Ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, Andover seeks to repeat as Northwest Suburban champion, but last year's Class 2A champion, Centennial, stands in the way. Photo by Kelly McGinley, SportsEngine
Overlooked a year ago at the Class 2A state tournament out of the Northwest Suburban Conference, no one will underestimate either Andover or Centennial this season.
The Huskies faced top-seeded East Ridge in last year’s quarterfinals and toppled the Raptors 2-0. The Cougars, who entered as the No. 5 seed despite a 15-0-3 record, knocked off fourth-seeded Lakeville North 2-1 in a shootout in the quarterfinals before dropping second-seeded Rosemount 2-1 in the championship.
In between those games, Centennial squared off with conference foe Andover and came away with a 2-1 win.
Defending conference champion Andover, ranked No. 1 in the Class 2A coaches' poll, will go toe-to-toe against last year’s league runner-up, No. 6-2A Centennial in a clash of two teams set on returning to the state tournament.
The Huskies finished third at last year’s tourney and claimed the league title with an 11-1-1 record, while the Cougars, despite going undefeated, finished second with a 10-0-3 record.
A budding rivalry between two state powers makes this a quick selection for our Top Game of the Week.
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