Cayden Casey and Logan Gravink each had two goals as No. 1-1A Andover scored five of the final seven goals on Saturday en route to a 7-4 victory over No. 11-2A Centennial at a packed Centennial Sports Arena in Circle Pines.
Casey finished with five points and Gravink three, and it was linemate Gavyn Thoreson’s shorthanded breakaway goal with 1 minute left in the second period that gave the Huskies a 4-3 lead and a jolt of momentum heading into the third period.
Thoreson, who took two first-period penalties (Centennial scored on both power plays), stepped off the bench to take a long pass with time running out in the second. He lost control of the puck as he streaked toward the Cougars goal, but still managed to score from a bad angle to the right of Centennial goaltender Jack Fuller.
The loss halted Centennial’s seven-game unbeaten streak and marked just the second time this season the Cougars (11-3-1) have allowed more than three goals. It was also just the second time in Centennial’s last eight games it has scored fewer than six goals.
Andover improved to 15-2-1 with the victory. The Huskies, Hastings and Holy Angels are the state’s only Class 2A teams with less than three losses. Hermantown and Little Falls, both in Class 1A, are the lone teams with one loss. There are no remaining unbeatens.
Sophomore Brooks Cogswell and Casey scored early in the second period against Centennial as Andover built a 6-3 lead. The goal was Cogswell's second of the game - and his varsity career.
A.J. Carls' second goal of the game pulled the Cougars to within 6-4.
Gravink scored into an empty net with 2 seconds remaining to complete the scoring.
Fuller finished with 26 saves while Andover goaltender Austin Brauns made 22 stops.
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