Class AA Boys Hockey State Quarterfinal: Chanhassen 7, Rochester Century/John Marshall 0

Chanhassen’s magical season continued with a 7-0 victory over Rochester Century/John Marshall in the Class AA quarterfinals of the Minnesota State High School League’s Boys Hockey State Tournament on Thursday, March 7 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Seven different players scored goals during the Storm’s offensive blitz in their state tournament debut. Senior wing Caden Lee led the way with a goal and an assist to help send No. 2-seeded Chanhassen (24-5-0) into Friday’s big-school semifinals against the winner of the second quarterfinal between Cretin-Derham Hall and No. 3 Centennial.

En route to their first state tournament appearance, the Storm dethroned top-ranked Minnetonka, the defending Class AA champion, in the Section 2AA championship game.

Chanhassen used a three-goal second period to gain separation and a 4-0 advantage. Senior wing Gavin Uhlenkamp, a University of Wisconsin recruit, ended the spree with a power play goal from the top of the far circle with just more than six minutes left in the period. Two minutes earlier, Lee pulled away from the Rochester Century/John Marshall blueline and whistled a shot from the top of the far circle.

The Storm opened the scoring with 21.2 seconds left in the first period when senior center Jack Christ, a Minnesota State Mankato recruit, fired a wrist shot into the upper corner. About two minutes earlier, the Storm had appeared to score the game’s first goal on a tally from Lee, who chipped in a rebound. But after review, the goal was disallowed when the Storm had been offside earlier on the play.

The disallowed goal perked up the Panthers (22-5-2), who had been outshot 7-1 at that point. Rochester Century/John Marshall had two quality scoring chances, but the Storm remained stout on defense.