head when Gentry Academy (6-0) travels to take on St. Croix Prep (9-1) in a non-conference game between two metro schools.

Gentry Academy is in its first season as its own team instead of as a co-op with another school, and it has gone well thus far. Not only are the Stars undefeated, but they boast one of the best offenses in the state, averaging 16.17 goals per game, good for third best.

The team has scored at least 15 goals in every game, but the competition in six games has also not been as stiff as others, with only two of six games played against teams with winning records. St. Croix Prep will be the toughest challenge yet for the Stars, but it will also be challenging for any team to slow down the Stars’ balanced attack.

Gentry Academy currently boasts three players with 30 or more points with freshman midfielder Samantha Hohn (35 points), junior attack Bella Munz (34 points) and junior midfielder Ella Berg (30 points). If they beat the Lions, the Stars will move to 7-0 and prove they can beat some of the top competition in the state.

After losing its season opener, St. Croix Prep has rattled off nine straight wins to climb to the top of the Tri-Metro Conference. Like Gentry Academy, St. Croix Prep also wins with offense. The Lions have the ninth most goals per game at 14.3 and have scored 13 or more goals in eight straight games.

However, also like the Stars, this will be the toughest opponent based on record St. Croix Prep has faced to date. The Lions will need to rely on freshman attack Eden Lothenbach, one of the state’s top offensive players with 51 points, along with sophomore attack Soren Barrios (30 points).

Not only has St. Croix Prep been successful at scoring, but it has also been successful at possessing the ball, wrangling the sixth-most ground balls in the state with 225. Possession will be key against Gentry Academy if the Lions are to win their 10th game in a row.


Robbinsdale Armstrong vs. Andover

7 p.m., Wednesday, May 17

Something’s got to give when Robbinsdale Armstrong (6-3) and Andover (6-3) play, as the Falcons have relied on potent offense while the Huskies have won on solid defense.

Averaging almost 13 goals per game, Robbinsdale Armstrong started the season 5-0 and was atop the Northwest Suburban Conference. The Falcons are still near the top of the standings, but have fallen a bit after losses to Centennial and Maple Grove, and now begin the week with a tough Champlin Park matchup. 

In order to beat Andover and avoid any extended losing skid, Robbinsdale Armstrong will need to not only continue scoring but also continue to find opportunities, as the Falcons average 22.2 shots on goal per game. Senior attack Jenna Hamann leads the team in points with 25, but the Falcons have a balanced offense of five players who have 18 or more points this season.

Andover has not been able to string together wins, with losses to Maple Grove, Centennial and Champlin Park sprinkled in throughout the season. When the Huskies have won, however, they have leaned on their defense. In six wins, Andover has allowed an average of just 2.5 goals per game, and the team has allowed more than 10 goals only once.

Senior goalie Eva Bock has a save percentage of .658, good for third best of goalies who have played at least 300 minutes, and senior defender Emma Tammi (19 forced turnovers) leads an Andover team that has forced 81 turnovers this season.

The Huskies have had the most recent success against the Falcons in this series, winning the last three regular season matchups, and their defensive prowess will likely be called upon in order to continue that streak.


Other games to keep an eye on

Rochester Century vs. Owatonna, 7:15 p.m., Thursday, May 18. In the last eight meetings between the two teams, Rochester Century (7-3) and Owatonna (6-1) have each won four games. This ninth meeting will not only determine who has the recent advantage in the series but will also play a significant factor in the race for the Big 9 Conference championship.

Bloomington Jefferson vs. Chaska, 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 16. Coming into its 10th game of the season, Bloomington Jefferson (6-3) is riding a five-game winning streak that includes an upset of No. 5 Chanhassen. In order to extend the streak, however, the Jaguars will need to slow down one of the state’s top offensive players in senior midfielder Josie Lakosky and Chaska (4-3). 


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