“(Bronson) obviously made some big saves for us, and their goalie made some huge stops to keep it close,” Lakeville South coach Tim Morris said. “You know, it would’ve been nice to have buried a couple more pucks but, a win is a win is a win.”

Hanson was especially good in the second period, when she had to fend off a flurry of consecutive attacks. She ended with 24 saves on the night. But while Hanson shined in the second period, Bronson made the third hers. She kept her focus until the very end, when Eastview started finding more pockets. She earned her seventh shutout of the season and finished with 21 saves.

But the offensive side was where the Cougars left their mark on Thursday. The free-flowing play has become a staple for Lakeville South, as so many Cougars can provide danger.

“We don’t have a go-to goal scorer,” Morris said. “We have a few players who can elevate their games and we have a solid core that works together.”

Sophomore forward Josie Grossman was the Cougar who elevated herself against the Lightning. Her smooth skating helped set up multiple chances over the course of the game and left her with assists on both of her team’s goals.

Her dialed-in performance leaves her at 15 assists on the season, added to her team-high 15 goals. Despite only being a sophomore, Morris sees great things in Grossman.

“She’s a very dynamic skater, and she creates a lot of opportunities for herself with her speed,” Morris said. “But she also works very well with the two forwards that we have her with (Ella and Hana Fowler). There’s a lot of speed on that line and if you’re not moving your feet, they’re going to go right by you.”

That’s exactly what the trio did against the Lightning. It was the efficiency and the quality of chances that pushed the Cougars over the edge. Then, when Eastview started to gain momentum with a late push in the third period, Bronson was there to clean up for a shutout.

Before focusing on the postseason, Lakeville South has one more important game to worry about against South Suburban Conference foe Shakopee (13-9-0, 10-6-0).

“That’s our number one and only focus at tomorrow’s practice,” Morris said. “After Saturday’s game is when we can start looking at who we might end up with in sections.”

Meanwhile for Eastview, senior night celebrations on Thursday mean the Lightning also wrap up their regular season this weekend, but not before they have a chance to end regular season on a high note against Metro-South (8-14-0, 3-13-0).