ST. PAUL — The big schools saved the best for last.
After the first three Class AA boys hockey state tournament quarterfinal games turned into blowouts, the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds saved the day and stole the show at the Xcel Energy Center on Thursday.
Fifth-seeded Centennial rallied from a two-goal first-period deficit to stun Fourth-seeded St. Thomas Academy 3-2 in the final game of the opening day of the Class AA tournament.
The victory lifts Centennial (20-6-3) into the state semifinals for the first time since it won its only state championship, in 2004.
Hayden Brickner scored with 3:32 remaining in the third period to send the Cougars’ bench and fans into a wild celebration.
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STA (25-3-1) was up 2-0 after one period on goals by Cade Huntley and Ben Stucker. But Centennial’s Carter Wagner cut that deficit in half with a goal at 7:39 of the second.
Centennial tied it on Jack Menne’s short-handed goal 7:39 into the third, setting the stage for Brickner’s winner.
Travis Allen made 33 saves in the win, outplaying Frank Brimsek Award (top senior goalie in the state) finalist Atticus Kelly, who finished with 24 saves.
• Edina 7, Lakeville North 1: The Hornets got off to a buzzing start in their first state-tournament appearance in three years. No. 2 seed Edina scored three goals in the first period, then put the game on running time by scoring four times in the second.
Section 1 champion North managed just one goal, a second-period tally by Shane Griffin that briefly cut the Panthers’ deficit to 4-1. But Edina answered 2:25 later, then pulled away to advance to today’s semifinals against No. 3 Duluth East.
Jett Jungels had two goals and two assists for Edina, Sammy Walker had a goal and four assists, and Mason Nevers scored twice. Lewis Crosby and Brett Chorske also scored once each for the Hornets (27-2-0), who outshot North 34-16.
The Panthers (16-11-2), also at state for the first time since winning it all in 2015, will face St. Michael-Albertville at 10 a.m. today in a consolation semifinal at Mariucci Arena.
• Duluth East 5, St. Michael-Albertville 0: Duluth East didn’t allow St. Michael-Albertville to enjoy its first-ever trip to state for long. The No. 3-seeded Greyhounds shut down and shut out the Knights in a state quarterfinal game Thursday.
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East’s Garrett Worth had a hat trick, including the game-winning goal, which he scored with 2:53 left in the first period for a 1-0 lead after one. Worth scored his second of the game 2:22 into the second for a 2-0 advantage.
The Greyhounds sealed the win with three goals — one each by Logan Anderson, Ian Mageau and Worth — in a span of 1:45 late in the second period.
East goalie Parker Klieve recorded a 28-save shutout as the Greyhounds improve to 24-2-3. STMA drops to 23-6-0.
• Minnetonka 6, Hill-Murray 2: Minnetonka left no doubt that it was worthy of the No. 1 seed in the tournament. The Skippers scored less than three minutes into their quarterfinal game against Hill-Murray, then tacked on three more in the opening frame to build an insurmountable 4-1 lead after one.
Bobby Brink scored twice for Minnetonka (25-2-2), while Grant Doctor and Josh Luedtke had three assists apiece. Matt Koethe, Luke Loheit, James Miller and Joe Molenaar scored a goal each for the Skippers.
Michael Fleischhacker and Joseph Quast scored for Hill-Murray (13-12-4).
CLASS A
• Mankato East 3, Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 2 (3OT): It took nearly 80 minutes to decide, but Section 1A champion Mankato East kept its season alive with a three-overtime victory against Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato in a consolation semifinal Thursday at Mariucci Arena.
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Sam Schulz scored 3:46 into the third OT to give East (17-11-2) its only lead of the game and advance to Saturday morning’s fifth-place game against Thief River Falls.
Jake Anderson and Jacob Kanzenbach scored in regulation for the Cougars, while Dylan Schutz and Brandt Pedersen scored for the Dragons (16-13-1).
There was just one penalty in the game, and the teams combined for 91 shots on goal. East goalie Jack Cusey was outstanding again, making 48 saves.
• Thief River Falls 3, Monticello/Maple Lake 0: Nick Corneliusen turned in the performance of the day in the Class A tournament, making 32 saves to lift Thief River Falls to a shutout against Monticello/Maple Lake in a consolation semifinal.
The Moose (19-9-2) outshot the Prowlers 25-16 through the first two periods, but Corneliusen was up to the task.
Brady Anderson scored twice for Thief River Falls in the second period, and Tucker Skime added an insurance goal on a power play in the third.
