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No. 10 Centennial Tops Duluth East 4-2

12/21/2016, 11:00am CST
By Peter Odney

Knight, McGregor Each Score Twice For Cougars

Alex Knight (27) scores one of his two goals for Centennial in the Cougars’ Tuesday night win over Duluth East. Credit: Peter Odney.

Alex Knight (27) scores one of his two goals for Centennial in the Cougars’ Tuesday night win over Duluth East. Credit: Peter Odney.

It doesn’t have to be pretty to count as a win.

Centennial took seven penalties and managed just 11 shots on goal after two periods, but eked out a 4-2 win over Duluth East on Tuesday night at the Centennial Sports Arena.

The penalties, which by the end of the game totaled eight for the Cougars, disrupted the flow of the game and forced Centennial to continuously ice the puck for much of the first two periods.

“We were shorthanded quite a bit, and our guys were killing penalties and trying to get five-on-five shifts,” Centennial coach Ritch Menne said after the game. “It definitely put us out of whack with our rhythm,” Menne added.

The penalties may have hurt the Cougars, but time in the box did some good for senior forward Alex Knight, who was whistled for roughing in the first period before scoring the first and third goals for the Cougars (5-1-0).

“I felt like I needed to do something to get the team hyped up, so I went out there and got the team going,” Knight said.

Knight added that the physical nature of the Centennial scoring attack is paramount to the Cougars’ offensive philosophy.

“It’s just getting the puck to the net and going to the net hard,” Knight explained. “That’s what Centennial hockey is all about.”

Junior forward Lucas McGregor added two goals in the win for the Cougars, ranked No. 10 in the latest Class 2A state coaches’ poll.

Sophomore forward Ryder Donovan and junior forward Ian Mageau were the goal-scorers for the No. 11 Greyhounds (4-3-0).

Menne said that despite the hiccups in the beginning, he and the coaching staff are pleased with the Cougars’ effort.

“We knew it’d be a tough game and gritty,” Menne said. “The kids really ground it out, and we’re awfully proud of them.”    

Ian Mageau (23) scores for Duluth East in the Greyhounds’ 4-2 loss to Centennial. Credit: Peter Odney.

Ian Mageau (23) scores for Duluth East in the Greyhounds’ 4-2 loss to Centennial. Credit: Peter Odney.

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Tag(s): State Of Hockey  News