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Cretin-Derham Hall having a blast while embracing underdog role

By Loren Nelson, Legacy Hockey, 03/07/24, 6:00PM CST

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Raiders' state quarterfinal win over Centennial was their fourth straight as the lower seed


Cretin-Derham Hall, underdogs throughout the playoffs, raised the art of goal celebrations to a new level on Thursday in their double overtime win over Centennial. Photo by Jeff Lawler, LegacyHockeyPhotography.com

Young and havin’ fun.

Cretin-Derham Hall, the No. 5 seed in its section and unseeded in the state tournament, is playing as if it doesn’t have a care in the world. And, really, the Raiders don’t. 

Playing the underdog role for a fourth-straight playoff game, Cretin-Derham Hall rattled off yet another victory on Thursday, this time beating No. 3 seed Centennial 4-3 in double overtime in a state Class 2A quarterfinal at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Raiders sophomore Max Anderson forced the overtime with a third-period goal and scored the winner with 4:37 left in the second overtime period. His goals were pretty — the winner came on a 2-on-1 rush in which he drilled a high shot over standout Centennial goaltender Easton Cody — but the post-goal celebrations were also things of beauty. 

Anderson performed the “Selfie-Stick” after his third-period goal, throwing a glove on the blade of his stick and striking a pose while kneeling with teammates trailing behind and doing the same.

“I saw it on TikTok, that’s where I found it,” Anderson said about his inspiration. 

“Pretty sick,” said teammate Chuck Owens.

“I think our boys’ basketball team actually requested that one out of Max,” Raiders coach Matt Funk said.

Anderson put an imaginary crown on his head after scoring the winner. 

That postgame discussion centered around goal celebrations and their inspirations is a telling gauge of the Raiders’ anxiety level. Which is to say there is none. Funk admits Cretin-Derham Hall was playing poorly at the end of the season and fully deserving of the No. 5 seed in its section.

But … “Down deep in my heart if we played our game we would get the right results,” Funk said. 

“We really embraced that five seed, kind of took it personal,” Owens said. “We’ve been going off that underdog, that villain mentality. The fact we’ve been getting booed out there, we love it.”

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