It was as if the connection between Centennial teammates Tessa Trettel and Olivia Lovick was years in the making and had dozens of games to marinate.

Trettel scored twice in the fifth-seeded Cougars 2-1 victory against Rosemount in the girls’ 2A state championship, and Lovick assisted on both.

Lovick, a freshman and Trettel, a senior, were in sync inside U.S. Bank Stadium on Thursday despite this being their first season together. 

“We do an annual camping trip at the start of the year,” Trettel said of her and Lovick’s newly forged bond. “Which really pulls the team together. That and all the pasta feeds.” 

All of Trettel and Lovick’s time spent together on bus rides and team dinners hit its apex in the game’s 47th minute.  

Up 1-0, Lovick raced down the left side of the field hoping to find a teammate open in front of Rosemount’s net.

Running out of turf in front of her, Lovick fired a crossing pass in front of the goal just as Trettel found a way around her defender. Trettel reached out her foot and redirected Lovick’s pass past Irish goaltender Maggie Tulay.

Despite the degree of difficulty in Lovick pass, Cougars coach Ginger Flohaug said it is a play they practice routinely.

“That is something we work on is that slotted bar and [Trettel] opening her hips up,” Flohaug said. “Today right before the game she just wanted a couple more. She wanted that perfect ball across the six, and it was perfect how she finished that today.”

Rosemount had a chance to force overtime when junior Lauren Bangh scored with under seven minutes to play. Centennial’s defense allowed only three shots in the game and did not break in the closing minutes.

For Flohaug, this championship is the culmination of 14 years at the head of a Cougar girls’ soccer program that continued to fall just short in postseason play.

And despite graduating Trettel and eight other seniors, Flohaug looks to have a young blooming athlete in Lovick ready for next season.

“Coming in as a freshman, I looked up to all the upperclassmen,” Lovick said. “I learned a lot about soccer and life from them.”

Senior forward Tessa Trettel scored two goals and Centennial (18-0-3) defeated Rosemount 2-1 in the Class 2A girls’ soccer championship Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Trettel scored on a 25-yard lofting shot from the right side in the 21st minute of the first half. She added another goal in the 10th minute of second half, giving the Cougars’ a 2-0 lead.

Rosemount (17-2-2) scored in the 74th minute on an unassisted strike from Lauren Bangh. The second-seeded Irish had chances to tie the game but failed to connect.

The victory gave Centennial  its first soccer championship.

Check back later for more on the game.