Eastview's Ellie Groebner (22) directed a bouncing puck away from Eastview goaltender Angie Lombardi (30) late in the third period. Lombardi finished with her sixth shutout of the season. Photo: JEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@startribune.com
Eastview blanked Stillwater to pull a minor upset Saturday with a 1-0 victory in the last Class 2A state tournament quarterfinal.
Junior goalie Angie Lombardi posted a 28-save shutout as No. 5-seed Eastview (15-4-2) edged No. 4 Stillwater (19-2-1). The Ponies became Lombardi’s sixth shutout victim this season.
Eastview advances to play undefeated Andover, the defending state champions, in the semifinals Thursday at Xcel Energy Center.
The Lightning, playing in its first state tournament since 2017, enjoyed some puck luck before the game was two minutes old.
A puck shot from the blue line by junior defender Nora Stepan beat goalie Lily Timmons and went into the net, giving the Lightning a1-0 lead at 1:50 of the first period.
Stepan, considered one of the top players at her position in the South Suburban Conference, scored her eighth goal of the season.
Photo gallery: Eastview vs. Stillwater
Good fortune didn’t find Stillwater shooters. They clanged the Eastview post twice in the first 17 minutes. Team-leading scorer Lexi Huber tried to score from behind the Eastview net in the second period but didn’t get a desired bounce.
The freshman Timmons shook off the fluke goal, stopping two Eastview 2-on-1 attempts in the second period and finishing with 23 saves.
But one bad break cost Stillwater, playing in its first state tournament since 2009. The Ponies, ranked No. 6 despite not having a current player on their roster with a Division I college commitment, were shutout for the first time all season.
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