Andover caps off perfect season with state title

Sara Kaiser scored the game-winning goal with 1:40 to go as the Andover Huskies capped off a perfect season and captured the Class AA state championship by defeating the Minnetonka Skippers 5-4 on Saturday night.

The first period was packed with action. Ella Boerger scored on the first shot of the game to put the Huskies on the board but it was Minnetonka that controlled a majority of the first period.

The Skippers outshot Andover 16-6 in the opening frame and had several chances including a 5-on-3 power play. But Minnetonka couldn't capitalize and Andover took a 2-0 lead on a goal from Isabel Goettl.

Minnetonka finally got on the board toward the end of the first period when Ava Lindsay deflected a shot off the shoulder of Courtney Stagman. The power-play goal sent the Skippers into the first intermission down 2-1 and that momentum carried into the second period. 

Grace Sadura tied the game with her 25th goal of the season before Kendra Distad gave Minnetonka a 3-2 lead. After Andover answered with a power-play goal from Boerger, Lindsay's second goal of the night at 12:32 sent the Skippers into the third with a 4-3 lead.

Andover tied the game again on a power play from Madison Brown 3:03 into the third period. Both teams remained deadlocked into the final minutes before Kaiser scored the game-winning goal.

The victory continued what has been amazing run for the Huskies. Over the past three years, Andover has captured two state titles and their only loss came in last year's Class AA championship against Edina. But that run only gets sweeter with the Huskies' 30-0 record this season.