Defending Class 2A boys hockey tournament champion Andover battled through a 5-2 quarterfinal victory against Lakeville South.
The Huskies didn't land the first punch. But a combination by their best player helped produce a knockout Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center.
Tyler Lafferty and No. 5 seed Lakeville South (21-7-1) drew first blood. His power-play goal just 41 seconds into the second period provided a 1-0 lead, and it endured through the first half of the period.
Then No. 4 seed Andover (22-6-1) found the net. Specifically Gavyn Thoreson found it.
The Mr. Hockey finalist tied the game with a rebound goal, assisted on teammate Ben Doll's goal and added a power-play goal of his own, all in a span of two minutes.
"There's not enough you can say about him and the way he plays," Andover coach Mark Manney said. "When he gets the puck, you move to the edge of your seat."
The Cougars shook off Thoreson's barrage during the second intermission. Will Kortan's goal 56 seconds into the third period cut the Lakeville South deficit to 3-2 and showed the Cougars weren't going away.
So Andover put them away. Brooks Cogswell tipped a puck shot by Landon Stringfellow past South goalie Jack Hochsprung and the Huskies bumped their lead to 4-2 with less than six minutes remaining.
